Show Me a Hero (2015): Season 1, Episode 3 - Episode #1.3 - full transcript

Yeah, I was on hold,
but I got disconnected.

From Yonkers.

The mayor of the city.

Yeah, Wasicsko.

W-A-S-I-C--

No, no, no, "C,"
as in "Charles."

"S," as in "Sam."

"K," yeah, right. _

Yeah, yeah,
I called before.

From Yonkers, that's right.
Yonkers, New York.

Because if
the governor were to act



and maybe remove some
of these recalcitrant council members,

then we could get the city
out of contempt

and get some control
over the...

Yeah, sure, I'll hold.

Believe me,
I've been calling

Governor Cuomo's
office nonstop,

and they keep trying
to pass me over

to the Westchester
Republicans.

Like the Republicans
are gonna ride to the rescue

of public housing
for a Democratic mayor.

I-- That's true,
no doubt,

but Senator Moynihan
has been known

for taking politically
courageous stands.

And I think that if he were
to come down to Yonkers--



Okay, you know what?

Tell Mario that I know
that he knows

he's got the power
to bounce these buffoons

for malfeasance,
misfeasance, nonfeasance--

any of the "feasance" family.

What if the senator
issued a statement saying

that he supports the City of Yonkers
obeying the judge's order?

All right, yeah,
you know, just like a--

a paragraph saying that we're
trying to do the right thing here. Nay!

Sure, yeah. Can I--
can I just talk to the governor?

Can I, please?
Can I hear that from him?

Well, because I was
under the impression

that Mario Cuomo
was like, you know,

some great white hope
for liberals everywhere.

And I could really
use a little hope right now.

S-I-C--

No, no, "C,"
as in "chump."

"S," as in "Sam,"

"K," as in "kite," O.

Right, "O,"
as in "Oh, shit,

it's that guy from Yonkers
calling again,

asking if he can get
any help from anybody

in the goddamn Democratic Party
from the State of New York."

Sure, I'll hold.
Why not?

That's fine.

_

Sure. There are two black girls
on my bowling team.

I haven't been
in their homes,

but I've driven
them home

up in, uh,
Runyon Heights.

So, it's not
about race?

No, no.

What is it,
then?

It's an
economic issue.

People are worried about
their property values.

They're worried about
the drugs and crime

that are in
the projects.

Have you seen those pictures
that Councilman Spallone has?

Yeah, I heard
about them.

But does Mr. Spallone
speak for you?

I think he speaks for most
of the people in Yonkers. I do.

But why are you talking to me?
Talk to him.

You came all the way
to report on this.

I will, but you've become

one of the most vocal
of the Yonkers residents.

Well, I don't miss
a council meeting.

I don't miss a community meeting
or a protest.

No, you sure don't,
Mrs. Dorman.

I joined "Save Yonkers"

because of this Judge Sand
and what he's trying to do.

He wants to take
low-income housing

and put it all in one place
in East Yonkers.

That's seven,
eight hundred people--

and just drop them
right here.

So, if the housing
gets built,

will you move
from here?

I love this house.
I have always loved our little house.

It's on my favorite block
in the whole city.

It's true. I always
said to my husband,

"Buddy, if I can't have a brick house
on Saint John's Avenue,

I don't want a house."

It is beautiful.

It is. Thank you.
It really is.

I fell in love with it
the first time I saw it.

Do you think the families
that might move into these houses--

do you think they
might see those houses

the same way
as you see yours?

Well, if they did,
then Mr. Spallone

wouldn't have those pictures
to show everyone, right?

If they did, then they
wouldn't need to move

out of the projects
in the first place.

They'd take care
of their homes.

I just think
you shouldn't

take people with
one lifestyle

and, uh, put them
smack in the middle

of a place with
a different lifestyle.

Come on. Come on.

So we've been staying
up in Mulford Gardens,

um, with some folk, but

that's my grandmother by my husband,

and he died,
so we can't stay there long.

Other family here
in Yonkers?

My parents, they live
all the way in Jersey.

I live here now.

Well, with the baby,

you're on our
priority waitlist.

But right now, you know,
we have nothing open anywhere--

not School, not Schlobohm,
not Mulford Gardens--

- You don't have anything?
- Not in Yonkers.

Um, we do have a room
in emergency housing

in Yorktown Heights
if you want that.

Yorktown Heights?

Where's that?

Shh.

- Who lives here?
- Nobody.

- Who owns it?
- I don't know.

It's been on
the market forever.

I've been coming here
for, like, a year.

Look. Look
at this view.

- Wow.
- Right?

I mean...

This is where
I imagine myself,

right up here.

You, me,
a couple of kids running around.

I mean, I could walk
to work from here.

Kids ask, "Where's Dad?"
And you point over there.

You're like,
"Council meeting's on tonight. See?

Lights are on.
He's in his office."

Unless, of course,
I'm in Congress already,

in which case, you'd point somewhere
in that direction over there.

