Two Family House (2000) - full transcript
An unseen narrator looks back to 1956, on Staten Island, when Buddy, an Italian guy with big dreams, buys a house planning to live upstairs with his wife Estelle and run a bar downstairs. The first problem is Estelle's lack of confidence in Buddy. Then, Irish tenants upstairs refuse to move and won't pay rent; plus, the woman upstairs is about to have a baby. The next problem is the baby: once he's born, it's clear his father was Black. The Irish guy splits; Buddy evicts mother and child, then feels guilt and sets her up in a flat while she sorts out an adoption. Estelle's lack of faith, the Irish lass's spirit, Buddy's dream, racial prejudice, and the baby's fate play out.
## [Piano]
[Man]
# I'm confessin'
that I love you #
# Tell me
do you love me too #
# I'm confessin'
that I need you #
# Honest I do #
# Need you every moment #
# In your eyes I read
such strange things #
# But your lips deny
they're true #
# Will your answer
really change things #
# Makin'me blue #
# I'm afraid someday
you will leave me #
# Sayin'
"Can't we still be friends"#
# If you go you know
you will grieve me #
# All in life
on you depends #
# Am I guessin'
that you love me #
# Dreamin'dreams
of you in vain #
# Well, I'm confessin'#
# That I love you #
# Over again ##
[Man Narrating]
In the spring of 1956,
on the borough
of Staten Island in New York,
Buddy Visalo decided
to buy a house.
You never try to
walk on a nail...
'cause that's where
the beams are.
Looks kinda old, huh?
The place was built in 1912.
Plumbing is practically new.
I done it myself
a few years ago.
And upstairs,
you got a completely
separate apartment.
Eighty dollars
a month rent it gets,
enough to cover
a mortgage payment.
Assuming you're qualified.
Two family.
You could quit
the factory.
Now, here's the showpiece.
That's a 40-foot
double parlor, gentlemen.
Boy, the beat
the heating bill.
Guess you could always
lower these ceilings, huh?
She's the best buy
on Staten Island.
What do you think, Mr. Visalo?
The 1200 my mother left me,
there's the down payment.
You could quit the factory.
You know, rent to the tenants
upstairs.
Wouldn't have to work.
Life of Riley.
No, no,
no tenants upstairs.
Estelle and I
live upstairs.
Downstairs...
What?
What are you gonna do?
Buddy's Tavern.
I have my own business.
Your own bar?
Yeah.
With that big fuckin'
living room,
Yeah.
With a bar
and some tables.
What's it gonna take...
ten, twelve tables?
Forty, fifty customers.
Put a guy in back.
You know, break down a wall,
put in some live entertainment.
Live entertainment?
Don't tell me who you'd get.
# There's no tomorrow #
# When love is new #
# Now is forever #
# When love is true #
[Narrator]
It might be worth noting
at this point...
that in 1945, when Buddy
was in the Air Force,
he performed at
a special services show,
which was attended
by Arthur Godfrey,
then a popular radio star.
# There's no tomorrow #
[Airplane Passes Overhead]
# There's just tonight ##
Godfrey offered Buddy
an audition when
he got back to New York.
Buddy, Arthur Godfrey
or no Arthur Godfrey,
the girl waited for you
for two years.
You want to get married,
you got to have a serious job.
But Buddy's fiancee, Estelle,
and her family...
found the whole idea
embarrassing.
Not to mention,
impractical.
This is Arthur Godfrey,
for God's sakes.
How many breaks
am I gonna get
like this again?
Do you wanna marry me,
Buddy?
Oh, Estelle, honey,
you know I wanna marry you.
Then, don't do this.
Instead, it was
a twin bed in a room
in Estelle's parents'house,
until the newlyweds
were ready to move out
on their own.
And a job in the machine shop
in the Anzelako Baked Goods
Factory,
where Buddy's talents
went largely unnoticed.
Meanwhile, Godfrey took a chance
on an ex-naval cadet
named Julius La Rosa,
who quickly became
an overnight sensation.
I don't wanna hear it.
It coulda been me.
Even the much-publicized firing
of La Rosa a year later...
failed to dampen the fires
of Buddy's resentment.
[Man]
That was Julie's swan song.
Yeah, it was
right on the air.
That poor guy,
you should have
seen his face.
"Lack of humility"?
What the hell does that mean?
That means that
coulda been you. See?
What did I tell you?
So what.
Better to be La Rosa
without a job...
than Visalo
at that fuckin' factory.
It was a watershed moment
in this marriage.
Never again
would Estelle stop Buddy
from pursuing his dreams.
Dreams which were now
understandably lower in scale
than they had previously been.
[Car Radio Static]
Car one to base.
Come in if there are
any calls.
A series of calamitous
business ventures followed,
beginning with the first
privately-owned limo service
on Staten Island.
Buddy, nobody's calling.
Come on. Come in and eat.
Come on, honey.
A service that nobody
had the slightest use for
in the little borough.
[Coughing]
Buddy's Housepainting Service
of Staten Island...
fell victim to
the design sensation of 1953.
We're gonna have
the whole house done.
They say we'll never
have to paint again.
Wallpaper.
[Buddy]
What, even the bathrooms?
[Woman]
They're lovely... velvet.
Wanna see?
No, that's all right.
You know, I could paint
the outside.
Aluminum siding,
comin' next week.
Want a drink?
Finally, perhaps inevitably,
a pizza delivery service.
Oh, my God.
Be careful it don't blow up!
[Coughing]
The restaurant Buddy
had purchased the oven from
was out of business...
when he went to complain
the following day.
[Estelle]
Buddy, stop!
You're gonna hurt yourself!
Stop! Make him stop!
Make him stop!
Make him stop!
# There's just tonight ##
Ladies and gentlemen...
it's...
Buddy Visalo,
## [Indistinct]
Of Buddy's Tavern
at 19 West Street,
in beautiful Staten Island.
Welcome to my bar.
Welcome to my home.
Welcome to my house...
I don't have permission
to buy.
How are ya?
How are ya?
Back again,
your anniversary?
Good. Well, I've got
a little song for you.
I'm gonna...
A little jewel...
jewel of a song for you.
My place is your place.
Come to my place.
It's your place too.
Hey.
Perry Como just started.
We got a half hour.
## [Continues, Indistinct]
[Buddy Moaning, Grunting]
Honey, they'll hear us.
Shh!
Shh! Shh!
[Grunting]
Ten years.
Ten years of this,
Estelle.
What?
Perry Como.
[Narrator] Consultations
were held with each side's
closest advisors.
He wants to have his own house,
run his own business?
Let him get it
out of his system.
What if it doesn't?
But it will.
It's Buddy.
Buddy here's thinking
about opening up a bar
over on West Street.
West Street?
The mick neighborhood?
What do you want
with serving the micks?
They got no money,
they always ask for credit
and they never pay.
Don't you see?
Look. Some guys,
they're destined
for success, you know.
It's like
they could do no wrong.
Like they were pregnant
with it.
Buddy? He's pregnant
with failure.
Oh, come on now.
If it was going to
interfere with your business...
My business? Buddy,
you could have my business.
I'm sick of it.
I got a lot up
in Orange, New Jersey,
first chance I get, I'm going.
What are you
going to do up there?
Chicken farm.
Chicken farm?
I got it all figured out.
Chicken farm.
Yeah, you make money
on both ends.
You make money
from the chickens
and from the eggs.
When did you
come up with this?
You're making chickenshit.
And, ultimately,
as things always do,
it came down to legalities...
could the house be converted
into a bar?
[Man]
Yep, yep,
according to this.
'Cause you're on
the northwest border
of the town...
covered under
the business statute of 1877.
So, you don't need
the approval of the bar
and restaurant commission.
That's lucky for you.
Those sons a bitches,
can tie you up forever.
[Chuckles]
Hey, that's a great law.
After the usual visit
from a relative
who happens to be a lawyer...
First right under
the contract of sale.
Aren't there tenants
upstairs in our bedroom?
And what happens
if they don't wanna leave?
Don't worry. Don't worry.
