Frank Nitti: The Enforcer (1988)

I believe that this made-for-TV-biopic was Anthony LaPaglia's first major leading role on screen - and what a great start! The film is beautifully made and acted by all throughout. As has been already mentioned it is illuminating to see a member of the mafia being depicted as a truly caring husband and father, thus making the scene concerning the death of his wife intensely poignant - LaPaglia is always streets ahead of most other actors in putting over the deeper emotional aspects of a character and here in this role he excels. I assume the story keeps basically to the truth though as a Brit I'm not totally au fait with the intricacies of Nitti's life. I think anyone interested in the US mafioso and who found "The Untouchables" film and the old TV series enjoyable but a little far-fetched would thoroughly enjoy and appreciate this incarnation. For any LaPaglia fan out there I would have to say that this film definitely falls into the category of compulsory and compulsive viewing!!

This was an excellent, absorbing, heartrending flick. I don't understand why LaPaglia never includes it in his filmography when doing print interviews. It was great and a great introduction for him to U.S. audiences."Nitti" covered Frank's rise and fall and tragic end in the Mafia organization of (if I remember correctly) the 1920's and '30's. What was especially interesting to me was how well the film showed the dichotomy of the gangster as ruthless "company" man and devoted, loving family man. Both aspects of Nitti were well drawn. LaPaglia, in what I believe was his American debut, still babyfaced and fresh, was especially chilling because of that freshfaced aspect. One didn't expect his Nitti character to act as a horrifying nasty man. On the other hand, the loving scenes with his wife and small child were sweet and touching and absolutely believable.If you see this film in your dead-of-afternoon or late-night listings please make it a must see. As I said before, it is a really good flick.

I turned this on only to have something to watch while exercising. Although my routine ended before the movie did, I taped it to watch later. I was very surprised at how well-made and interesting it turned out to be. I can't add much to the other excellent reviews but it's definitely worth viewing if a person is even vaguely interested in the subject matter.

I've seen many stories and films about the mafia and the gangsters of the 1910'-1920's...this one of Frank Nitti was an eye opener! Superb directing and actors involved and story content was right to the heart of being real and who they were. One automatically thinks or hears "mafia" and goes bananas..but they have the same blue blood anyone else does til exposed to light and turns red...they have a heart too as portrayed so very well in this film. If this film rings true to life, then one has to see why Nitti became who he was, no doubt about it. He believed in the honour of his name and would not back down from being from Sicily. How many back then can say they cowardly cringed to reveal their true identity when brought forth against an adversary, how many today can say the same??? Remember, he came to America from the irons of opression, and what did he encounter when he got here, but double the opression he and his family already had suffered in Sicily! He became a Barber to make a living, a very lowly job but one in which he heard much as he listened more than he talked. He had a knack for philosophy, much like the old phisolophers of the BC days...his philosophy should go down in history not his notorious deeds he later administrated. His deeds became the ends to his brutality he suffered because of Who he was...that alone should be written in history. Much like what others that have been opressed in America...the Afro-americans, the women, those who sought to only want to have honour and stand tall, have a voice and be heard for themselves...even to the end like Abraham Lincoln, John Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy, the list could be endless if we talk about philsophy of why we are who we are. Why is it that those who stand for justice and honour die young, without honour they deserve...why do Americans fight amongst themselves? What is life all about if we all are a people of all races can not get along and live peacefully as one? Then I really do not understand, but we need such people to keep us motivated to believe in ourselves that each of us, as individuals do mean something and do have a place in America...don't we?