Interviews 50 Cents

Uptown, Downtown, Out of Town

Videos
Intro
Part One
Part Two
Part Three

QuickTime

Dave Cannella : We've got a lot of characters down here, for sure -- to say the least. As it was once aptly put by one of our ex-mayors, it's a damned insane asylum. They just have put up the walls yet.

Alex Chadwick: That's what an ex-mayor said?

Dave Cannella: Yes.


Alex Chadwick: His honor, the ex-mayor, Captain Tony:

Tony Tarracino: I remember the depression years. We used to sell newspapers as kids. And we used to go to the Salvation Army and buy our shoes. And someday, I said, I'm gonna make the big time. And I do. I make the big time. I'm in Las Vegas. I made a big score like $8,000, and I walked by this men's shop and there was a pair of Tag shoes in that window, like $350, and I bought them. I only wore them once. That was 11 years ago. I still have them in the closet. I polish 'em every once a month, but I made it when I bought them shoes. How many people can say that?

Alex Chadwick: Yeah ...

Mr: So, I remember when I saw a wristwatch with no insides in it. You know, we used to buy them for 80 cents. And we'd see a guy like you walking down -- well, I'm only 15 years old, but I knew a live one from a dead one. You with the hat on, I'd say, this is a live one. Hey, man, you want to buy a wristwatch? It's a Bulova - we used to stamp Bulova on the back. And he'd say, "Well, how come it's not working?" "One of the main springs is broken, I'll take fifteen bucks." Now, if you were a hustler, I'd bargain 15 bucks -- I think I can get it for ten. Well, how about ten? You've got a deal. He's already going to sell it to the cook where he works. Okay?
And we used to take a can of cockroach powder, like a dollar, and cleanser was only a nickel, so, we'd buy ten cans of cleanser and one can of cockroach powder, mix it all together, and sell em for a buck. So, we made a lot of money. And somebody said, "Did it bother your conscience?" I said "No, it killed the roaches, it just took a couple of days longer, that's all."

Alex Chadwick and Tony Tarracino: (laugh)

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