[QUOTE]Originally posted by DAMIAN:
And what italian gangster has a all black crew?-He was the man that's why the Notorious BIG used him a lot on his songs

To answer your question: The closest real gangster of your description would be Joey "Crazy Joe" Gallo of Red Hook. He hung out with the brothers while in prison in the 1960's and incorporated black men into his crew when he got out in 1970 (I think it was 1970). Crazy Joe was a maverick in the New York Italian mob and was famous for getting whacked inside Umberto's Clam Bar in 1972. So I think it was Crazy Joe that the Frank White character was based on

Wow, I've eaten at Umberto's. Didn't know it was such a hot spot!!!

I gotta give honorable mention to Laurence Fishburne in Hoodlum. When you think of gangsters,you automatically think Italian.
He was great in Hoodlum. Coming soon,Denzel Washington in American Gangster. That should be a good one!

Check out Fishburne in "Deep Cover" too. Superb!! Anyone see Christopher Walken in "King Of New York"?? I think he was incredible (come to think of it, Fishburne was in that too!). Be sure to catch Denzel in "Man On Fire," awesome, raw. On a recent talk show he said that his 'bad cop' character in "Training Day" was closest to his actual nature than any other role he has ever played!! I thought he was incredible in "X." A truly Oscar-worthy performance.

Not the baddest of all time, but definitely worth mention: Richard Widmark as Tommy Udo in Kiss of Death (1947). Pushing an old lady in a wheelchair down a flight of stairs and then laughing maniacally is pretty nasty.

The scene was definitely material for his reel.

Forgive me if I missed "Donnie Brasco" in the thread, but we can't forget this true story about Joseph Pistone starring Pacino and Depp.

Probably not considered a gangster and obviously not a gangster movie but what about Bob Hoskins in Unleashed? And John Malkovich in Knockaround Guys?

Denzel- Training Day
Al- Scarface
Arnold- Terminator
Harvey-Reservoir Dogs
Tim- Reservoir Dogs

quote:

Originally posted by blackpryzm89:
My pick would be Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast. He was great in that! Hard imagine that this is the same guy who played Ghandi, a man of peace. He was bonafide a psychotic and homicidal maniac. A MUST SEE!!!

A truly masterful, disturbing tour de force by an actor in his prime.

Kingsley's performance actually intimidated me -- the psychological stuff of bad dreams.

The only person who terrifies and frightens me more is George W. Bush.

“Whatever works.”

www.robertkim.com
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0453647

I cannot, in good conscience, leave a post without mentioning the greatest "tough guy" of all-time.

The great Jimmy Cagney.

He wrote the book, created the archetype, and filled those shoes like no other man in cinema history.

There will never be another.