So you want to buy
something like this?

Are you crazy?

Yeah, probably.

Come here.

I mean this--
this could be

the best house
in Yonkers.

You know,
a little work, a little money.

- A lot.
- Always wanted a house like this.

- How much is it?
- I have no idea.

You don't know?

No, no, no.
I never called the number.

Shit, I didn't
have you with me.

I wasn't mayor
of Yonkers.

- "Youngest mayor in America," right?
- Mm-hmm.

No, I was just
a councilman.

I hadn't done anything
to deserve a home like this.

You know, I was-- I was against
the housing and I won?

And now I'm
for the housing,

and I'm getting
my ass kicked for it,

so maybe I had it
coming to me.

But I think for the
first time in my life,

I am on the right
side of something,

and I am all alone.

I'm not getting any help
from the council, the party--

Cuomo, Moynihan--
none of them.

Why won't the governor just
remove Spallone and the others, you know?

He-- he won't even
get on the phone with me,

much less lose votes
over this thing.

But the thing is,
people just want a home, right?

It's the same
for everybody.

This whole mess
is over 200 homes

in the city of tens of thousands
of homes, and so what?

I mean, we lost
our fucking minds over this shit.

We're about to
bankrupt the city,

and, I mean, at some point
people come to their senses

and I win.

And I come out of this
looking better than ever.

Maybe I come out of this
and give D'Amato

a run for his money,
you know?

I don't know.
Senate might be too big of a jump,

but congressional seat
at least.

Right?

Yeah, it could be
a beautiful house.

- I know, right?
- Mm-hmm.

You're gonna call on it?

Yeah.

Well, maybe
it's cheaper than we think.

Maybe it's haunted.

- Maybe it's on an Indian burial ground.
- No!

Oh, shit, maybe it's
on Oscar Newman's list

of alternate sites
for public housing units.

Ma, we ain't taking no.

Now, this is what they call
an "intervention."

So, I'm 47
years old,

raised both of you
out of diapers and piss pants,

and now you intervening
in my life?

You need some help.

Pat and Phyllis
come over most every day.

- And Tasha here--
- What about when I'm in school?

The government will pay
for a home health aide to come help out.

We just have to fill out
the application.

The same government that turned down
my disability paperwork?

- You finally got that, though.
- Because of Pat.

But you got it,
and we'll get this.

Ma, you'll still
be able to go out,

and we'll still be here with you.
Come on.

Carmen. Carmen, Carmen?

Carmen!

Your mom called from the DR.

She wants you
to call her back when you can.

Thank you.

Anita, it's Carmen.

Felipe?

Emergency Financial Control Board
of Yonkers is now in session.

In light of
the pending fines

proposed by
the US District Court,

the resolution
before the board

is to freeze all hiring
and discretionary spending

by the City of Yonkers.

Madam Chair,
if I may?

Instead of tying
the city's purse strings,

how about the board
ask Governor Cuomo

to step in
and do something about it?

Mr. DeLuca, this is
the City of Yonkers' problem.

"You have
the responsibility

to yourself
and to your city's future

to express
your reasoned concern

to the four people
you elected

who have brought you
to this precipice.

If the council does not purge
its contemptuous behavior,

you face the prospect
of no municipal services

whatsoever.

No policeman
when you call for help,

no firefighter
when your house is burning.

No garbage pickup
as the trash piles up on the curb.

No senior citizen services,

no water as the tap runs dry.

The question is,

can you reasonably accept
these consequences,

which loom as a direct result

of your city council's
refusal to uphold the law?"

Shh. Shh.

It's okay.

We got this, little man, huh?

All right.

Shh.

All right.

Okay.
Let's just check it out.

Shh.

I swear to you, Javier, you're gonna
regret the day you were born

if Felipe doesn't come back.

Right now, motherfucker.

You're not gonna do
that to him or to me.

Listen to me.
Listen to me, Javier,

because I'm gonna
tell you in English.

English, yes.
Do you know why?

Because, Felipe,
he is a US citizen,

and you cannot kidnap
a US citizen.

Because if you do,
I am going to have you rot in--

Idiot!

Javier?

Please hang up.

There appears to be a
receiver off the hook.

This is what they call
"Upstate," isn't it?

Upstate New York?

Hmm. I guess.

People say this is where
the Ku Klux Klan at.

I mean, people say that.

We downstate girls,
ain't we?

The "Doomsday Plan"

calls for laying off
447 employees,

almost a quarter
of the workforce,

by Saturday
in order to accommodate

the million-dollar-a-day fines
that begin Friday.

Madam Chair?
I do not see the need for 447 workers

and their families
to be hurt.

The city's plan extends services
through November 24.

Besides, a solution
might come this week.

This is really severe.

With all due respect

to the city manager,
the board feels

the most essential priority
is to keep police

and fire protection
as long as possible.

And therefore we're making
more cuts upfront.

