Chili Palmer Story Archive -

Chili Palmer first appeared in Elmore Leonard’s 1990 novel, . Leonard famously modeled the character after a real-life private investigator and former loan shark named Ernesto "Chili" Palmer, adopting his name, signature "stare," and razor-sharp wit.

These lines have been sampled in music (the archive has a section on hip-hop references to Chili Palmer), referenced in The Sopranos , and taught in business schools as lessons in "unorthodox leadership." Chili Palmer Story Archive

who travels to Las Vegas and then Los Angeles to collect a debt from a horror movie producer, only to realize his mob skills are perfectly suited for the film industry. Chili Palmer first appeared in Elmore Leonard’s 1990