‘In the mob you’re either made men or…’

Directed by:
Charles A. Addessi
William DeMeo

Written by:
William DeMeo

Cast:
William DeMeo (Angelo Argono), Conor Dubin (Paulie Argono), Ray Serra (Uncle Tommy), Daniel Margotta (Pete), John Palumbo (Dom), Joe Viterelli (Santo), Joseph D’Onofrio (Vinny), John Glenn Hoyt (Eddie), Vinny Vella (Carmine), Joseph Daleo Jr. (Lenny)

Angelo and Paulie are two young brothers from Brooklyn. They grew up without parents, and the only family they have is their uncle Tommy. They pay their rent with waiter jobs, which increasingly frustrates Angelo. He feels like he and his brother are nobodies who often have to suffer humiliation.

The boss of the neighborhood is Santo Minera. Angelo tries to impress him, which irritates Santo’s hot-headed son, Vinny. Tired of the insults, Angelo convinces his brother to start a bookie business together with their two close friends, Pete and Dom.

Their first steps into crime do not go smoothly. But after a while they start earning good money and expand the business into numbers, loansharking, and eventually extortion. This attracts the attention of Santo, who decides the boys can continue operating if they kick up to him.

The young crew starts doing well, but Angelo decides that his brother is not fit for the mob life and tells him to step out of it. Santo is very happy with Angelo, who earns well and uses his brains. Vinny grows increasingly frustrated with his father’s liking of Angelo and starts to pose a serious threat to everyone involved.

I was expecting another new-millennium Sopranos cash-in movie, but this one surprised me in a positive way. Sure, we’ve seen stuff like this before, but watching the young crew rise from nobodies to respected associates of the mob was convincingly done. This is thanks to the solid acting of the young cast and some realistic writing. The movie also avoids the typical mob clichés and delivers a pretty surprising ending. If you’re a Mafia film fan, try to pick up a copy of this flick – it’s well worth your time.

Rating:

Quote:
YUPPIE: “Why don’t you go home and watch the Sopranos? You dumb guedo!”

Trivia:
Writer, co-director and lead actor William DeMeo has an extensive mob film resume that includes playing the character Jason Molinaro in The Sopranos.