People, Places and Things
“Loyalty Will Kill You Faster Than a Bullet” – Carlito Brigante, Carlito’s Way
Some lessons hit harder when they come from a movie character than from a motivational speaker. For me, Carlito Brigante taught one of the toughest.
Gangster movies have fascinated fans for decades. The dynamic between moral code, loyalty, and what motivates someone to live outside the law is always compelling. The grey areas in these stories often mirror the ones in our own lives.
One of my favorites is Carlito’s Way, a 1993 crime drama starring Al Pacino, based on the novels by Judge Edwin Torres.
The Pull of Loyalty
Carlito Brigante walks out of prison after the DA wrongfully tapped his phones. He’s free — with a choice. Go back to slinging drugs, or walk away for good.
He chooses the latter. He wants a clean slate. A new life.
But no one believes him. They laugh when he says, “I’m retired.” The idea that one of New York’s biggest drug dealers could just hang it up? Unthinkable.
The truth is, we are products of our environment. What we’ve done shapes how the world sees us — especially the people closest to us. Carlito understood that to change, he’d have to leave his old world behind.
People, Places, and Things
In recovery, there’s a saying: people, places, and things. If you want to change, you often need to change who you spend time with, where you spend it, and what you put your energy into.
Carlito knew this. But the pull of our everyday lives is often stronger than our escape plan.
This is true in kitchens, too. If you’re rooted in a certain culture or establishment, walking away — even for your own good — can be harder than it sounds.
The Kitchen Connection
Carlito spends much of the movie tying up loose ends. Helping his crooked lawyer, David Kleinfeld. Trying to win back Gail, the love of his life, and take her to the Bahamas. Planning to rent cars to tourists and start a family.
But he slips. A cousin begs him to come along on a drug deal. Against his better judgment, he goes. The deal goes bad. Carlito walks away with money he “found” after the dust settles and uses it to buy into a nightclub.
On paper, it’s a legit investment — his ticket to a clean future. But in reality, it’s another tie to the same world he’s trying to leave.
Who’s Really in Your Corner?
We all have goals. We all chase something. But pride and misplaced loyalty can blur the finish line.
Kleinfeld tries to tell Carlito there’s only one rule: “You cover your own ass.” Not because he cares — but because he’s living by it. Kleinfeld doesn’t care about Carlito’s dreams. He just wants to save himself.
And yet, there’s always someone in our corner. Someone who truly wants us to win. For Carlito, it was Gail. She believed in his dream. She was ready to pack a bag, hop a plane, and live out a quiet life with him.
I’ve had my Gails. Family, friends, mentors who wanted me to become the best version of myself — not just for me, but for the good it would ripple out to others.
Changing the Ending
In the end, Carlito’s old world catches up to him. His best friend, Pachanga, sells him out to an up-and-coming drug lord, Benny Blanco from the Bronx.
On the platform at Grand Central, Benny pulls the trigger. Gail is left holding the pieces.
“I almost made it. You gonna be a good mother someday.”
The Lesson
We can change our ending — but only if we’re willing to change our surroundings.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. You don’t always need to move physically, but mentally? Absolutely.
Carlito had the desire to change. He had the plan. But he stayed too long in the world that scarred him. And in the end, that world took everything.
A desire to change is powerful. But if you’re not careful, staying in the same place for too long will kill your dreams faster than a bullet.