I took a precaution...
of serving them with
an eviction notice.
They got one week
to get out.
An eviction notice.
I know you wanna
move in right away.
We'll move in downstairs,
just till they leave.
In other words,
we're sleeping
in the bar now.
And after the usual
last argument...
It's a great house.
I hate that house!
It's a slum!
[Speaking Italian]
It's our chance, Estelle.
Please, to what,
turn me into a barmaid?
[Speaking Italian]
Moving day arrived.
Hey, it's a nice street.
Listen, if it don't work out,
for some reason, God forbid,
the bar don't work out,
I'll just rent
the downstairs out.
Hey, hey, hey, come on.
Pick that up, will ya?
What do you think?
There's the bay window.
That's where the sign's
gonna go, the neon sign...
Buddy's Tavern.
[Buddy Continues,
Indistinct]
Oh, Estelle.
I'm so sorry.
Don't worry about it.
We'll be in and out
in a month.
A little paint,
a little polish.
Can you see it?
[Estelle]
I can't sleep
with all these boxes.
[Buddy]
It's just till the people
upstairs move, all right?
A couple of days.
I feel like I'm in
the luggage compartment
of a train.
What sense would it make
to unpack everything...
just so we have to
pack it up again
when they move, huh?
[Glass Breaks,
Clattering]
Buddy.
## [Singing, Indistinct]
Hey!
Hey, yourself.
Would you mind keeping it down?
We're trying to sleep here.
Go sleep in your own house,
you fat bastard.
This is my own house.
I'm the new owner... Visalo.
Oh, you're Visulo.
You, you're the one
that sent me...
this-this despicable letter,
telling me to get out?
That was my lawyer.
Your lawyer, was it?
Hey, hey, hey,
hey, Vilony.
You and your lawyer
come down here
and kiss my ass, eh?
[Laughing]
He lives upstairs.
Good. He can stay.
Where you goin'?
Home.
You are home.
[Clattering]
Hey, what the hell?
I aim to please.
You aim too,
if you please.
[Continues, Indistinct]
[Narrator] It was
at this moment the awful truth
became apparent to Buddy Visalo.
His dreams of this success,
which he knew would be so sweet
after years of failure,
were once again
to be foiled.
[Bottle Clangs]
Well, who are you?
I'm Visalo.
We met last night.
Don't you remember?
What if I don't?
Who are ya?
I own the place.
The bastard
that sent me the notice.
Yeah, yeah.
Uh, listen.
I don't wanna make things
hard on you or anything,
but, uh,
me and the wife,
we ain't lookin'
to be landlords.
Oh, you're not.
No, no. The idea here
is for me and the wife to keep
the whole house to ourselves.
Oh, that'd be nice,
wouldn't it?
Big too.
Yeah. Well, actually,
what I'm looking to do...
is turn the downstairs
into a bar, and we're
gonna live up here.
A bar.
Lovely idea.
Yeah. It's been
on my mind for a while now,
seeing how the streets
have all these businesses.
Will you
be serving food?
Food? Yeah, I don't know.
Maybe some sandwiches
and stuff.
[Knocks]
What?
I didn't get
to the point yet.
The point is I'm looking
for you to vacate.
I don't wanna make anything
too uncomfortable for you,
so it doesn't have to be
right this minute.
A couple of days will be fine.
Maybe even a week.
Aren't you
the generous soul,
Mr. Visalo?
I'm just tryin'
to be fair here.
Let me tell you
something.
The fact that
you bought this firetrap
from that prick, Mahoney,
tells me, above all,
you're stupid.
And if you think
you're gonna come up here
and throw me out,
you're even dumber
than you look.
I got a wife in there
expecting a kid, so in spite
of your stupidity,
I'm sure you'll be able
to see I'm not exactly
in the mood...
to be thrown out
on the street by some
dimwit, two-bit Italian,
who fancies himself
a restaurateur.
Hey, Vilula.
I forgot, the rent.
- What about it?
- I ain't got it.
Ain't got it for months.
If you think that's gonna be
enough to throw me out,
you're sadly mistaken.
The New York Renters
Association's...
According to the New York
Renters Association,
I've got another year
to live in my abode.
A whole year, Visuli.
Did you know that?
So, don't bother comin' up here,
knockin' on my door,
lookin' for the rent...
because you won't get it.
What's going on, Buddy?
Buddy, what's going on?
Buddy, look at me!
Talk...
Bud... Buddy!
Come on, come in.
You're gonna hurt yourself.
What are you doin'?
Uh-oh. "If said dwelling
has no more than
two in notice...
"and one rental apartment
on the premises, was originally
built before 1913,
and originally served
as a one-family dwelling."
It is covered under
the rental law of 1921.
How is that possible?
Everyone lived rent-free?
"Only applies
to two-family dwellings...
"converted from what was
originally intended to be
a one-family dwelling...
between the years
1919 and 1921."
Like yours.
[Estelle]
My Uncle Louie would have
known better to buy a house...
and not ask whether the tenants
had to stay or go.
My uncle Louie, Buddy.
And he couldn't read or write.
Why don't we go
to Uncle Louie's grave
and ask him what to do?
No, we gotta sell
this house fast, Buddy.
Maybe Uncle Louie
will buy it.
[Crash, Woman Screams]
What the hell?
I'll take care of this,
baby.
Oh, my God,
this isn't happening.
[Woman Yelling]
Hey, what's going on
in there?
Hey, open up, will ya?
[Yelling Continues]
What are you doing to her?
What are you doing to her?
Open up the door!
What's the matter with you?
[Woman]
Get away from me!
Who are you?
I'm Visalo, the landlord.
I heard a noise.
[Clattering]
What's all this?
- You broke my door down.
- You gotta be kidding me.
I could have called the cops.
What right have you?
You broke my door down!
He's here.
Our love and protector, Mary.
What, you come to inspect
the fuckin'damage, Visuli?
Hey, settle down, pal.
Oh, Visuli, I meant
to ask you something.
It's about your figure.
Your girlish figure.
You reminded me of something,
I couldn't think what.
Look, pal.
But now I know.
You're a sausage,
Visuli, don't you know?
Don't you see what I mean?
Short on the top,
short on the bottom
and packed in the middle,
like a fuckin' sausage.
Hey, look. I've got news
for you, pal... you're movin'.
I got news for you.
You smell like
a fuckin' garlic press.
Joe, stop it.
Piss off.
- Hey, hey, hey!
- Hey!
Oh, oh, she's your type,
huh, Visuli?
Settle down, pal.
You want a piece of her,
do you? Well, may it please
you to know that this lady...
belongs to me.
From here,
down to here.
Stop it!
And all that's in between.
[Groans]
I suppose you expect me
to thank you.
You know what?
You're as sick as he is.
You're even sicker.
You're both sick,
and you're both
movin' tomorrow!
[Buddy]
He would have killed her.
[Narrator]
Naturally, news of Buddy's
drunken Irish tenant...
and his ungrateful pregnant wife
soon made the rounds.
He can't evict him.
It's about this law.
Buddy, you know
what they say?
"The only thing worse
than a drunken mick...
is a drunken mick
with a broken fuckin' nose."
Angelo's right. We should
just throw them out.
Can't throw them out.
The guy's got rights.
The guy in the housing office
with the bow tie...
What about your rights
as a homeowner?
Throw the guy out.
It's your house.
Tomorrow morning,
throw the guy out.
Throw the fuckin' guy out!
You mean physically?
Throw him out!
Of course physically.
What do you think,
magically?
Go down there,
grab his stupid
Irish mick ass,
throw him down the steps,
out the house, outta the block,
that's it!
Done! Finito.
[Grunting]
What, are you gonna
be there?
No, I'll send you
by yourself.
We're all gonna come.
I'm in.
[Narrator]
The O'Nearys were to receive
three warnings...
in the space
of five minutes.
If they didn't actively
begin moving their possessions
after the third warning,
then appropriate actions
would be taken.
Said actions remained vague,
but without a doubt,
involving violence.
What are you doing?
You gonna warn them
or what?
Yeah, of course.
I'm just thinkin'.
