Nate makes a comment to the mark about opening another bookstore. Portland, Oregon viewers, where the show was filmed, would readily recognize this to be an allusion to Portland's famous Powell's Books, a bookstore that covers an entire city block and claims to be the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world.
The episode's title and plot are homages to The French Connection (1971), in which a police detective searches for the source of heroin being smuggled into the United States from France.
After being bested by Elliot in the kitchen fight Rampone asks Nate to call off his dog. This line was used in the movie Roadhouse, in which Marshall R Teague, who plays Rampone, plays Jimmy.
When Elliot is fighting Rampone he puts his hand out and gestures with his fingers for Rampone to attack him. This same move was performed by Jimmy in the movie Roadhouse. Rampone and Jimmy are both played by Marshall R Teague.
Marshall R Teague, who plays Rampone, also plays Jimmy in Roadhouse. Jimmy was Ben Gazzara's character Brad Wesley's hitter.