Tagarchief: Joseph ‘Joe the Boss’ Masseria

The Valachi Papers (1972)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


‘The Valachi Papers. Fact not Fiction’

Directed by:
Terence Young

Written by:
Peter Maas (book ‘Le Dossier Valachi’)
Dino Maiuri (screenplay)
Massimo De Rita (screenplay)

Cast:
Charles Bronson (Joe Valachi), Lino Ventura (Vito Genovese), Jill Ireland (Maria Reina Valachi), Walter Chiari (Gap), Joseph Wiseman (Salvatore Maranzano),
Gerald O’Loughlin (Ryan), Amedeo Nazzari (Gaetano Reina), Fausto Tozzi (Albert Anastasia), Pupella Maggio (Letizia Reina), Angelo Infanti (Lucky Luciano)

Joe Valachi is not a name that is spoken of with much respect in mob circles. He was the first Mafia rat and gave up the entire hierarchical structure of the Mafia to a crime committee. He revealed the five families of New York – Gambino, Lucchese, Colombo, Bonanno and Genovese – that were named after the ruling bosses at that time. This film tells Valachi’s life story. At the height of the Castellammarese war (1929 – 1931), the bold, small time crook Joseph ‘Joe Cargo’ Valachi joins the side of Don Salvatore Maranzano, an old Mustache Pete who is fighting a bloody war with his rival Joseph ‘Joe the Boss’ Masseria.

After the deaths of the two old Don’s, Valachi’s crime family evolves. First Lucky Luciano becomes boss, and after his imprisonment Vito Genovese takes over. In a Mafia-career spanning over 30 years, Valachi is involved with New York’s most legendary Mafia figures. He steals, frauds and murders for them, until finally the FBI manages to turn Genovese against Valachi in order for him to testify. He does so, and gives up his former associates along with all other major Cosa Nostra figures he knows of.

He becomes the first mob informer who makes sure that the existence of ‘La Cosa Nostra’ is no longer a secret for the public. Based on the novel by Peter Maas, The Valachi Papers was produced by Dino De Laurentiis in Italy with many scenes dubbed in English. It was directed by Terence Young, most well-known for directing the first official Bond movies. It came out in the same year as The Godfather, and helped to popularize the Mafia as a source of entertainment.

The Valachi Papers sticks to the steady pattern of the mob film; tough guys, half Italian dialogue, shoot-outs and violence (especially a castration scene is very brutal). Also the ‘rise and fall’ type of build-up has been done countless times. This is not the head of its class though. The beginning promises a rapid-pace movie, but after about 40 minutes, all the suspense has been drained from the script. Since the characters are not that fascinating to begin with, this becomes quite a doll viewing in the second half.

Rating:

Quote:
JOE VALACHI: “Senator, I am not talking about Italians. I am talking about the Mafia.”

Trivia:
In the final credits, it is stated that Joe Valachi outlived Vito Genovese by six months. It was actually two years.

Mobsters (1991)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


‘They didn’t take orders…they took over’

Directed by:
Michael Karbelnikoff

Written by:
Michael Mahern
Nicholas Kazan

Cast:
Christian Slater (Charlie ‘Lucky’ Luciano), Patrick Dempsey (Meyer Lansky), Richard Grieco (Bugsy Siegel), Costas Mandylor (Frank Costello), Lara Flynn Boyle (Mara Motes), F. Murray Abraham (Arnold Rothstein), Anthony Quinn (Don Giuseppe ‘Joe the Boss’ Masseria), Michael Gambon (Don Salvatore Faranzano), Christopher Penn (Tommy Reina), Nicholas Sadler (Mad Dog Coll), Joe Viterelli (Joe Profaci), Seymour Cassel (Father Bonotto)

This 1991 gangster movie – also known as The Evil Empire – tells the true story of Charlie ‘Lucky’ Luciano. He grows up on Mott Street, New York in the twenties together with his friend Frank Costello. The two Italian kids start a partnership with the Jewish Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel. As an organised gang, they start bootlegging and soon they team up with gambling genius Arnold Rothstein, the man who fixed the world series. Charlie becomes the leader of the gang.

The young men’s rise doesn’t go unnoticed by the two big bosses of New York; Don Masseria and Don Faranzano. They both want Charlie to work for them in order to become the biggest New York family. When Faranzano wants to hit them, Charlie and his friends have no choice but to temporarily join Masseria.

When the probation comes to an end, the time has come to knock off the traditional dons and start a nation-wide crime syndicate headed by a commission. But Masseria and Faranzano are no easy targets and start moving things themselves. It’s now a matter of who strikes first…

This movie, based on historic facts, doesn’t deliver on all fronts. The four leads are miscast as the ruthless, sociopathic criminals their characters are supposed to be. They’re just too mild-tempered and friendly looking to come across as anything near dangerous. Also the historic accuracy of the story is taken with a grain of salt to benefit the violent action the film contains.

What the movie does deliver on is beautiful production design. There are great montages of tommy guns, dancing girls, liqueur transports, crap games and spinning roulette wheels. The supporting cast is delicious with veteran actors such as Anthony Quinn, Michael Gambon and F. Murray Abraham. It’s a shame this film doesn’t fully live up to its promises, but it’s still worth a look, because of the impressive supporting cast and simply because the movie is so entertaining.

Rating:

Quote:
ARNOLD ROTHSTEIN: “What’s the secret of America? MONEY! Everything is money Charlie. But you’ll never make any money because you dress like a schmuck.”

Trivia:
This is the first American film that stars Michael Gambon.