Headscratchers / Johnny Dangerously

• When Tommy confronts Johnny about being the mobster he's been trying to take down and asks him why he turned to crime, why does Johnny give him some nonsense about playing the cards we're dealt instead of telling him the truth? If he told Tommy he had no choice as it was the quickest and easiest way to earn the needed funds to pay for the multiple surgeries their mother needed, Tommy would at least understand that Johnny only reluctantly turned to crime out of desperation and maybe would be more forgiving since he only started being a gangster to help their mom out.
  • It would sound like he's blaming Mom Kelly and Tommy for his choices. That tends to not end well either.
  • Also, it's a Tropes Are Tools with a dash of Call-Back, as typically, gangster films often have their protagonists who, when asked why they got into crime, they often use the line of "playing the cards dealt." Remember, this film is a parody of gangster films, and has used a few of their tropes. One such example is the "I could have been a contender" scene from On the Waterfront, because typically, gangster movies of the past had their leads being involved with the mob due to social circumstances, not willing choice (this would come up much later with Martin Scorcese's GoodFellas).
• Why didn't Johnny throw Vermin out of the gang when he became the leader?
  • If he's in the gang Johnny has a little bit of a leash on Vermin. Otherwise he's off the chain entirely.