The City of Yonkers
must confront reality

in a very decisive way.

The time for
finger-pointing is over.

The time for punting is over.

This board was sent
from Albany

to save Yonkers from itself.

Do you wanna go to Tuckahoe,
get something to eat?

You mean something other
than Gail Shaffer's shit?

- This is humiliating.
- Nick, if you have the votes, then--

Fucking Yonkers
and its weak mayor system.

You know, even if I had control
over more of their patronage,

I'd at least have a chance
of pulling more votes.

But between Spallone,
Longo, and even DeLuca,

I'm like a fifth wheel.

How did
Martinelli do it?

Angelo didn't have to deal
with this fucking housing nightmare.

- I saw to that.
- Mr. Mayor?

More good news?

The Second Circuit upheld
Sand's contempt finding

against the city
and the councilmen both.

On the upside,
they capped the fines at a million a day,

which the city
hits on day 15,

and then it's a million
every day after that.

So the city goes
bankrupt more slowly?

How about
the Supreme Court?

The Appeals Court
is counting on it.

They're holding
the fines a week

so we can ask
the Supremes for a stay.

Okay. And what about Spallone,
Longo, Chema, Fagan?

They're still in contempt?

Each of them pays 500 a day.

They still face jail time
beginning September 5.

All right.
That's nice to think about.

You know,
those four hotheads in the cooler?

Maybe that'll
change some minds.

What about the Supremes?
What do you think?

Don't hold your breath.

- All right. That's something.
- Yeah.

Oh, here's the baby mayor.

Wasicsko!

Hey, hey, hey.

No, Pete.
It's all right. Let them come.

Hey, what can I
do for you?

- What you can do for me--
- Come on.

What you can do
for us is you can

- fight the housing or resign.
- Yeah!

I can't do either of those things, Jack.
I'm sorry.

Yeah, that's 'cause
you're gutless.

I'm sorry you feel that way.
What's your name?

- Oh, like you care.
- Bobby. Bobby Amalfitano.

- I live over on Nevada Avenue.
- Okay.

- And I voted for you.
- We all voted for you.

I trusted you.

Thank you for
your vote, Bobby.

Now explain to me
what I've done to let you down.

Explain to you
what you've done to let me down?

- Are you serious?
- You ran against the housing,

and we thought
you'd fight for us.

- We believed you.
- Mary, right?

- Right.
- How have you been?

We trusted you, and now 200
of these damn townhouses

are within
walking distance of my house,

- and I don't want it.
- I understand--

Understand?
That's 200 families

with who knows
how many in each house?

- Mary, I understand your frustration.
- You don't understand!

What would you do about it
if it were your neighborhood?

But it's not, is it?
And if you can't fight for us,

then you step aside,
just like Jack says,

and make room for somebody
who is not afraid!

Come on, step up.

So I took him
to the doctor,

and Dr. Chadha said
that the baby

just can't be healthy
living like that,

what with his bronchitis.

His father had asthma real bad.
He died from it.

"My patient, Jaron Watts--

It is imperative that Jaron reside
in a well-ventilated home

where his mother is able
to tend to his needs."

Right there.
You can see.

No, that's a three-bedroom.

No, that's a bedroom.

He called me at work
this afternoon

and said he wasn't
bringing Felipe back.

He's keeping him.

I should've never
taken him back to DR.

That was a mistake.

Whatever money
I thought I could save

gets used up
on long distance.

And, yeah, it's better
there than here, I know!

Dama, but, God,
I miss my children.

I told him--

I told him, "Javier,
if he's not back in 24 hours,

I'm going to go down
to DR myself.

And I'm gonna go
to your house

and I'm gonna kill you
and all your family."

- Oh, my God. Carmen--
- I told him,

"People think you're crazy?
They don't know crazy.

- I'm crazy."
- What did he say?

He hung up on me.

Imagine that.

No. One thing I do know
is Felipe needs to come home.

He's only five.
He belongs here with me.

And when Javier refuses?

I'll have to kill
his whole family.

A shame, too.
I kind of liked his mother.

♪ oh, la, oh, la, ay ♪

♪ oh, la, oh, la, ay ♪

♪ rollin', rollin', rollin'
with Kid 'n Play now ♪

♪ rollin', rollin', rollin'
with Kid 'n Play now ♪

♪ oh, la, oh, la, ay ♪

♪ oh, la, oh, la, ay ♪

♪ rollin', rollin', rollin'
with Kid 'n Play now ♪

♪ rollin', rollin', rollin'
with Kid 'n Play now ♪

♪ now, Play... ♪

♪ I don't know what it is ♪

♪ about this beat
that we have here ♪

♪ but it sure is funky ♪

♪ oh, la, oh, la, ay ♪

♪ oh, la, oh, la, ay ♪

♪ yo, Kid,
I don't know what it is ♪

♪ about this groove
that's here making us move ♪

♪ but it sure is funky ♪

♪ oh, la, oh, la, ay ♪

♪ it's time to rap ♪

- ♪ shall we? ♪
- ♪ sure ♪

♪ Kid 'n Play
back rollin' strong ♪

♪ we can get funky
with the best ♪

♪ we're just hyping it up ♪

♪ you know,
just how it had to be ♪

♪ just take a look around,
boy, can't you see? ♪

Who are them
taking little pictures?

