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| “ | F--k you and your self-righteous code of the goddamn streets. Did it pull you out of a 30-year stint in only five years? No, it didn't - I did. Did it get you acquitted four f--king times? No, it didn't - I did. So f--k you, f--k the streets! Your whole goddamn world is this big, and there's only one rule: you save your own ass! | „ |
| ~ Kleinfeld revealing his true nature to Carlito Brigante. |
David Kleinfeld is the main antagonist of the 1993 crime drama film Carlito's Way.
A corrupt defence attorney, he is the client and best friend of Carlito Brigante until the former manipulates the latter into helping him take over the drug trade in New York City and then betrays Carlito in order to stay out of prison.
He was portrayed by Sean Penn, who also portrayed Mickey Cohen in Gangster Squad, Sergeant Tony Maserve in Casualties of War, Samuel Bicke in The Assassination of Richard Nixon, Willie Stark Talos in the 2006 remake of All the King's Men, and Mick O'Brien in Bad Boys.
Biography[]
In 1975, Kleinfeld gets his client and best friend, former drug lord Carlito Brigante, released from prison after finding proof District Attorney Charles Norwalk put him in prison with illegally obtained evidence. Brigante is determined to go straight, but Kleinfeld tries to pressure him to resume dealing so he can profit from it. While out with Brigante one night, he has sex with a waitress named Steffie, which enrages her boyfriend, small-time drug dealer Benny Blanco. When Blanco puts his hands on Steffie, Kleinfeld pulls a gun on him, which leads to a violent confrontation between Blanco and Brigante.
Unbeknownst to Brigante, while he was in prison Kleinfeld took over his drug empire, selling cocaine through his other clients and becoming addicted to the drug himself. He also steals $1 million from another of his clients, imprisoned mob boss Tony Taglialucci. When Tagliolucci finds out what Kleinfeld did, he threatens to kill him unless he helps him escape. Desperate and increasingly paranoid from constant cocaine use, Kleinfeld begs Brigante to help him break Taglialucci out of prison. Brigante agrees out of loyalty to his friend, even though it means risking his freedom.
During the prison break, however, Kleinfeld kills Taglialucci and his son Frankie in front of a horrified Brigante, who fears that Taglialucci's men will come after both of them. Sure enough, the following day one of Taglialucci's assassins storms into Kleinfeld's office and shoots him, severely wounding him. Meanwhile, Norwalk has Brigante arrested and plays him a tape recording of Kleinfeld selling him out to escape prison time for dealing cocaine. Brigante refuses to testify against him, as ratting people out is a violation of his moral code.
Brigante visits Kleinfeld in the hospital and confronts him about his betrayal. Unrepentant, Kleinfeld laughs aside Brigante's "code of the streets" and says Brigante owes him for getting him out of prison. Disgusted, Brigante washes his hands of Kleinfeld and leaves. Moments later, Taglialucci's son Vinnie bursts into the room, seeking revenge for his father and brother. Kleinfeld pulls a gun, but when he pulls the trigger, nothing happens; Brigante had seen Vinnie coming and surreptitiously emptied the weapon, leaving Kleinfeld defenseless. Vinnie shoots Kleinfeld in the head, killing him.
Victims[]
- Frankie Taglialucci
- Tony “T” Taglialucci - Struck in the head repeatedly with a crowbar.