They never really said, did they? Or was it just something that developed after he beat him up? He was just shaking Beansie down like he probably did to a half dozen other guys but Beansie went to Tony to complain so it snowballed?

Richie wanted what he thought was due to him. Beansie on the other hand didn't think Richie deserved anything. Beansie even tells Richie that Richie didn't know how to manage money which infuriated Richie due to the fact most of Richie's earnings went to the lawyers to try and help get Richie off the hook from going to prison. When Beansie complained to Tony, that was the straw that broke the camels back. Richie crippled Beansie. I hope that helped.

but Beansie was afraid of Richie right away. Did Beansie have what Richie wanted? What was it? If they were talking about other stuff why would Beansie bother getting cute with Richie, since he was afraid of him anyway. Why not just lie.

I assumed he just wanted Beansie to start paying him for protection and Beansie said "no way" and it just snowballed.

Beansie was afraid of Richie because of Richie's reputation. I remember Richie saying that he still would take an eye out now and then with a fork. Beansie had money that Richie thought he was due.

Though that episode ran a long time ago, I seem to recall that Beansie transferred his loyalty (and payoffs) to Tony when Richie went away. Plus, Richie said something about Beansie not coming to visit him in jail. I think Richie's trashing of Beansie was meant at least partly (maybe mostly) as Richie's opening gambit in challenging Tony.
(BTW: You probably noticed that the guy who played Beansie was "the Pittsburg connection" near the end of "Goodfellas" and was one of the bettors near the beginning of "Casino" who ran out to make phone calls as soon as Ace (DeNiro) pronounced the odds on a game.)

Seems to me that Richie was pissed to get out of jail with nothing and Bean took his money and built a buisness. Richies felt if he was down everyone below him should be down also.

Well, at least no one can accuse Richie of being partial or prejudice: he hated everybody!

I just found out the real reason...he hated the pizza....

i though he didnt like the viel pram sandwich.......

Speaking of Richie's outburst in the pizza parlor, watch the coffee pot in that scene during the build-up to when he slugs Beansie if you're a blooper-watcher.

Years ago Beansie was selling heroin on the streets. It was the Aprile brothers, Richie and in particular Jackie Aprile Snr that gave Beansie the start up capital and put him in action in the H business.

Beansie was taking a lot of the risk back then. The H business got him started out and helped him move into different operations, but don't forget he had to kick most of the money up to the Aprile brothers who were already made guys.

So the way Beansie sees it, he has been real careful to get where he is with all the pizza joints. Beansie thinks he payed enough dues to Richie Aprile and he won't be shaken down.

By the time of Richie's release Beansie's main function seems to be clean Tony's money, remember how Tony pints out how it's real useful that the pizza joints are a cash operation.

Adios amigos