♪ Wiz rocks the scratch,
while Herb's on percussion...♪

We not doing nothing.

♪ I bust a rhyme and
the dancers just jealous ♪

♪ so get off,
because you bit off... ♪

Well, there you have it.

When I showed that first batch
of pictures to the council meeting,

there were people there
who thought I was trying to exaggerate.

See for yourself.

What do you expect?

If you don't
respect yourself,

you can't respect
anybody else.

Councilman,
I spoke with Oscar Newman,

and he argues that
by concentrating

the poor
in projects like this,

you pretty much
guaranteed the outcome.

He said that by scattering
low-income housing--

Yeah, I know everything
Oscar Newman said,

and it doesn't work.

All it takes is one
or two bad houses,

and pretty soon
the whole block goes to hell.

Just ask people
what happened in the Bronx.

- Well, the Bronx--
- Oh, now you gonna tell me

what happened in the Bronx?

Don't bother.
I know. I was there.

♪ ...of that funky
go-go-go rhythm ♪

♪ you wanted a dope jam,
that's what we're giving... ♪

Oscar Newman and Sussman
and that goofy judge,

they don't know what the hell
they're talking about.

I mean, look at it.
Look for yourself.

The buildings,
the trash, the drugs...

and them mutts
want to move these people

to our neighborhoods
in East Yonkers.

I mean, you want this
living next to you? Huh?

No, goddamn right
you don't.

Yeah, write that down.

They don't never know how to
leave nobody alone.

Anyway, I was
talking to Mambo,

and we're gonna go down
Friday night and...

You go to school today?

I'll see you later, Billie.

What you doing
home from school?

Huh?

I was shopping.
I been shopping.

I'm not going
to school no more.

Really?
No more school?

And what you gonna do
instead? Shop?

How long this
been going on?

Girl, you tripping.

All right, well, you leave school,
you need to find a job.

- Ain't no free out here.
- I've been looking for a job.

Well, there's plenty
of openings at the home.

Working with those children
will give you a good taste

of what it's
going to be like

working the rest of your life
with no schooling.

- I'm not going--
- You're not what, Billie?

You're not working?

You got another thing coming, baby girl.
You're gonna work.

Hey! Leave me alone!

♪ so shake it ♪

♪ your butt, shake it down ♪

♪ we got the best music
all around ♪

♪ Herb's the producer,
Wiz is the DJ... ♪

Hello?
Yeah, of course I'm awake.

I had to answer
the fucking phone.

Yeah?

Yeah.

At midnight?

Oh, shit, I--

I'd hoped that they
had stayed the fines until October.

You know?
Give me some room to maneuver.

What?

Why? What was
the logic in that?

Oh, all right.

Uh, let me get my act
together here.

I'll call you back,
all right?

What happened?

The Supreme Court refused to stay
the contempt finding

or the fines
against the city,

which now begin
at midnight.

Meanwhile,
they lifted the fines

on the fucking
Fantastic Four assholes

until the court
can hear the case.

So Spallone and them
are off the hook?

I kind of imagined it was gonna be
the other way around.

Oh, Jesus.

Where are you--
where are you going?

Wait, wait.

I need you.
Come here.

I need you now.

Don't leave me.

I'm not gonna leave you.

No matter what happens,
all right?

Okay?

I'm not gonna
leave you.

Let me get it.

No, I'll get it.
All right.

You guys wanna
get the mattress?

I'll get the chairs.

Thank you.

Hey.

What you think,
little man?

Better than that
welfare motel, right?

Yeah, you know it.

Oh.

Oh, yeah, that's right.
You're a superstar.

That's right.

- Hi.
- Thanks for coming.

Of course.

You, uh, you
got any coffee?

- I even have doughnuts.
- Great.

Foosball?

Protesters have gathered here

at the Grinton Will Library
to demand its reopening.

It was closed by
Mayor Wasicsko

in compliance with
the state control board's

emergency management
of the city's finances.

It's bad enough
that the mayor

is not listening
to people about the housing.

And now he wants
to close our library?

Yeah, right.
Yeah, I'm closing it.

Enough is enough.

This is Cristina Andrada,

reporting live
from the Grinton--

Now enough is enough.

Everything up until now was just
a walk in the fucking park.

You threaten to lay off
600 workers, nobody blinks.

Talk about bankrupting
the entire city? No worries.

You close one library
and senior center?

Did they think this
was all make-believe? Christ.

Well, you know what?
He's right.

When he's right, he's right.

