Famous Mob Quotes

These memorable lines from the most notorious mobsters in history offer a rare glimpse into the criminal mind — words spoken by men who lived by their own code, feared no one and built empires out of violence and loyalty. Browse the collection below and click through to read the full story of each man.

“I respectfully decline to answer because I honestly believe my answer might tend to incriminate me”

Joey Gallo — delivered to the Kefauver Committee in 1951. Crazy Joe Gallo was one of the most colourful and unpredictable figures in mob history, a man who read philosophy in prison and sparked a bloody war against the Colombo family.

“No one will ever kill me, they wouldn’t dare”

Carmine Galante — the Bonanno boss who fancied himself untouchable. He was shot dead while eating lunch at a Brooklyn restaurant in 1979, a cigar still clenched between his teeth.

“I never lie to any man because I don’t fear anyone. The only time you lie is when you are afraid”

John Gotti — the Dapper Don ruled the Gambino family with swagger and violence throughout the 1980s. Three times acquitted, he was finally brought down by the testimony of his own underboss, Sammy “The Bull” Gravano.

“You can get much further with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone”

Al Capone — the most famous gangster who ever lived. Scarface built a criminal empire in Prohibition-era Chicago worth hundreds of millions, ran the city from a suite at the Lexington Hotel, and was ultimately brought down not by bullets but by the IRS.

“There’s no such thing as good money or bad money. There’s just money”

Lucky Luciano — the architect of the modern American Mafia. Luciano created the Commission, brokered peace between warring families, and transformed organised crime from a collection of street gangs into a national corporation.

“I can’t stand squealers — hit that guy!”

Albert Anastasia — the Lord High Executioner and head of Murder Incorporated. Anastasia ordered killings on a whim and was feared across the New York underworld until he was shot dead in a barber’s chair at the Park Sheraton Hotel in 1957.

“If a man is dumb, someone is going to get the best of him, so why not you?”

Arnold Rothstein — the Brain, the man who fixed the 1919 World Series and bankrolled the careers of Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky. Rothstein was the original mob financier, shot dead in 1928 after refusing to pay a gambling debt.

“Judges, lawyers and politicians have a licence to steal. We don’t need one”

Carlo Gambino — the quiet Don who became the most powerful mob boss in America without ever seeking the limelight. Gambino lived modestly, dressed plainly, and died of a heart attack in his own bed in 1976 — one of the few bosses to die of natural causes.

“We took care of Kennedy”

Sam Giancana — the Chicago Outfit boss who shared a mistress with JFK and claimed involvement in the assassination. Giancana was shot dead in his basement in 1975, the night before he was due to testify before a Senate committee.

“A boy has never wept…nor dashed a thousand kin”

Dutch Schultz — the Bronx Beer Baron, shot at the Palace Chophouse in Newark in 1935. These delirious words were spoken as he lay dying of peritonitis, drifting in and out of consciousness over 22 hours. A police stenographer recorded every word.

“It takes many steppingstones, you know, for a man to rise. None can do it unaided”

Joe Bonanno — the founder of the Bonanno crime family and the man widely believed to have been the model for Don Corleone in The Godfather. Bonanno wrote his own autobiography, one of the few mob bosses ever to do so.

“Nothing personal, it’s just business”

Otto Berman — the accountant to Dutch Schultz, a man who handled millions in illegal gambling proceeds and was murdered alongside his boss at the Palace Chophouse. This phrase, which became the defining expression of mob logic, is attributed to him.

“Las Vegas turns women into men and men into idiots”

Bugsy Siegel — the man who built Las Vegas. Siegel’s vision for the Flamingo Hotel transformed a desert town into the gambling capital of the world. He was shot dead through the window of his girlfriend’s Beverly Hills home in 1947, just months after the Flamingo opened.

“Murders came with smiles, shooting people was no big deal for us Goodfellas”

Henry Hill — the Lucchese associate whose story became the film Goodfellas. Hill entered witness protection in 1980 after giving evidence that sent Jimmy Burke and Paul Vario to prison. His life was chronicled by Nicholas Pileggi in the book that defined the genre.

“This life of ours, this is a wonderful life. If you can get through life like this and get away with it, hey, that’s great. But it’s very, very unpredictable”

Paul Castellano — the boss of bosses, shot dead outside Sparks Steak House on 46th Street in Manhattan on December 16, 1985, on the orders of John Gotti. He never saw it coming.

“A newspaper man wrote an article that I had 300 million dollars — well, I wish I had a million dollars”

Meyer Lansky — the mob’s financial genius, a man who reportedly ran an empire worth billions yet died leaving an estate of just $57,000. Lansky outlived almost every mobster he ever worked with, dying peacefully in 1983 aged 80.

“If there is a will, there is always a way my friend”

Richard Kuklinski — the Iceman, a contract killer who claimed to have murdered over 200 people over three decades while living as a seemingly ordinary New Jersey family man. His chilling HBO interviews remain some of the most disturbing true crime footage ever filmed.

“I have killed no men, that, in the first place, didn’t deserve killing”

Mickey Cohen — the Los Angeles mob boss who survived multiple assassination attempts, spent years in prison for tax evasion, and became a celebrity in his own right.

Frequently Asked Questions — Famous Mob Quotes

What is Al Capone’s most famous quote?

Al Capone’s most famous quote is: “You can get much further with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.” It perfectly captures his philosophy — charm backed by the constant threat of violence. Capone built a Prohibition-era empire in Chicago worth hundreds of millions before being brought down by the IRS in 1931.

What did John Gotti say about lying?

John Gotti said: “I never lie to any man because I don’t fear anyone. The only time you lie is when you are afraid.” Gotti was boss of the Gambino family throughout the 1980s — acquitted three times and known as the Teflon Don — before being convicted in 1992 after his underboss Sammy Gravano turned government witness.

What is the most famous mob quote of all time?

“Nothing personal, it’s just business” — attributed to Otto Berman, accountant to Dutch Schultz, murdered alongside his boss in Newark in 1935. The phrase became the defining expression of mob logic and entered mainstream culture through The Godfather and countless other crime films and books.

What did Lucky Luciano say about money?

Lucky Luciano said: “There’s no such thing as good money or bad money. There’s just money.” The architect of the modern American Mafia, Luciano created the Commission and transformed organised crime from street gangs into a national corporation.

What were Dutch Schultz’s last words?

“A boy has never wept nor dashed a thousand kin.” Schultz was shot at the Palace Chophouse in 1935 and spent 22 hours dying in delirium. His rambling monologue — recorded by a police stenographer — has fascinated writers ever since, most notably William S. Burroughs.