How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from The Departed.
Quote #7
COSTELLO: Twenty years after an Irishman couldn't get a f***ing job, we had the presidency.
Costello identifies as an Irish guy from Boston, and he often thinks about the old days when an Irish person had trouble finding a job because Irish people were considered dirty immigrants. But things definitely change over time, because eventually and Irish Catholic named John F. Kennedy became President of the United States.
Quote #8
MAFIA GUY: Business is bad? You opened a store in an Irish neighborhood. These are dirty people. Don't you know that?
The mafia is constantly trying to horn in on Costello's territory, and they definitely don't have a high opinion of the Irish community. The Irish would probably be just as quick to talk smack about Italians, which just goes to show how important it is in the criminal world to be part of a group or community.
Quote #9
COSTELLO: Makes me curious to see you in this neighborhood.
Costello knows all about Billy and his family. But he also knows that Billy was raised away from the Southie community in a richer place. That's why he gets suspicious when he sees Billy hanging around Southie again. After all, Frank is a smart dude and he knows that Captain Queenan is just the kind of guy to send someone like Billy as a police informant.