Should I go up there,
or should I do it
from down here?
What's the difference?
Do it from down here.
What if the shoutin'
wakes up the neighbors?
- Who the fuck cares?
- Hey, it's my house,
all right, Danny?
Go talk to him.
It's his house.
What are we doin'here
early in the morning?
All right, all right.
I'm gonna go up there.
Wake the mick up, huh?
Wake the guy up, huh?
Buddy!
All right, all right.
Stop shoutin', will ya?
Wake up in there.
It's Visalo.
[Knocking]
Hey, wake up.
It's moving day.
Go away.
I ain't goin' away.
You're goin' away.
Leave us alone.
I ain't leavin' youse alone.
You're leavin' us alone.
Oh, shut up!
Let's give him
a couple minutes.
All right, okay.
So, uh, let's set
our watches.
I got ten minutes
to 7:00.
I got five of.
Set it to mine.
My watch works.
I got five of, too,
so maybe you should
set it to ours.
Whose idea was this
to set our watches?
[Buddy]
Enough with the watches.
Jim!
Jim, wake up!
Oh, God. Jim!
Wake up!
Come on.
[Grunts]
Hey!
Up!
What the hell?
Aah!
Wake up. Come on.
Wake up!
Jim, for God's sake,
wake up!
[Gurgling]
This is your second warning,
O'Neary.
Let it be known
that you have received two
of a possible three warnings.
Go to the window.
Why?
There's men outside.
Who?
Go to the window!
They're gonna throw us out.
[Buddy Yelling,
Indistinct]
Visulo.
Visuli,
if you and your band
of fat-ass dagos...
wanna be responsible
for breaking the law...
and dispossessin' me,
well, that's fine,
I'll see you in court.
How do you like this guy?
He ain't takin' no one to court.
You know how expensive that is?
But if you wanna be responsible
for harmin' a pregnant woman
and an unborn child,
you'll have to
harm me too.
And that encounter
will surely prove fatal...
to all of you.
Come on.
Gimme a break.
What about that?
He's bluffing.
I can take him myself.
It's okay, Mary.
They was just bluffing us.
It's happening.
Oh, Jesus, it's happening.
Oh, Jesus.
Now listen to me, please.
This is your second warning,
O'Neary, unless you already
come to your senses.
I need your help.
We have to have
a doctor now!
Eh, fuck you!
For your head.
A doctor, for Christ's sake.
She's having the baby!
He's bullshittin'.
Why didn't he call
the doctor?
Yeah, bullshit.
Why don't you call
a doctor?
Because you turned
my phone off!
You turned the phone off?
I turned the phone off.
I don't know,
the other day.
I swear to you,
we'll both be outta here,
but we need a doctor now!
I think this is
a little different now.
She's having a baby.
Maybe she is
having a baby.
[All Talking At Once]
[Mary Sobbing]
Okay, look.
Since technically you have
one warning left, O'Neary,
I'm gonna take your word
for it, but don't try
nothin'funny, you hear?
Chip, go call a doctor.
Yeah.
Leave the bat.
Could you imagine
if she had a baby?
What happened?
Is he out?
Where's your phone?
Is the phone in here?
The phone, over here.
Thank you.
Here we go.
So, what's going on?
Nothin'.
Nothin' is goin' on.
Yeah, hello, operator.
We need a doctor over here.
A doctor? Oh, my God.
Chip, somebody got hurt.
Yeah, we're at...
No, it's the woman
upstairs.
She's having a baby
or something.
She's having a baby?
Oh, my God!
Yes, it's, uh...
What, the address?
I think we're at...
Hey, Buddy.
She's having a baby?
That's what he says.
What the hell are you guys
just standing here for?
We're just here makin' sure
he don't try nothin' funny.
You're a bunch of knuckleheads,
you know that?
Hello?
Hello!
They're here!
[Sobbing]
God, she's having it.
Oh, my God!
Hey, listen,
it's gonna be okay.
I'll help you.
It hurts!
[Mumbling]
Oh, my God. I need you
to get me sheets,
towels, anything.
[Whimpering]
I've never done this before,
but you're gonna be okay.
Hey!
[Mary Groaning]
Maybe I should go
up there, huh?
Yeah, maybe you should.
We'll stay down here.
You know,
in case he tries
something funny.
[Estelle]
Squat, squat, baby.
What's your name, honey?
Mary, I'm gonna help you.
Oh, my God, she's...
I have it, baby.
He's right here.
Just push for me.
Come on.
[Straining]
[Estelle Yelling,
Indistinct]
[Mary Yelling]
I need you to push
one more time, please!
You gotta push.
I know it hurts.
I know it hurts.
Oh, my God!
Oh, my God!
[Estelle Crying]
[Baby Crying]
[Narrator] That's me,
[Buddy]
He's something, isn't he?
In the kitchen of the home
in which I was born.
Are you ready
to meet Daddy?
[Jim Laughs]
I guess he's
a little dirty, I guess.
He's not dirty.
Just... Just looks
colored sometimes.
[Narrator]
You may detect
vaguely quizzical looks...
on the faces of those
who were present.
That's because it was
immediately apparent that,
in spite of having been born
of two white parents,
I seemed to have been made
of darker material.
Hey, it's a her.
Bring him to me.
Bring him to me!
- What happened?
- Hey, uh, look.
Go back to the bar, okay?
I'll meet you there later.
That was the last time
anyone in Staten Island
ever saw Jim O'Neary,
my mother's husband.
He was arrested for vagrancy
several days later...
and vanished for good
shortly thereafter.
My mother recovered
from my birth in a short time.
And later told me that
the only shocking thing
about the color of my skin...
was that the inevitable
hadn't occurred to her...
during the eight
and a half months
of her pregnancy,
at least not consciously.
The brief and apparently
satisfactory reunion she had
with my natural father...
had never entered her mind
as a possible complication.
But perhaps it constituted
a sort of backup plan.
Her life with her first husband
was, one way or another, in need
of of some drastic change.
[Buddy]
It's got the nose,
the skin, everything.
The kid... The kid's
fuckin'colored?
Half, yeah.
You gotta be kiddin' me.
Danny, I swear to Christ.
You mean she really
fucked some coon?
Evidently. How else
does it happen, right?
Well, Buddy,
look at it this way.
In a few years, you're
going to have your own
janitor on the premise.
[All Chuckle]
Kinda puts a black spot
on the neighborhood, you know.
[All Laughing]
Kinda gives a new meaning
to the term "black Irish,"
you know what I mean?
Let's have a couple
of drinks here
on the spook.
To his own house.
To your own house,
huh?
You gonna stay
in the house now?
Yeah. Why not?
I ran him... Sure.
## [Jazz]
## [Jazz Continues]
Buddy.
Buddy.
Estelle told me what happened.
What are you gonna do
about it?
About what?
He's drunk, Ma.
He doesn't even realize
what's going on.
Come on, I'm fine.
I ain't drunk, all right?
What? What?
You know, you think
you're so smart, huh?
Big-shot homeowner.
You're gonna run
your own business.
But yet, you're
too stupid to realize...
when something
very, very important
has happened here.
- What?
- Buddy.
- The baby is colored.
- Yeah, so?
It ain't ours.
But it happened
under our roof.
Buddy, this thing
and her baby
are still here.
We gotta get her out,
and we gotta get
her out now!
Honey, look.
She just had the kid,
all right?
Give her a couple
of days, okay?
I'll talk to her.
No.
No, Buddy, tomorrow.
Or you know
where I'll be.
That's it, okay?
[Knocking]
It's Visalo.
Come in.
[Baby Crying]
[Fussing]
Ever seen one before?
Sorry.
[Clears Throat]
I, uh,
I came to tell you...
You came to tell me...
that my husband is back,
quit the drink,
paid you the back rent
and all is forgiven.
I think you know what
I came up here to tell you.
All I ask you for
is a week.
Just a week to rest
and make some kind
of arrangements.
A week?
I've got a sister
in Sheepshead Bay.
She'll help.
We haven't spoken for a while,
but I'm sure she'll help.
