Third Watch (TV Series)

Requiem for a Bantamweight (2001)

Bobby Cannavale: Roberto Caffey

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Quotes 

• Roberto Caffey : [voiceover]  I guess my pops thought it'd toughen us up. It certainly toughened Matty up. By the time he was 14, he was taking out beat cops two at a time. Got in some good shots. Me, I didn't take to it. Never been big on hittin' other people. I guess in some circles that makes me suspect, but my friend Paulie, he loved it. Paulie lives on the 3rd floor. We lived on 4. Our moms were tight. I mighta felt uncomfortable hittin' him, but he had no such compuction about beatin' the ever-loving snot outta me. See, Paulie was good, really good. So, I wasn't so much a sparring partner, as a human body bag. You'd think that this would make me hate the guy, but it was just the opposite. I loved him. He was simply the best friend I ever had. We were inseperable. It's hard to describe exactly why. We just fit some how. We liked the same teams, watched the same TV shows. I shared my homework with him, he shared the Penthouse's he stole from his Pop's dresser with me. I guess that sounds bad, but his little sister, Gina was the first girl I ever made love to. She was two years younger than us, so I never paid much attention to her, but in 9th grade, she suddenly grew up and... out. Plaid skirts and white blouses still make my knees go weak. You'd have thought Paulie would have been pissed about me and his little sister, but he was cool. Guess it's 'cause he could tell that I really cared about her, and I did. We were together for five years. she ended up marryin' this guy from Queens, Danny. He's a plumbing contractor, they got three kids. She broke my heart. After Paulie cleaned up in golden gloves, he tried to go pro but his ambitions ran into a lethal Puerto Rican bantamweight. Paulie hung in there for six rounds, but after the third knockdown, the ref mercifully called the fight and left Paulie a few brain cells to try and find out a better way to make a living. Funny thing is, he never did. He sat on the stoop or hung out on the corner. It's like he didn't have any other ideas about what to do, I guess it's probably 'cause he didn't. We drifted apart after that, I was in college, Gina and I broke up. Last I heard, he's working on and off at his pop's dry cleaners. I still don't like to hit people, but the workout stuck, I jump some rope, hit the bag. When people do ask me to spar, I just tell them I'm recovering from my ninth concussion and a punch could kill me. That usually does the trick. As for for Paulie, we lost touch. You know, a couple of missed birthdays, a phone call you forget to return, and then before you know it, you can't remember the last time you saw an old friend. I'd let Paulie slip out of my life, but that was about to change.

• Roberto Caffey : Ah, coffee.

  Carlos Nieto : I just got the last cup.

  Roberto Caffey : Did you start a fresh pot?

  Carlos Nieto : Beans are on the shelf.

  Roberto Caffey : Why do you always do that?

  Carlos Nieto : I always make the coffee.

  Monte Parker : Unfortunately.

• Roberto Caffey : [to Paulie]  You need to be in rehab.

  Paulie Fuentes : I'm fine.

  Roberto Caffey : You're shooting smack in an apartment the roaches wouldn't even live in.

  Roberto Caffey : Believe me. The roaches like it just fine.

• Kim Zambrano : [about Paulie]  You gave him Vicodin?

  Roberto Caffey : Only one.

  Kim Zambrano : That's like feeding a stray cat.