I am wrangling
four fucking votes

or I'm gonna die trying.

- Hello?
- Yeah, get me Longo.

And it's Sanchez,
who goes to Rodrigo.

Rodrigo back to Sanchez,

who forwards the ball up to Sussman.

Sussman, the lone
Jewish import

on the team in Brazilian soccer,
and Sussman shoots.

Then he scores!
It's unstoppable!

Sports fans, there's no defense
for the Hebrew Hammer.

I was gonna play him
for the housing plan

till I saw his bank shot.

He skunked me 7-0.

Yeah.
I play to win, gentlemen.

No, tonight.

I want a vote tonight.

Fuck Fagan
and Spallone already.

Fuck them both.
They're lost balls in tall grass.

I got me, Oxman,
and Cola. That's three.

And I either pull Longo or Chema
and I ram it through.

I'll shove the layoffs
and the closings in their faces

and rub their fucking noses in it
until they cave.

Yeah.

Look, I need to round up
these guys now.

I'm almost scared
to say it,

but this is actually
going pretty well.

Get the politicians
out of the room,

the lawyers
get reasonable.

Hey, I'm a politician.
Well, sort of.

You're a city manager.

You're, uh-- you're
only half a problem.

Uh, maybe somebody
ought to tell the mayor

what we've been up to.

No. Now, what
we need to do

is call Chemo
and Longo at home,

get them down here,

and see if
they'll sign off.

Okay.

Neither of them?
What the hell?

Are they playing
ball together?

I got Oxman
and I got Cola.

I need three
to make a quorum.

Just find these mooks.

Hold on.

- Hello?
- Yeah?

- Nick, It's Jim.
- Yeah, Jim.

Look, I found them.
You won't believe this.

They're at Pickelle's house.

What? They're where?

At Pickelle's house.

Well, did anybody
think to maybe call

the goddamn mayor
of the city?

Christ Almighty!

Fucks!

- Where to, boss?
- Wherever the fuck

the government of Yonkers
is at the moment.

Yeah, well,
I can't believe

I might have to change
my vote after all this.

I mean, how am I
supposed to do that?

- On your left.
- Thank you.

I'll call you back.

Is this your conspiracy?

Just trying to get the train
back on track, Nick.

Yeah, right. Okay.

Well, I'm done being mad,
all right?

How's it going?
You got something?

I thought so.
We just called the judge.

He refused to hear
any compromise plan.

Sand just shot us down.

You know, he
even surprised me.

He just does not want to hear
about change or compromise,

not until after the city
complies with his order.

You know, look.

I thought about it,
you know. I just--

I don't see what
I can do here, you know?

- I promised my constituents--
- Shit, people.

I just talked
to Gail Shaffer,

and the control board
has agreed to suspend the layoffs

if we vote
to comply tonight.

And the judge did say

we wouldn't have
to pay the fines

for yesterday and today

if the ordinance
is approved before midnight.

And that's
a million-eight right there.

Look, there's five of us.

That's a quorum, right?

So we go back
to the City Hall

and we do our goddamn jobs.

We govern.

The fines may have
been overturned,

but Judge Sand could still order you jailed
for contempt, Councilman.

- What do you say to that?
- Judge Sand has me arrested, I'm ready.

I don't go anywhere
without one.

Way to go, Ed.

There you have it
from Councilman Ed Fagan,

who says he's not changing
his vote against the plan

and he's not spending
any more time this weekend

talking about it.

What else--
what else could he do?

It's a no-brainer.

The Supremes leave
you guys dangling,

it looks worse
changing the votes.

That would look like
it was about the money.

Yeah, now you could say
you came around

because of the layoffs
to the other city employees.

It scans way better.

Come on, Nicky,
what's it gonna take for you? Huh?

Pete, what about you?

Look, I can't vote for this
as it stands now, right?

There's got to be some
room for negotiation.

Negotiation with who,
Judge Sand?

Nicky, get a grip.

Our backs are
to the wall here.

Hank was never gonna vote for
any plan, anyway.

We're better off
without him here.

Yeah, Fagan neither.

It comes down
to you two guys.

Vote no! Vote no! Vote no!

Vote no! Vote no! Vote no!

Jesus Christ.
What do you think?

You think Nicky and Pete
are gonna feel that?

They're going to
melt into that noise?

Oh, yeah.
That's gonna blow them down.

All right, get me
the police commissioner.

It's bad.

Fucking idiots.

Do you want a cup of coffee
or something?

Does it look like I need
a cup of coffee right now?

Yeah?

Oh, for Christ's sake.

How's it going?

Joe, hey, look,
is it possible

that we can get
the noise level down out there?

It's just-- it's important it
not sound riotous.

And I don't need
Pete and Nicky to get cold feet.

There's no meeting
going on.

If there was,
I'd have a reason.

Okay.

Vote no! Vote no! Vote no!

Vote no! Vote no!