I think you oughta know,
l-l-l...
If it's the money,
I'll pay you for it
as soon as I can.
Just a week.
That's all I ask you.
It's gotta be tomorrow.
Well,
I couldn't expect you to let me
stay here rent-free,
to look after a child
that nobody in the world could
possibly want now, could I?
You gotta admit, I mean,
it's a little odd, right?
Well, so what?
I'm not asking
for your pity.
I don't care...
what you
or anyone else thinks.
I got nothing
to be ashamed of.
I'll do you the courtesy
of getting out of your house
tomorrow.
Hey, no hard feelings,
right?
God help you.
What's with
the green paint?
It's left over
from the, uh, you know.
The house painting
service.
Figured I could use it
on the trim inside.
I don't see a bar
being done in green,
- unless it's got
an Irish theme.
- Bite your fuckin' tongue.
[Baby Crying]
Morning.
Morning.
Girl like that,
fuckin' a molignard.
What a shame.
[Baby Crying]
I've left all the furniture.
Sell it if you wish.
Unless you want it.
What would I need
with it?
Here. Take this stuff
inside, will ya?
I'll be back in a sec.
All right.
Forget the key.
Just kick it.
Just kick it.
Hey.
Do you know
where you're going?
What does it matter
to you?
I'm just askin'.
Well, if you must know,
I'm checking into
the Doyleton Hotel,
until my sister
can arrange something.
The Doyleton?
Jesus,
you gotta be careful.
I mean, that's mostly...
ladies of the evening.
I beg your pardon?
You know, hookers.
Prostitutes.
That kind of thing.
[Baby Crying]
I wasn't expecting
the Waldorf.
May I go now?
Look, I'm just
tryin' to be...
Helpful?
As always, Mr. Visalo.
You crazy bitch.
[Narrator]
On weekends, everybody
did what they could...
to help Buddy and Estelle
make something of their home.
[Chattering]
We're gonna take this down.
Huh? Beautiful.
That is glass.
I betcha that's an antique.
Hey, honey,
take a look at this.
It's nice, Estelle.
Honey!
Gorgeous. Beautiful.
Wow, this thing's
like a church.
[Narrator]
During the weeks,
the grinding daily routine...
went on for both the men...
Hey, thanks,
you know?
For what?
For encouraging me.
You're the only one
I know who does.
That's 'cause
you got balls.
[Narrator]
As well as for the women.
Should I go down the list?
The pizza business.
The painting business.
The limo business.
They were
pretty good ideas.
Give me a break.
Gradually, the odd set of events
surrounding my birth disappeared
into the haze of folklore.
You know what else she said?
She said you should have
told the police.
'Cause what she did
is against the law.
What is?
"Myseginantin."
Or something.
It's that imbalance
that the Irish got.
And the mick says,
"Just havin' a baby.
Just havin' a baby."
Baby.
How much longer do I gotta
hear this story, huh, Ange?
Buddy, you don't know,
but you made history.
What happened at your house,
it ain't never gonna be
forgotten.
What the hell?
It wasn't my fault.
Nobody said it was.
Come on.
Have another drink.
So, Buddy comes back
downstairs, right?
And I go,
"So what was it,
boy or a girl?"
And he says,
"Neither, pickaninny.
[All Laughing]
I never said that.
[Man]
# For the road that
we've been travelin'on #
# Is oh, so rough #
# That piece that you've
been settin'is gettin'#
# Oh, so tough #
# To say we could continue #
# Would be such a bluff #
# So have another one #
# On me ##
Uh, I'm lookin'
for somebody.
Her name's O'Neary.
Mary.
Fourth floor.
Fourth floor.
Uh, which room?
How the fuck
should I know?
[Mary]
Who is it?
It's Visalo.
I was just passin' by,
and I was wonderin'
how you were doin'.
[Baby Crying]
Not too good, huh?
My sister
won't take me in.
She couldn't explain
the whole thing
to her husband.
Well, maybe you
oughta consider, uh,
giving it away.
Why are you here?
I don't know.
I don't know. You know,
they were talking about you
down at the bar. I mean...
I wasn't saying anything,
but I just started wondering
how you were doing.
I give you something
to talk about, do I?
You and your friends
at the bar.
The people
at the market too.
And then you feel guilty,
and then the next thing
you're around here,
payin' a visit
and givin' me advice.
Why don't I
give him away?
Because maybe
I don't want to.
- I'm just trying to help.
- You don't care.
You think I'm some slut.
Some stupid girl with
her brain down here.
Hey, what the hell, Mary?
And my name is not Mary.
It's Mrs. O'Neary to you.
I'd never dream of calling you
by your first name,
Mr. Visalo.
It's Mrs. O'Neary.
Where's Mr. O'Neary, huh?
Where's your fuckin'
bum husband?
Get the fuck outta here.
[Narrator]
But it remains
an undisputed fact...
that every one has
at least one moment of
total selflessness in his life.
Don't throw it away.
Coupons for Gimbels.
Me and Laura
are going Saturday.
Don't worry. I won't.
It used to be
my grandmother's room.
She died last year... 104.
Twenty-five a month,
including the water.
Last guy I had,
used it for emergencies.
You know what I mean?
Uh, yeah, I think so.
In fact, I'm kinda lookin'
to just do this quietly.
Hey, I was married
myself for years.
No, no, no,
it's not that.
It's, uh...
It's something else. L...
It's hard to explain.
You don't have to explain
anything to me.
Deaf and dumb.
D and D. That's me.
Yeah, good.
Let's keep it
that way, then.
Otherwise,
I'll have to kill you.
I won't have this.
Give me 38 bucks.
Jesus, for this dump?
Stop it!
Do you hear me?
Why are you doing this?
You can pay me back.
Damn right I will.
I won't take charity.
Does your conscience
bother you, is that it?
Because it needn't.
He pays for the water.
Are you doing it
to try and make yourself
into a saint, is that it?
Christ.
I'm doin' it because...
I don't know.
I'm just doin' it,
all right?
Can't you even say thanks?
No, you can't.
That's nice.
In that case,
I'm not doing it
for your thanks.
I'm just sorry that you...
I don't need your pity.
No, you don't.
You need a goddamn roof
over your head...
till you figure out what to do
with your goddamn self.
Look, don't get it
in your head that I think
what you did is all right.
'Cause believe you me,
I think what you did is sick.
It's just you...
shouldn't be staying
in that hotel, that's all.
I take it your wife
doesn't know.
No, she don't know.
Thank you, Mr. Visalo.
[Narrator]
A letter from
the Staten Island Bank...
was addressed to Mr. Visalo
and urged his immediate
attention.
Though, it was his wife
who decided to take matters
into her own hands.
According to
my calculations, you, uh,
your expenditures are running
about two and a half times
your income.
But there's no law against
how much of our own money
we spend, is there?
Certainly not.
As long as the collateral
remains intact.
Certainly not.
As long as the collateral
remains intact.
This was merely
a courtesy on our part
to protect you.
However, if the rate
of spending continues,
you have only perhaps...
a month and a half
before your savings run out.
And then,
we will have to talk.
That won't be necessary.
And could you do us a favor...
and not send any more
of these letters?
My husband,
he works very hard.
He's under a lot of pressure.
He don't need
this aggravation.
Really. Thank you.
You said a month
and a half, right?
She's a beauty!
Wait a minute.
What about singers?
Who needs them?
## [Jukebox]
# Papa loves mambo #
# Mama loves mambo #
# Papa does great with it
Swings like a gate with it #
# He loses weight
with it now #
# He goes to #
# She goes fro #
# He goes fast #
# She goes slow #
# He goes left #
# She goes right #
# Papa lookin' for Mama
but Mama is nowhere in sight #
## [Instrumental Continues]
Oh, hey, Estelle,
that new console that
you guys got is a dream.
Can I ask
a personal question?
Where we gettin' the money
for all this?
You're spending like
there's no tomorrow.
Yeah, so what's the worse
that could happen?
How about you lose
all your savings?
Yeah, what then?
You couldn't open up
the bar then.
Aw. So?
Oh, Estelle.
