MovieChat Forums > Donnie Brasco (1997) Discussion > Why would the cops destroy the club in F...

Why would the cops destroy the club in Florida?


We all know the scene. The cops raid the gambling club in Florda. I completely understand the part about arrests being made and evidence confiscated. Obviously. That's what you do when you shut down an illegal club. But why would they DESTROY the place? Tipping over tables, spilling drinks and chips. Worst was how they broke all the glasses. Sending broken shards of glass flying all over the place? Really? Why on earth would the cops do THAT? What purpose did it serve?

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In the next scene, you see Sonny Red in NY talking on the phone to the Florida boss. They arranged it, to disgrace Sonny Black and them. It was not only a message and warning to stay out of florida, but it was Sonny Red's way of making friends in Florida.

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I guess I forgot that part. So you say Sonny Red paid off the cops to destroy the place in order to send a message to the rival gang to stay away from his territory?

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No.. Sonny Red had NO connections to the police in Florida. It is the Florida mob boss who had the connections and paid the cops. The FL mob boss did not want Sonny Black there. It was a "stay out of my area".

However, Sonny Red and the Fl guy were on the phone discussing this. The florida mob boss would have had more respect for Sonny Red for talking to him before entering his territory. Sonny Black had no conversations with the FL mob boss until he was already in FL... it is kind of like someone walking into your house without knocking. The FL guy felt invaded. This opened the door for Sonny Red to make a better impression.

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I always wondered about that whole sequence though.

Trafacante accepted the boat trip from Sonny Black, and we heard him saying "it's okay but you have to show some respect down here." It was like Trafacante was giving him permission to operate something on his territory.

Then we see Trafacante's cop goons breaking up the club and more importantly taking ALL the money (which we assume went to Trafacante with a cut for the cops.)

Thing is...why not nip Lefty and Sonny Black's FLA operation in the bud from the get go?

Why let him set up then destroy him?

Then of course we saw Trafacante talking to Sonny Red on the phone showing they had colluded with embarrassing Black and Lefty and destroying their operation.

The only conclusion is that Sonny Black walked into a trap set by Sonny Red in order to bring down his errant crew, which we know Sonny Red did not like because of the way his crew mocked Black's when they were in the same club by mocking their clothing and laughing them out of the place?

Was it just a way to get rid of Sonny Black? After all, Sonny was tight with Rusty in prison and was still "kicking up" to Rusty's operation. So he wasn't entirely useless--he was earning....

Anywho.....

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In modern context it's bizarre, though remember as a kid in the 60's watching on TV news a police raid on an illegal gambling joint in Hot Springs Arkansas. The cops invited film crews and went in with guns and sledge hammers and destroyed the place. The vulnerable slot machines were slaughtered along with all the furniture. I was around 12 at the time and thought these grown ups are pretty effed up.

He killed sixteen Czechoslovakians. Guy was an interior decorator.

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Plot hole

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Because among redneck cops in Florida having New York interlopers in your backyard is real greaseball $hit.

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