I call to order
the meeting of Friday,

September 9, 1988.

Let the record reflect
that this meeting

has been called
to order at 11:57.

We'll now take
a 15-minute recess.

I thank you
for your patience.

What is he doing?

What is he doing?

Hank! Hank!

All right. Now tell them
to go shut the fuck up.

You got it.

- Justice!
- When do we want it?

Now!

- What do we want?
- Justice!

- When do we want it?
- Now!

- What do we want?
- Justice!

- When do we want it?
- Now!

What do we want?

Hey, man!
Fuck you, pig!

Ladies and gentlemen?

Ladies and gentlemen,

the council meeting
is in session.

So, if you persist,
I'm going to have to ask you to move

300 yards
from the premises

so that the council
can conduct its business.

Fuck you!
Go fuck yourself, you motherfucker!

Get him out of here.
Get that guy out of here.

- 630 layoffs.
- Jesus Christ.

That's right.
The cost is real, guys.

There's no more
bullshitting ourselves.

He's right, Pete.

We're about to go
from martyrs to murderers.

We're about to
economically murder 630 families.

Oh, look at this.

Oh, my God.

I mean,
these are people

I shared backyard
barbecues with.

I attended
their weddings,

the christenings
of their children

not as their councilman,
but as their friend.

I'm gonna be sick.

What do you think
about all this?

To be honest,
I can't believe

this is happening
in Yonkers.

After all
we've been through,

to have a day like this
and a night like this?

- I mean, I just don't...
- Give 'em hell, Hank!

You bet I will.
You bet I will!

I'll fight
for the city.

Vote no! Vote no! Vote no!

Vote no! Vote no! Vote no!

Traitor!

You're all
going to rot in hell!

I'm calling this recessed
meeting back to order.

I want to thank everybody
for their patience.

I want to remind everybody

that this is the most
important council meeting

I think that the City
of Yonkers has ever had,

- and I'm going to demand that--
- You chickenshit!

I'm going to demand
that everybody

in, uh, the audience be
respectful of the councilmen

as they conduct
their business.

And I have directed
your police commissioner to ensure that.

Mr. Longo, do you wish
to speak on the item?

- Yes, thank you, Mr. Mayor.
- Oh, God, no!

Uh, this is, uh...

This is not
a very pleasant time

for anyone who
serves in government.

Ladies and gentlemen,
please.

For anyone who--

for anyone who serves
in the government

in the City of Yonkers.

Or for anyone who lives
in this city!

Ladies and gentlemen, please.

It seems to me
that we have

no alternative
at this point

but to adopt the ordinance
as is and contin--

Longo, you piece of garbage!

We did not vote
the consent decree because--

It was fine the day
before, you stinking bastard!

We fight! No way!

Nicky, you no-good...

Roll call vote,
Mr. Clerk.

- Mayor Wasicsko?
- Yes.

- Vice Mayor Spallone?
- No.

Majority Leader Cola?

Yes.

- Minority Leader Longo?
- Yes.

- Councilman Fagan?
- No.

- Councilman Chema?
- Yes.

- Councilman Oxman?
- Yes.

Five ayes and two nays.
The ordinance passes.

How could you
do this to us?

- Stay back.
- Shame on you, Mayor! Shame on you!

What's the matter
with these people?

- Mr. Mayor, you need to go!
- It's okay, sweetie.

Jesus Christ.

Come on, you guys.

The clerk
will call the roll.

The clerk
will call the roll.

The clerk will call
the roll.

It's okay.
It's all right.

Ma?

It's me, Mom.

Yeah, I'm in here.

Where's the health aide?

She's supposed to start
this week, right?

I waited all day yesterday,
and she never showed up.

So I called her agency,

and they said
she couldn't find the apartment.

What?

I think someone's
telling stories somewhere.

Well, are they sending someone else,
somebody with a map?

They said so,
but nobody so far today.

See, these places are certified
by the government.

They got to
follow the rules.

Where's their number?

In the kitchen.

I'll call them.

Ain't no way.
I'm not going back there.

Not with that boy.
Nah, I'm quitting.

You took the job.
You can't just walk away.

Do you like doing
this every day?

I do what needs doing.

How many people in the world
you think get up every day

and do what it is
they like doing?

Some.

And how many
of those people

do you think
live in Schlobohm?

Or School Street?
That's what a job is, Billie.

I don't care.
I'm not going back there.

I'm not washing that boy.

Him in the tub,

banging his retarded
fucking head against the wall,

water going everywhere,
him screaming.

This is the real world, girl.

Live with it!

You live with it.

What did you say?

- Nothing.
- Mm. That's what I thought.

Call for American
Airlines flight 953...

What is taking so long?

...now boarding
at gate six.

Boarding call
for flight 953...

What are we going to do
if he doesn't come?

Just calm down.

I don't know.

My God...

Felipe!

American Airlines
passenger Mary Jane Donahoe,

please report to
the information desk.

