Carlito's Way: Rise to Power (21 page)

smack:
heroin; a/k/a horse, skag, junk, shit, stuff.

snort:
cocaine.

spike:
hypodermic needle used to inject heroin.

spitter:
hoodlum; a/k/a wise-guy, knock-around guy.

spook:
a negro.

stand-up guy:
a man of integrity, one who would never inform on another.

stone killer:
(1) cold-blooded assassin; (2) superlative, as in “That’s a stone killer suit.”

tecato:
heroin addict; from Sp. slang word for heroin,
tecata
.

thou:
a thousand.

Tiger:
a Puerto Rican newcomer to the U.S. Term originated from a ship, the
Marine Tiger
, which brought many Puerto Ricans to the U.S.

todos los gatos son negros:
all cats are black.

tremendos pollos:
good-looking girls; lit., tremendous chicks.

trim:
slang word for female sex organs, as in “get me some trim,” “some good trim.”

tumbe:
a swindle, a beat. Taken from Spanish verb
tumbar
, to knock down.

two-eight (three-oh, three-four):
28th, 30th, and 34th Precincts in Manhattan.

un clavo saca a otro:
one nail removes another.

uomo di onore:
a man of honor (Italian).

upstate:
prison.

vamos a echar un pie:
to flee (lit. to shake a foot).

Vamos andando:
Let’s go.

verdugo:
executioner.

wal-yo:
Italian.

wash:
to kill.

wise-guy:
hoodlum.

yard:
a hundred dollars; “go for a yard” means to cost a hundred dollars.

Table of Contents

Cover Page

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Introduction

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Glossary