There was violence because first of all, there were ethnic differences and names. If you were small, they called you a runt, and you had to do something about that even if there were five other guys.

My parents were immigrants. And the place for all immigrants was the factories. They were the source of cheap labor.

Any kind of music can be written badly and it can be written wonderfully. I admire a top performer in any field.

I've never done anything half-heartedly; it's a disservice to me and the audience if I do it half-heartedly.

You had to grow up sometime. The fellows who grew early, they were in jeopardy. They became the cops and the crooks, and the crooks became the gangsters. The crooks became the Al Capones.

Perfectionists are their own devils.

I wasn't the kind of student that Pratt was looking for. They wanted patient people who would work on something forever. I didn't want to work on any project forever. I intended to get things done.