Well, you'll have to
rent it out, and maybe even...
Sell the house?
Bingo!
# She goes fro #
[Women Chattering]
# He goes fast #
# She goes slow #
# He goes left #
# She goes right #
What's so funny?
# Papa lookin'for Mama #
# But Mama is nowhere
in sight #
# Ah, Papa loves mambo ##
Buddy. Hey, Buddy!
What?
This your idea
of having respect?
Huh? You're making
a fool of yourself in front
of the whole neighborhood.
What is with you, huh?
If I was making thousands
of dollars doing this,
you'd be proud of me.
That's exactly my point.
The only reason
you should be dancing
around like a monkey...
is if you're getting
paid for it.
What did you call me?
- Oh, dry up.
- No, no, wait a minute.
You called me a monkey?
Oh, come on.
I was just kidding.
What, in front
of all your friends,
you call me a monkey?
In front of my friends,
you're acting like a monkey.
Well, you know what
that means? That means
you married a monkey.
So, who's dumber...
a monkey or someone
who marries a monkey?
Idiot.
[Bell Rings]
We got a winner here.
Winner here.
Nice shot, pal.
What are you gonna have?
[Baby Crying]
What do kids like?
Boy or girl?
Boy.
Boy? Like soldiers,
guns, all of that crap.
Junior,
give the man a gun.
Who is it?
Visalo. I brought
something here.
A little gift.
I got this
at the amusement park.
[Screams]
Hey, what the hell?
Go away!
No, no, it's fake.
It's for the kid.
You brought that
for my baby?
Yeah.
What's the matter?
What are you up to?
What, nothing.
I just figured I'd drop by
and bring you a little gift.
Just like that.
Well, if you must know,
me and the wife,
we had a fight.
You know, it was nothing big,
but I was just wandering around,
trying to cool down.
So, that's why
you did this.
You wanted a little place
to come to whenever you
and your wife were on the outs?
You're just like
all of them.
All you Italians.
You're all just
a race of pimps.
You'd prey on a dying nun
if it suited you.
God, don't say that.
Go away!
What's going on here?
What are you doing?
[Mumbling, Indistinct]
Fuckin' idiot,
you're a fuckin' pimp now.
You're a fuckin' monkey.
You're a monkey.
You embarrass people.
Now you're a jack...
Fuckin' jackass.
Fuckin' jackass.
[Baby Crying]
You bastard!
I'll leave tomorrow.
I'll pay for everything,
I will.
I don't want you
to leave.
- Don't you think I know that?
- No, that ain't why.
Why then?
[Baby Continues Crying]
I just wanna talk
to someone.
[Sobbing]
What's the matter
with you?
I don't know.
Look. Get up here
before some of the neighbors
see you.
[Buddy]
I get these uniforms
made up, right?
With the name
of the business on them.
And l-I show them to her
as soon as I get them in,
and she says...
You know what she says?
She says, "Buddy,
who are you going to
sell these to when it
goes out of business?"
You all right now?
I'm, uh...
Yeah.
Look, I'm real sorry.
L-I haven't done that
since I was...
a little kid, you know.
Maybe even before that.
I've done a lot of it
myself lately.
Yeah, well, you're a broad.
You're supposed to cry.
I'm sure things
will get better for you.
[Baby Fussing]
Shh.
You heard ofJulius La Rosa,
right?
No.
Julius La Rosa...
the big singing star...
on Godfrey's, uh,
TV show.
Used to be, anyway.
I've never had
a television.
No kiddin'.
Well, that could have been me.
Yeah, that was
my big shot.
Godfrey saw me singing
when I was in the army and...
he said, "When you get out,
you come and see me."
I told Estelle.
She said no.
So, you didn't do it.
I thought Italian men
did whatever they pleased.
Yeah, well, ever since,
that's been the way
it goes, but...
You know, I never...
I never got that kind of break
thrown my way again.
You know, so I figured
the least I could do
if I'm not a big singing star,
I can be my own boss.
So, I tell Estelle,
she says no.
I go ahead,
I do it anyway.
It don't work out.
It hasn't yet.
Well,
[Clears Throat]
I'm gonna leave you alone.
I'm...
You're sure
you're all right?
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
I'm gonna fix that window
for you tomorrow.
I'd appreciate it.
And look, I'm really sorry
that I brought
such a stupid gift.
Well, they say it's
the thought that counts.
Yeah.
And, uh, look.
I'm, um,
I'm not this way
all the time, you know...
cryin' and talkin'
and stuff.
You know, I'm...
I'm just like anyone else
most of the time.
I'm afraid
I don't believe that,
Mr. Visalo.
6:00!
6:00. Nino's.
Don't forget!
Okay, 6:00.
We'll be there.
What are you gonna do?
What are we gonna do?
We're gonna go to Angelo's.
He don't open
for another hour.
He'll open up for us.
Come on, Buddy!
On second thought, I got
something I gotta do.
Errands.
Errands.
It's a beautiful day.
Let's sit in the bar.
I got to find
these special nails.
I can't find them
anywhere.
I'll go with you.
That's all right.
I'll do it myself.
You helped me enough.
Go get your nails
and come get hammered.
You know where I'll be.
I'll see you later.
Yes, I do.
[Buddy]
Mr. Cicco seen the kid?
No.
If he does, if he says
anything, you tell me.
I'll take care of him.
We both appreciate it,
Mr. Visalo.
Yeah. So,
has he got a name?
There was no birth certificate,
so there was no need for a name.
Jeez, if he doesn't
have a name, he's not
a real person, legally.
Same with a birth certificate.
They don't cost much money,
you know.
What does it matter?
Well, I mean, you said
you didn't want to
give him away.
If that's the case,
you oughta make him
a legal person, that's all.
He's not getting a name
from me, Mr. Visalo.
I have to let him go.
Wait a minute.
You're gonna
get rid of him?
What difference
does it make to you?
Oh, I don't know.
L-I thought it was
kind of brave keepin'him.
It showed some balls.
Excuse me.
I mean, I don't know,
I was thinking you and me,
we kinda got something
in common that way.
That's all.
Are you making a pass
at me, Mr. Visalo?
- What?
- You make me laugh.
No, I wasn't making
a pass at you.
If I was making a pass at you,
you'd know I was making
a pass at you.
Don't flatter yourself,
huh?
I think you like your meat
a little darker, anyway.
I think you should
probably leave!
You know what?
I probably should.
I mean, who are you?
Miss Morals of 1956?
What the hell?
Making a pass at you.
Hey, let me tell you
something, okay?
I've been married 11 years.
I never cheated.
You're the one
who done that, not me.
Christ!
Mr. Visalo!
I'm not used to people
doing good by me.
[Baby Fussing, Crying]
Eh, skip it.
Look, uh, you need any money?
For food, I mean?
My sister sent me some.
It's plenty.
## [Male Tenor
On Radio]
And two boxes of Ronzoni.
What kind?
What kind of what?
Macaroni.
Linguine,
capellini, fettuccine?
Yes.
Thank you.
Hey.
What do you think, huh?
Buddy's Tavern
or Buddy's Place?
Buddy's Tavern?
[Narrator]
That's the first time
I remember seeing Buddy.
How are ya?
[Buddy Clicking
His Tongue]
And a bottle of...
Ch-Ch...
Chantee.
Chianti.
Thank you.
## [Big Band
On Radio]
This is delicious.
I don't normally eat so much.
Yeah, I noticed.
You gotta keep up
your strength.
Mm.
I can't cook like you.
Actually, I'm not
a very good housewife.
Yeah,
I noticed that too.
When I was up
in your house, I mean.
I don't know why
Jim married me.
Well...
I mean I know why.
But he wasn't
satisfied for long.
Why'd
you marry him?
He was a friend
of my father's.
When my father was dying
I asked him what I could do
to make him happy.
He told me to marry Jim,
so I did.
I was 14.
Fourteen?
Is there anything else
you'd like to know?
Yeah.
My husband had his own way
of divertin'himself from me.
After a while, I suppose,
I needed a way for myself,
and I don't like to drink.