- Give me a kiss.
- Thank you.

American Airlines
passenger Mary Jane Donahoe...

Are you okay?

I'm sorry. This is not
the court's problem.

Your Honor,
you saw what it took

to get the consent
of the city council

to even a general statement
of compliance with the court.

I am asking you,
in the name of all that is holy,

to please name a replacement location
for the housing units

that were formerly sited
at the St. Joseph's Seminary.

Been quite a year
for you, Mr. Mayor.

Uh, yeah,
you could say that.

And now you're facing a reelection campaign
just around the corner.

Two-year terms.
What fun.

Well, my best wishes
to you going forward, Mr. Wasicsko.

Thank you, Your Honor.

But let's keep
those sentiments to ourselves.

You know,
your endorsement doesn't exactly

bring out the vote
in the City of Yonkers.

Justice is not about popularity.

No, it's not,
but politics is.

Please?

Well, since the Yonkers City Council
again refuses to act

and Mayor Wasicsko
has asked that I take

the decision out
of the city's hands,

I am formally picking
the Gramercy location

as the replacement for
the St. Joseph's Seminary site.

Thank you, Judge.

Your Honor, if I might?

Mr. Newman.

I realize our
options are limited here,

but there's a number of problems
on the Gramercy location

I feel I have
to bring up.

- Bring up again.
- Again.

First off, because
only seven sites

are apparently all that's ever
going to be available to us,

as many as 48 townhouses
will have to be built

- on the Gramercy site.
- And?

And my research shows
that crime increases

with the number of units
in a housing project.

I've tried to limit that number
to a maximum of 24 per site.

Now we're looking
at twice that.

Oscar, you're fighting
the last war.

But consider this,
because of the configuration of this site,

putting that number
of townhouses here

will require an internal
road system be built

at a significantly
increased cost.

Well, as I've said, any increase in cost
beyond the HUD guideline

is going to have
to be borne by the city.

Here's my real worry.

On the Gramercy site,

I can't make
the townhouses disappear

into the fabric
of the middle-class neighborhoods.

It's too isolated.

And my concern
is that isolation

will allow
a criminal element to flourish

that the public housing
residents alone can't control.

Oscar, you're
fearmongering,

and it reflects
your ideological baggage.

I got to tell you this is--
it's basically racist.

What's so
difficult about this?

The smaller the site,
the greater the contact,

the more the
middle-class neighbor

is going to exert
their values and control.

Simple as that.

We are going
to build these houses.

The judge and the council vote
have seen to that.

But let me ask,
do we want this to succeed or not?

She just knows.

Knows if I'm late,
if I take the day off,

if I go home early.

I really don't get it.
Just tell her.

She's not gonna let me quit
no matter what,

not unless I go
back to school.

So what are you gonna do?

I got to get my ass
fired somehow.

Ladies, ladies.

Hey, Hot Stuff.

Hot, this is Billie.

John my real name.

Anyone for a beer?

I'll take mine
in a glass.

Glass, huh?

- Meeka, you?
- A bottle is fine.

I talked to
Miss Clarkson myself.

You should've asked her

to send a Jamaican
health aide.

Those old Jamaicans
don't scare.

I'm sure she's
just running late.

Nobody's coming, child.

♪ I hold you in my arms ♪

♪ as the band plays ♪

♪ what are those words
whispered, baby ♪

♪ just as you turn away? ♪

♪ I saw you last night ♪

♪ out on the edge of town ♪

♪ I want to read your mind ♪

♪ to know just
what I've got ♪

♪ in this new thing
I've found ♪

♪ so tell me what I see ♪

♪ when I look in your eyes ♪

♪ is that you, baby? ♪

♪ or just
a brilliant disguise? ♪

What is it
with Yonkers?

It's like that--
that game where you--

you hit the animal that--
where it keeps popping up?

- Whac-A-Mole?
- That's it.

Every time I resolve one problem,
another one jumps up.

But this-- insisting on two
apartment walk-ups

rather than single-family homes
is just so shortsighted.

Mr. Smith, does the city
housing authority agree?

Yes, Your Honor. We've bought
Oscar's "Defensible Space" theory.

We believe
it's the way to go.

Well, then what
is HUD's objection?

Cost. They think it'll be more expensive
to build the townhouses.

And it may well be.

But the idea of walk-ups
just flies in the face

of everything I've tried
to bring to this project.

There can be no
interior public areas.

No stairs to a second unit.
Nothing.

And every family must have
its own front and rear yards,

and the front entry
must be directly off the street.

Why the hell
can't they see that?

Cost can be a prohibitive
hurdle, Oscar,

even for the government.

Public housing residents

are no different than
any other renters.

They will jealously guard
and maintain what's theirs.

Problems arise when projects have
nebulous public areas

that are like a
sort of no-man's-land.

That's the place
that gets trashed.

That's the space
that gets used for

loitering and drug dealing.

