Leonard Diamond: Do you know Mr. Brown?
Nils Dreyer: I had lunch with him last week. He's a very fine gentleman.
Leonard Diamond: He's a hoodlum.
Nils Dreyer: Because I have lunch with him, that is not a crime. I'll have lunch with anybody, I'm democratic. I'll even have lunch with you.

Leonard Diamond: I'll wait until I can put you on trial for murder.
Mr. Brown: Whose murder, Lieutenant?
Leonard Diamond: Mine, if necessary.
Mr. Brown: Don't push too hard.
Leonard Diamond: It's my sworn duty to push too hard.
Mr. Brown: Diamond, the only trouble with you is, you'd like to be me. You'd like to have my organization, my influence, my fix. You can't. It's impossible. You think it's money, it's not. It's personality. You haven't got it, Lieutenant, you're a cop. Slow, steady, intelligent, with a bad temper, and a gun under your arm. And with a big yen for a girl you can't have. First is first, and second is nobody.

Mingo: [Upon being offered a sandwich by Fante] I couldn't swallow any more salami.

Joe McClure: He pulled a gun on me. What did you want me to do?
Mr. Brown: With your kind of brain, there's nothing else you could do.

Joe McClure: I guess I'm getting too old to handle a gun.
Mr. Brown: Yeah, maybe you're just getting too old, Joe.

Joe McClure: Mr. Brown is a very reasonable man. You don't know him.
Leonard Diamond: Oh, is he? Well I'm not. I intend to make life very difficult for your Mr. Brown.
Joe McClure: You shouldn't talk like that, Lieutenant. You're overstepping your authority.
Mr. Brown: Joe, the man has reason to hate me. His salary is $96.50 a week. The busboys in my hotel make better money than that. Don't you see, Joe? He's a righteous man.

Mr. Brown: Diamond, the only trouble with you is, you'd like to be me. You'd like to have my organization, my influence, my fix. You can't, it's impossible. You think it's money. It's not. It's personality. You haven't got it. You're a cop. Slow. Steady. Intelligent. With a bad temper and a gun under your arm. With a big yen for a girl you can't have. First is first and second is nobody.

Mr. Brown: I think Mr. Diamond needs a drink. Got any liquor?
Fante: How about some paint thinner?
Mr. Brown: No, that'll kill him. Anything else?
Fante: Hair tonic, 40% alcohol.
Mr. Brown: Fine.

Mr. Brown: I'm gonna give you a break. I'm gonna fix it, so you don't hear the bullets.
[Removes a character's hearing aid]

Mr. Brown: If they take you to police headquarters, shoot yourself in the head. It'll make everything a lot simpler.