Yeah,
but why would a...
whatever it was.
Is it really so hard
for you to understand?
Wantin' somethin'
for yourself and takin' it?
# This is spring
at last, dear #
Do you know
this song?
Sing it for me.
# Summer
and its madness #
# Follow soon
But there'll be sadness #
# For I'll
still be lonely #
# For you #
# And when blue skies #
# Turn steel gray #
# And autumn whispers #
# On its way #
# Golden harvests #
# On their way #
# For me... #
[Narrator]
They say that memories
before the age of three...
are highly selective
and not to be trusted.
But my memory
of that long-forgotten
Saturday afternoon...
is strangely fresh
and exacting.
# Winter will so lightly #
# Spread its cloak of white #
# But nightly
I won't sleep a wink #
# For if I do #
# Dreams of you #
# Will make me lonely too #
# And when blue skies #
# Turn steel gray #
# And autumn whispers #
# On its way #
# Golden harvests #
# On their way #
# For me #
# Won't have
a thing to say #
# Winter will so lightly #
# Spread its cloak of white
But nightly #
# I won't sleep a wink #
# For if I do #
# Dreams of you #
# Will make me lonely #
# Too ##
Mr. Visalo...
What?
I just want you to know...
I didn't kiss you
'cause I expect anything.
Yeah, well,
it takes two
to tango, huh?
It's gettin'
dark out, huh?
It must be late.
Nino's at 6:00.
Jesus!
Hey, Mary!
## [Opera]
## [Opera]
- Yeah, uh, Visalo.
...at least 300 pounds.
You almost
got killed over that.
Four hundred.
[Cackling Laugh]
Excuse me. I'm gonna
go to the men's room.
I mean, I think
I thought I looked bad.
[Whispering,
Indistinct]
Buddy. Come...
What?
Where the fuck
you been?
How long does
it take to get nails?
Hey, I was...
Oh, you been
drinkin'?
I'm fuckin'
tanked, man.
I was at Angelo's
all afternoon waiting for you.
No kiddin', huh?
You been eating
somethin'?
What?
Oh, just a snack.
Look,
where are the girls?
They're in the back.
Come on.
Jesus.
Come on.
H-Hey. Hey.
Look what blew in.
Sorry I'm late,
there.
Hello.
Hello. Hey.
All right.
I ordered you
the galaman.
I know how much
you love that.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, wait until you guys
see all the goodies that
we got for you.
Half-off on the all socks,
the underwear...
Underwear?
Lucky me, huh?
Yeah, lucky you.
Wait'll you see
the flannel jackets we got.
Flannel jackets?
## [Continues]
Oh, nice. Nice.
Who's that?
Works at the bank.
Yeah?
What are you doin'
goin'to the bank?
Why can't I go
to the bank?
Well, you got no reason
to go to the bank.
You don't get a paycheck.
Hey,
cin d'ante, eh?
Salud.
I wouldn't want
to intrude.
Mr. Brancaccio,
this is my husband, Buddy.
How are you?
I just wanted
to apologize again.
Don't mention it.
W-W-Wait.
What are you talking about?
- Nothin', honey. Thank you.
- No. No. You were right,
Mrs. Visalo.
There's no law
against the amount
of money people spend,
and it's really none
of our business.
Look,
we're eatin' here, okay?
Now, what the hell,
huh, Estelle?
I'll tell
you later.
No. No.
You tell me now.
[Sighs]
They sent a letter
to the bank.
They said we were
overspendin' or somethin'.
I don't know.
So I was passin' by,
and went in and told them
to mind their own business.
Okay?
The bank sent
you a letter?
To you.
I opened it by mistake.
Why didn't you tell me?
I didn't want you to worry.
Excuse me.
Uh, come here, will you?
[Groans]
Eh, tell me
what's goin' on.
Buddy,
what is the big deal?
Wh... It's none
of his business!
Let him talk.
All right?
What's with
this letter stuff?
I only wanted to help.
Our letter upset your wife.
We try to keep an eye
on our first-time homeowners.
- So, what's the problem?
- Nothing. Our spending
is outdoing our savings.
I believe it was
by two and a half times.
[Whistles]
Wow.
No, no, no, no.
That not okay, okay?
Why don't you
tell me that?
Just eat the dinner,
and we'll talk about it
later, okay?
Listen, I got a right to know.
After all, I'm a homeowner!
Oh, here we go.
The big-shot homeowner.
Okay, so what did
she say to you?
Nothin'! I told him that
he should mind his business,
that you know
what you're doin' and that
he shouldn't worry, okay?
Yeah, yeah. Damn right.
It's none of your business.
- I know what I'm doin'!
- My apologies again.
- All right.
- Calm down.
## [Continues]
It's good.
Can I have the cheese?
Two and a half times!
How come you don't tell me
somethin' like that?
Because you're
the big-shot homeowner.
You ought to know.
And you know what?
If you don't,
it serves you right.
You don't know nothin'
about ownin' a house
or runnin' some bar.
You don't just do things
because you feel like it.
You got to have
the brains for it.
Oh. Oh, okay.
So, you sayin'
I don't got no brains?
I don't have any brains,
she says.
I was just trying
to look out for you.
All I'm saying...
I was trying
to help you.
I bought a house, right?
That's got to take some brains.
[Narrator]
The argument
was legendary, epic.
I'm stupid
and I'm embarrassing.
I'm ignoring you. I'm eating.
I'm ignoring you.
Watch this.
Mmm, mmm, mmm...
I did that for us!
What do you mean
you did it for us?
We're broke and
you don't tell me?
I didn't
want to see you fail again.
[Narrator]
It went on far into the night,
Fail?
Encompassing every aspect
of the 11-year union...
between Buddy
and Estelle Visalo.
This is not our house.
Why are you making us do this?
- Wasn't everything okay?
- Don't you want
to better yourself?
- Don't you want to do
something with your life?
- Like what, Buddy?
Servin' drinks
to a lot of bums, huh?
You want to turn me
into a barmaid?
Is that what you want to do?
Jesus, Estelle.
We own our own business!
We own our own home!
I mean, Jesus, Estelle!
This is a America!
Where are you livin'?
This is the point!
Most women,
they want their husbands
to go up in the world.
You, you'd be happy
if we stayed back in...
Back where we belong, Buddy!
Not makin' fools of ourselves.
Not having everybody
laugh behind our backs.
By who? Who?
Your stupid friends?
My stupid friends?
Who the fuck cares, huh?
I got somethin'
they ain't got. It's a crime
not to use what I got.
What do you think you got
that's worth throwin' away
our futures on?
I got talent!
I could be somebody, baby!
I could run my own life
instead of havin' to answer...
to some creep bastard
who's got a sign that says
"supervisor" on his desk.
Buddy, your ideas,
they don't work.
They haven't yet...
but this time
they will.
Why should they?
They never did before.
Because I'm gonna
make it work,
no matter what!
"No matter what,"meant Buddy
needed more money to spend
at this present rate.
So, it's just not possible
on the wage that you earn...
to make
these expenditures.
But it's just till
the bar's set up.
Once it's open,
I'll be in the dough.
Like with the pizza store?
At this rate,
it doesn't look like
you'll have enough to finish.
Buddy, he's right.
Why don't we just
rent out the downstairs?
The bar's half-built!
So, then we only have
half a bar to pull out.
Perhaps you could postpone
construction on the bar.
Screw it.
I'll work the night shift.
Well, when are you
gonna sleep?
When the bar's open.
- We done here?
- [Whistle Blowing]
[Narrator] And so, as
the working men look forward to
the happiest part of their day,
a drink at the local bar
with their friends,
Buddy prepared
to pay the price
for his future independence.
[Bellowing, Indistinct]
...and join us
till the sunlight.
You'll get used to it.
These day shift guys...
start to look like
suckers waking up at dawn
every morning.
See, that's the best part,
we get to go to sleep at dawn!
Dawn, yeah.
The sift descends...
into the sliding machine.
Make sure it's a smooth flow,
and then turn it around.
Then get it up,
and then bring it down again.
