Mafia: 56

The film The Sicilian (1987), directed by Michael Cimino, is a sweeping historical crime drama. Its screenplay was written by Steve Shagan and later revised by both Cimino and Gore Vidal, based on Mario Puzo’s novel of the same title from 1984. The story follows Salvatore Giuliano, a notorious bandit who leads a group of rebels in an attempt to liberate Sicily from Italian control during the early 1950s and turn it into ...

Director Brian De Palma brought to life Wise Guys (1986), an American dark comedy about two men at the bottom of a Newark Mafia hierarchy. Harry Valentini and Moe Dickstein, an Italian American and a Jewish friend respectively, worked for Castelo by completing mundane tasks like caring for his goldfish or testing bullet-proof jackets. Despite their lowly positions, they had big dreams of opening a unique Jewish-Italian deli. Unfortunately, their boss and fellow gang members looked down on them and often made fun of their aspirations. During a trip to the racetrack with Castelo’s violent henchman Frank ‘The ...

The American crime drama TV series, Crime Story (1986–1988), was created by Chuck Adamson and Gustave Reininger, and produced by Michael Mann. It aired on NBC for two seasons from September 18, 1986 to May 10, 1988. The show debuted with a two-hour pilot that had previously been shown in theaters and garnered a viewership of over 30 million. Originally airing on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. opposite ABC’s Moonlighting, it was later moved to Fridays at 10 p.m. before eventually settling on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. during the fall of ...

Year of the Dragon (1985) is an American neo-noir crime thriller film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino. It follows the story of Stanley White, a highly decorated police captain and Vietnam War veteran who is assigned to New York City’s Chinatown. Desperate to rid the city of Chinese organized crime, White becomes fixated on taking down Joey Tai, a young man who relentlessly climbs the ranks of the Triads. As their rivalry intensifies, they unravel the fragile peace that has long existed between the Triads and the local police precinct. Meanwhile, other criminal groups such as the Italian Mob and Thai ...

Johnny Dangerously (1984) is an American crime comedy that cleverly mocks the popular gangster movies of the 1930s. In the film, a pet shop owner catches a young boy stealing a puppy in 1935. Wanting to steer the child away from a life of crime, he recounts a tale through a flashback to 1910. This story follows Johnny Kelly, a poor but righteous newspaper boy in New York City, who is desperately trying to raise enough money for his mother’s surgery. Unfortunately, their family has fallen on hard times since Johnny’s father was put to death and his mother has resorted to doing laundry for others to support her sons. While Johnny’s younger brother ...

The American musical crime drama film, The Cotton Club (1984), was co-written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It was based on James Haskins’ book of the same name. Protagonist Dixie Dwyer, a musician, collaborates with mobsters to advance his career but his plans are disrupted when he falls for Vera Cicero, the girlfriend of gangland kingpin Dutch Schultz. Brothers Sandman and Dixie from the neighborhood join The Cotton Club, a jazz club known for its predominantly black performers and white clientele. Mobster Owney Madden is the owner of the club, which he ...

Scarface (1983) is an American crime drama film, directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone, and starring Al Pacino. The movie is a newer version of the 1932 film with the same title, which was based on a novel published in 1930 by Armitage Trail. In 1980, Tony Montana, a Cuban refugee and former convict, arrives in Miami during the Mariel boatlift. He’s sent to a refugee camp alongside his closest friend Manny Ribera, as well as their companions Angel and ...

Capone (1975), a film directed by Steve Carver and written by Howard Browne, follows the story of Chicago mob boss Al Capone during Prohibition. From his rise to power to his eventual conviction and imprisonment, the film depicts Capone’s control over the city. This includes an incident in Brooklyn on May 6, 1918 where he tipped off police about a fur clothing heist in order to ambush them. However, things take a turn when Capone ends up being thrown through a glass window during the ensuing fight, leaving him with a scarred left cheek. Despite this, he is released ...

The American epic crime film, The Godfather Part II (1974), was produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Loosely based on the novel The Godfather by Mario Puzo, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Coppola, it serves as both a sequel and a prequel to the 1972 film of the same name. In parallel storylines, one follows Michael Corleone in 1958 as he takes on his role as Don of the Corleone family after surviving an assassination attempt. The other delves into his father Vito’s journey from his childhood ...

Mean Streets (1973), an American crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, follows the story of Charlie Cappa, a young Italian-American living in Little Italy, New York City. Charlie is constantly weighed down by his sense of responsibility towards his reckless friend John ‘Johnny Boy’ Civello. Johnny is a small-time gambler who refuses to work and is deeply in debt to several loan sharks. Throughout the film, Charlie struggles with balancing his Catholic beliefs and his involvement in the Mafia at the request of his powerful uncle Giovanni. Adding to this turmoil is the fact that Charlie is having a ...

Camorra (1972) is a crime film written and directed by Pasquale Squitieri, following the rapid rise of a young Neapolitan in a world of contraband, gambling dens, bribes, and illegal activity. As he climbs the ranks, he ultimately reaches the highest level within his ‘Family’.

The Godfather (1972) is an American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo’s best-selling 1969 novel of the same name. Set in 1945, it tells the story of Vito Corleone, the powerful don of the New York City Corleone family. During his daughter Connie’s wedding to Carlo, Vito receives requests from various guests. At the reception, his son Michael introduces his girlfriend Kay Adams to the family. Johnny Fontane, a popular singer and ...

Get Carter (1971), a British gangster film and the directorial debut of Mike Hodges, follows the story of Jack Carter, a London-based gangster originally from Newcastle. He works for the notorious crime bosses Gerald and Sid Fletcher, but has been carrying on an affair with Gerald’s girlfriend Anna. Jack is planning to escape with her to South America, but first he must attend his brother Frank’s funeral in Newcastle, who supposedly died in a drunk driving accident. Despite warnings from his bosses to avoid trouble due to the friendship between Gerald and the Newcastle mob, Jack decides to investigate ...

The French crime-thriller film, Second Wind (1966), directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and starring Lino Ventura, follows incarcerated gangster Gustave ‘Gu’ Minda. Known for his loyalty to the French underworld and refusal to give up his accomplices to the police, Gu escapes from prison and travels to Paris to visit his sister Manouche and her bodyguard Alban. Meanwhile, Manouche’s current boyfriend Jacques Ribaldi is killed in her restaurant by rival gangster Paul Ricci’s henchmen. Concerned for her safety, Paul’s brother Jo sends two men to ...

West Side Story (1961) is a film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, based on the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, which was inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Set in 1957 New York City, it revolves around two teenage gangs vying for power on the Upper West Side. The Jets, led by Riff, engage in fights with the Sharks, led by Bernardo. After a brawl is broken up by Lieutenant Schrank and Officer Krupke, the Jets challenge the Sharks to a rumble following an upcoming dance. Riff wants ...

The Public Enemy (1931) is an American pre-Code gangster film, produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Directed by William A. Wellman and starring James Cagney, the film follows the story of Irish-American friends Tom Powers and Matt Doyle in 1900s Chicago. They start off with petty theft, selling their stolen goods to a man known as ‘Putty Nose’. Tempted by the promise of protection, they join his gang for a fur warehouse robbery. However, things go wrong when Tom accidentally shoots a stuffed bear, alerting the police who kill one of the gang members, Larry ...