You know, every year
HUD spends millions

repairing the vandalism
done in the public areas

of the high-rises
and the walk-ups.

It's a given.
It's in the budget.

- And?
- And...

I'm just wondering
if an argument can be made

that the townhouses
would be cheaper in the long run.

I mean, without
the public areas,

we don't have
the additional cost

of maintenance
and security.

It's an argument
we could offer.

♪ P for the people
who can't understand ♪

You guys want
a shot with me?

♪ S for the way
you scream and shout ♪

♪ one by one
I'll knock you out... ♪

...my father used to
beat me bad when I was little.

For real?

Well, he wasn't
my real father.

I mean,
my real father walked out

before I was born,

but I called him
my father.

I didn't find out till
a couple of years ago he wasn't.

He walked out, too,
when I was 12.

I would never
do that to my son.

You have a son?

Yeah. He's named Noel.

- He was born on Christmas.
- Oh.

I don't see his mother
no more, though.

She wanted to
get married.

I told her I was too young
for that stuff.

She thought
I was older.

So, can I kiss you?

Huh?

♪ sweeter than honey,
sugar and spice ♪

♪ told her my name
was MC Schoolly D... ♪

You mind if I kissed you?

♪ she said, Schoolly D,
I know your game ♪

♪ heard about you
in the hall of fame ♪

♪ I said, Mama, Mama,
I tell you no lies ♪

♪ 'cause all I want to do is
to get you high, and, uh ♪

♪ lay you down
and do the body rock ♪

♪ took a walk to the corner,
got into the car ♪

♪ took a little trip
to a fancy bar ♪

♪ copped some brew,
some "J" some coke ♪

♪ tell you now, brother,
this ain't no joke ♪

♪ she got me to the crib,
she laid me on the bed ♪

♪ I fucked her from my toes
to the top of my head ♪

♪ I finally realized
the girl was a whore ♪

♪ gave her ten dollars,
she asked me for some more ♪

Deluxe Homes of Berwick,
Pennsylvania,

has the low bid
for the first 142 units.

The good news is that
they'll be built out of state.

That eliminates
any potential trouble

like threats,
protests, vandalism.

So the prefab units
will be trucked into Yonkers?

And then literally bolted onto
the foundations here.

The bad news is
the bid came in

five million more
than what we have.

Under HUD's guidelines
we have 11.3 million available.

Deluxe came in at 16.1.

That's about
$33,000 a unit.

Mayor Wasicsko has raised the shortfall
possibility with HUD, as have we.

Also, Senator Moynihan
has started working back channels for us,

and Jack Kemp has told him that
he will find a way to make this happen.

Believe it or not,
we have a pretty good relationship

- with Secretary's office.
- With such open lines,

you would have thought the last War
of the Walk-ups could have been avoided.

Well, Your Honor, sometimes
the magic works, sometimes it doesn't.

The important thing is
HUD made the right call despite themselves

and we're finally on track.

It's all a technical
problem now, right?

The politics is done.

Which is why I'm here today

to announce that I am running
for Mayor of Yonkers.

Never before
has the opportunity been so right

to bring about meaningful
political reform...

And I will restore
the government of Yonkers

to the people's government!

Yonkers is at a crossroads.

Together we can
return Yonkers

to a city
of gracious living.

I am asking
that you return me

to a second term
as your mayor.

And this mayor,
who has been shortsighted

in handling the whole thing,

he has shown
absolutely no compassion

for either the homeowners
or the people of Yonkers.

And I also ask that you reject
the four councilmen

who caused our city
to be held in contempt

and any candidate
who would support it.

Let's clean up City Hall.

Thank you very much.
Thank you.

Clean sweep! Clean sweep!

Clean sweep! Clean sweep!

Clean sweep! Clean sweep!

"Dear Jaron,

you are my son

and I love you
more than anything...

but you've been born
in a hard place.

And you and your mama
are alone now.

I didn't plan it this way.

Truth is, my daddy says
I didn't plan anything--

that it's because
I didn't have a plan

that you and me
are in this mess.

But I know that isn't true.

I loved your daddy,
and I wanted you

to be a part of that love,

to come from that love.

And I don't have
any regret about that.

People who say
that isn't a plan

don't know my heart.

What I didn't plan
was for being alone so fast.

I knew what
having a kid meant,

that it was all kinds
of responsibility.

But I thought I'd be
doing it with your daddy

and every day would be
a little bit better.

I thought if I could
get a place of my own

and a family of my own,

that everything else
would come with that.

I'm not sure where I'm going
or even where I am.

This was supposed
to feel like home for us.

- This isn't home..."
- Excuse me.

"...and I don't know
what comes next.

I know that I can't stay here
without falling down,

and I know I can't go home.

I can't listen to my father
tell me his lessons,

and I don't know how to learn
the lessons my own self.

I'm just here waiting.

I'm waiting,
and I'm not sure

what it is
I'm waiting for."