But don't you breathe it,
because if you breathe it...
it's gonna get in your lungs,
and then we're gonna
have to replace you,
not to mention the flour
with the goccias in it.
Okay, give it
the button every minute...
Sift, set, descend, go!
Go! Go!
Go! Go! Go!
[Shouting, Indistinct]
You know who's a grumbler?
My brother-in-law, Pete.
He does not appreciate
a goddamn thing!
Look around you,
how beautiful
this world is.
You know, I don't know
the last time I was awake
at 3:30 in the mornin'.
You know, I don't
remember when I wasn't.
Hey, how about
a couple, you know,
places that stays open?
Rain check, huh?
Okay.
Catch you later.
See you tomorrow.
Hey, Mary.
You must be tired.
Ah, you got to do
what it takes.
Figure she don't want me
to have my own bar.
That's fine with me.
She'll get used to it
eventually.
See, the trouble
with Estelle is...
she don't like
failure.
I mean, nobody does,
but with her it's
like a disease.
L-I don't want to make you
think somethin' bad about her.
She takes great care
of me and all.
You don't seem
like the kind of man
that needs taking care of.
Yeah, well, this one
can't go in the tank
like all the others.
It won't.
We're all meant
for something particular.
This is what
you're meant for.
You think so, huh?
I know so,
Mr. Visalo.
Mmm.
I found an adoption agency
for the baby.
They said they don't mind
what he looks like.
I guess they just
must be startin' out
or somethin', huh?
It means I can stay
with my sister.
When?
A week.
Maybe with the money
you save on paying for me,
you won't have
to work so hard.
Yeah, I suppose.
It means I can try
and start over again
like nothin' ever happened.
Now, why are
you gonna do that?
I mean, maybe, you're
never gonna want to tell
what happened, but...
you can remember it,
just yourself.
No. I can't.
Guess it's a little
easier that way, huh?
A lot easier.
Well, in that case,
if you and me were to
spend some time together,
we would just
forget about it,
anyway, and...
you know me,
I'd never tell.
And it would be
a lot easier,
just like you said.
Why...
Why do you want me,
Mr. Visalo?
'Cause I got
a feeling about you
I never felt before...
not even
with my wife.
I mean, it's not
that I don't love her,
even though
she pisses me off
all the time.
No. It's just
this feelin'.
I been a good husband
11 years.
I figure one week...
won't really matter.
I been a bad girl
my whole life.
I don't suppose a week
will matter to me, either.
[Man]
# I'm confessin'that
I love you #
# Tell me that
you love me too #
# I'm confessin'that
I need you #
# Honest I do #
# Need you every moment #
# In your eyes I read #
# Such strange things #
# But your lips deny
they're true #
# Will your answer
really change things #
What are you doin'?
You all right?
# Makin'me blue #
You gonna make it?
[Laughs]
[Narrator]
8:00 to 6:00 at the factory,
# I'm afraid someday
you will leave me #
a half-hour for dinner...
# Sayin', "Can't we
still be friends"#
then the night shift
till 3:00 a.m.
# If you go you know
you will grieve me #
# All in life
on you depends #
3:00 a.m. To 6:00 a.m.
Was spent every night
of that week...
with my mother,
Mary Wylie O'Neary,
a kept woman.
# Dreamin'dreams
of you in vain #
# Well, I'm confessin'#
# That I love you #
# Over again ##
# Over again ##
My Harry's been on
the night shift for two years.
Still ain't used to it.
They say that
ain't healthy...
that workin' all night,
sleepin' all day.
How about sleepin' two hours
and then goin' back to work?
He's gonna kill himself.
I swear to God.
If he don't quit,
I'm gonna make him.
It's bad for his health.
It was worse
before the unions.
Then, they made 'em work
6:00 to 6:00.
My Harry used to get home
just in time for me
to wake up, get dressed...
and go to work,
back when I had to work.
I wouldn't let
Chip work those hours.
Unless he wanted to open up
his own bar, huh?
[Scoffs]
Well, what happened
after the unions?
Used to be 6:00 to 6:00.
Now, it's 6:00 p.m. To 3:00 a.m.
That's why
we voted for Impostado.
He made changes.
Mm-hmm.
That was the first
time I ever voted.
That's why you voted.
You can't live
with those kind of hours.
[Narrator]
She'd never doubted
that her husband was simply...
not talented enough
to be a singer,
enterprising enough
to be a businessman...
or intelligent enough to be
anything but a factory worker.
[Door Opening, Closing]
She also never doubted
his fidelity,
his naive,
blundering honesty.
How was work?
Murder.
It had never occurred to her
that there might be...
the slightest hint
of deception in her husband.
At one point, she thought of
how disappointing it might be...
if Buddy were simply to go
to an all-night diner...
and sit there until 6:00.
That would indicate that
he simply preferred to be...
anywhere but with her.
## [Recording:
Man Singing Opera]
And those tomatoes.
Not these, the strange ones.
Sun-dried.
[Chuckles]
## [Continues]
- Oh, and ricotta?
- Ricotta seca!
[Laughs]
You hurt yourself?
Oh, I'm fine.
This is a bit
bashed, though.
Don't worry
about it.
## [Continues]
Thank you.
- You live here?
- Upstairs.
H-How's the baby?
He's fine.
Well, I just came by
to see how you were doin'.
[Whistle Blowing]
Workin'
the night shift?
Eh, fuck 'em.
I'm goin' home.
Good for you.
[Narrator]
He was lying, of course.
He was going to see my mother,
who was hoping, praying
that he would come by early
that night just to explain...
the presence of his wife
in this strange neighborhood.
Mary!
I had this great idea
for the bar. Every week
I'm gonna have a cookout.
And everybody's gonna
bring their own recipe and
we'll do it like a contest.
Your wife...
She's gonna love it
because her fear is...
she's gonna have
to do all the cookin'.
She came by.
She-She came by here?
She said she wanted
to see how I was doin'.
[Door Opens, Closes]
[Electricity Buzzing]
[Sobbing]
She standin' there
with a bag of groceries...
like the good little
housewife.
She was probably
going to cook for him.
I can't believe this.
You mean the one
with the colored baby?
Yes.
The one with the colored baby.
He spent the night with her too.
Oh, it's the worst
I ever heard,
and my Harry's slept
with a lot of skivatses...
I don't even know
who he is anymore.
Are you gonna go back?
I already packed my stuff
and moved back to my mother's.
Good.
Good.
Good.
Besides there's
hardly anything left.
What do you mean?
I got a little crazy,
okay?
Oh, Jesus, Estelle.
After all that work
that you guys did.
That's right, after all
that work, so he could go do
the hokey-pokey...
with some puttana
who would sleep with a...
nigger
and have a baby!
[Sniffles]
I mean, am I that
disgusting?
- [All] No.
- Look. Listen-Listen, men...
they got no sense
of about this stuff.
Some of them,
they'll sleep with anything.
I mean it... kids, animals.
Just as long as
they got someone at home
who don't know about it.
- It excites them!
- Listen, you guys,
you can't say nothin'.
Promise me.
Teen law, please.
Please, you can't nothin'
to nobody.
I am so embarrassed.
- You heard, huh?
- Down at the bar, yeah.
- You heard, huh?
- Down at the bar, yeah.
How'd they
find out?
Estelle told the girls.
They told the guys.
You know,
that's that.
Fucked up here, huh?
Just tell me,
you want her back, right?
Well, hell yeah.
I mean, one time
in 11 years, what's that?
So, uh, why don't
you give her a call?
Now.
Might be
a good time.
You know.
[Buddy] Yeah, I'm listening.
[Narrator]
Negotiations were underway.
Estelle wouldn't even
see Buddy until he'd gone...
until he'd gone to my mother
and renounced her.
That was the term
that was used...
"renounce."
Re-Renounce...
What the hell
does that mean?
Then, she would
agree to see him
but at a neutral location...
the Skyline Diner.
Hey, Mary!
Like a hurricane hit that house,
that's what it looks like.
Oh, Christ.
Visalo rides again.
Christ.
I'll be leavin'
tomorrow, so...
that should be the end
of your problems, really.
I'm supposed
to renounce you,
whatever
that means.
It means to make like
it never existed.
Is that
what that means?
Yeah, well, screw it.
- I'll say that I did
but I don't.
- [Baby Fussing]
[Crying]
Kid likes
a good show, huh?
I suppose.
Well, uh...
I guess since I'm not
gonna see you again
I ought to say somethin'.
You don't have to.
I know I don't have to.
I want to.
I have to go back
to my wife.
Well, anyway,
this is what I'm thinkin'.
When you had
this situation and all,
I had just done
the hardest thing
I ever did.
Nobody believed in me...
nobody.
'Cept for my buddy Chip,
you know, but, uh,
what's he got
to lose, right?
Uh, anyway,
something about you...
what you did...
I mean, everybody was talkin'
about it and laughin'in a way.
But-But
it made me think.
What the hell?
What the hell?
You go on.
You know, things happen.
As long as think the thing
you did was right for you...
Mr. Visalo...
I think you should leave.
[Door Opens, Closes]
- Hi, Estelle.
- Hi, Buddy.
- Why they gotta be here?
- 'Cause I want 'em here.
All right.
All right.
Okay.
[Sighs]
First off, you gotta
believe something, okay?
This is the first...
It-It-It's the only time
this ever happened.
I mean,
do you believe me?
Yeah,
I believe you.
Okay.
Okay,
now the other thing.
It was a big mistake.
Then,
why did you do it?
I don't know.
L-l-I guess...
Don't guess
with me, Buddy.
You tell me why you would
do something like this to me.
I know...
It had somethin'
to do with us.
With us?
Yeah, I mean...
You know, you been...
riding me real hard
about the house, huh?
Even you got to admit
that, at times,
you make it as though...
I'm tryin' to ruin
your life, you know?
So, what are you saying?
You saying it's my fault?
Huh? Is that
what you're sayin'?
Are you sayin'
it's my fault?
No, I didn't
say that, okay?
I'm just tryin' to figure out
myself why I did it.
Look, Buddy,
Let me make it
easy for you.
Okay? You did it
because you were feelin'
like a big shot.
You did it because you think
you're somebody you're not.
You did it for the same reason
that you've done every other
crazy thing in your life.
'Cause you think you're
somebody you're not.
Look...
you're no Don Juan.
So, forget the singing,
forget that house
because we're sellin' it...
and we're goin' back
to my mother's.
Buddy, I've been doin'
some thinkin' too.
About what?
Well, you know,
how I really never
really liked...
I mean, I liked it okay.
Maybe just not as much...
as you.
- What?
- [Sighs]
Doin' it.
What are
you talkin' here?
Look, I've been thinkin'
about what you did.
Okay? And how men
are different than women.
You know,
and they have
different needs.
And that...
[Sighs]
If you feel...
that you need
to go out and get it,
then maybe it's okay.
I guess.
[Indistinct]
I mean,
it's not like you're
goin' anywhere, right?
Wait, wait...
So, you're not
mad with me...
about that?
Look, Buddy,
if you wanted
to go fool around,
I would've looked
the other way.
[Sobs]
I would've
did that for you.
But for you
to fool around
with that puttana...
that whore,
that nigger lover.
[Sniffling]
Look, just try
and have better taste
next time, okay?
Buddy,
what's wrong?
Talk to me.
What?
Buddy, what?
[Narrator]
He'd never thought of the people
he'd known all his life...
as his jailers...
until that moment.
He's just perfect.
Thanks.
I'd really hadn't
planned...
Oh, darling.
Don't explain.
I mean, we're
not about that.
I know a couple that
would just adore him.
[Coughs]
Yes!
They're professors
at some small college,
and they specified
they wanted a baby
born out of wedlock.
[Mary]
I was married
when I had him.
Well, that's
even better.
You know, we do
this thing once a month...
called "Women on Women
on Race and Sex"
down at the school.
You'd fit in
with the group perfect.
[Baby Coos]
- Mr. Visalo?
- Hey, how are you?
I was just...
Yeah,
I figured.
Uh...
Listen, can l...
Can I talk to you
for a minute?
Well,
we're almost done.
I mean, now.
Before.
Would you excuse me?
Sure.
Uh, outside.
My wife and I,
we were trying to make up,
and all of a sudden
I realized that...
See, well, I never
really understood her.
Uh, what she wanted
from me or me from her.
I don't know,
but, uh...
- Wasn't her fault.
- I hope everything
worked out.
Really?
Of course.
No. Don't say that.
W-Why would you say that?
I don't know.
I just assumed that's
what you wanted me to say.
I walked out.
Love of God.
'Cause of you.
Why?
Because I got
this feelin' about you.
I don't
think you know...
l-I know it's
a little strange,
but I think maybe
I'm in love with you.
You don't know
what you're doin',
Mr. Visalo.
I know, I don't know
what I'm doin'.
[Sighs]
I've got to take
care of upstairs.
The baby.
Uh, where'd
you find that broad?
Social services.
Lose her.
[Narrator]
She had not expected
to stay in Staten Island.
And certainly
not in the house
where'd she'd spent...
several very unhappy years
with her first husband.
And certainly
not with me.
And the months of working
all day and rebuilding
Buddy's Tavern at night...
eventually
came to a close.
Just in time
for a festive
Christmas opening.
Look what
the wind blew in.
How you doin', Ange?
Pretty good,
you know?
Where you been?
Workin' on the bar.
I'm gonna open next week...
Christmas Eve.
Oh, no shit, huh?
Quite a showman, Buddy.
You do things in a big way.
I was thinkin' maybe
you guys want to come down.
You know, uh, see the place.
I'm gonna sing.
Mary, she's gonna cook.
I'm stayin' open
Christmas Eve.
Oh, yeah.
Well, uh...
Maybe
after you close, huh?
Yeah, maybe.
- You take care, Ang.
- Yeah, Buddy.
[Chattering,
Indistinct]
[Laughing]
See that guy?
He threw his whole life away.
[Narrator]
It couldn't have been
any other way.
The very act
of bringing my mother
and myself into his home...
was blasphemy...
a rude rejection
of every value that had
ever been instilled in Buddy...
by his friends,
his family.
[Buddy]
# Golden harvests #
# On their way #
# For me #
# Won't have
a thing to say #
# Winter will so lightly #
# Spread its cloak
of white, but nightly #
# I won't sleep a wink #
# For if I do #
# Dreams of you
will make me lonely #
# Dreams of you
will make me lonely #
# Too ##
Thank you.
Thank you.
Silent
Fuckin'Night, huh?
Things'll get better.
Yeah, sure they will.
If they don't,
screw 'em.
[Door Opening]
[Wheezing Cough]
This place open?
Yeah, it sure is.
- Hey, you're my first customer.
- Well, I don't have any money.
[Chuckles]
Can you imagine?
The hell you supposed
to get a drink?
I was over at Angelo's.
I couldn't pay.
He said to come over here.
He said,
"They serve anybody
at Buddy's Tavern."
Have a seat, my friend.
What'll you have,
St. James?
Love one.
[Coughing]
Slow night.
We've only
just opened.
There you go.
[Narrator]
There would be many
slow nights in the future.
[Man Singing On Jukebox]
# I'm confessin'
that I love you #
But not enough to close the bar
which my father, Buddy Visalo,
ran until
his death in 1988.
# Tell me do you love me too #
And which my mother,
Mary Wylie Visalo,
And which my mother,
Mary Wylie Visalo,
ran until her death
last year.
# Honest I do #
Buddy's Tavern
of Staten Island...
of which I am
the current owner,
manager and barkeep.
# In your eyes I read
such strange things #
# But your lips
deny they're true #
# Will your answer
really change things #
# Makin'me blue #
# I'm afraid someday
you will leave me #
# Sayin', "Can't we
still be friends"#
# If you go you know
you will grieve me #
# All in life
on you depends #
# Am I guessin'
that you love me #
# Dreamin'dreams
of you in vain #
# Well, I'm confessin'
that I love you #
# Over again ##