Superb directing and actors involved and story content was right to the heart of being real and who they were. He was known as the enforcer for al capone, but unlike in the film, he stayed behind the scenes instead of doing the dirty work himself. His stepfather francesco dolendo moved brooklyn, new york in 1890 and the rest of the family followed. His parents were luigi and rosina nitto, and he may have been a cousin of capone, though this fact is disputed by historians. The enforcer is a semifictonal madefortv account of the life of al capones button man. With anthony lapaglia, vincent guastaferro, trini alvarado, michael moriarty.
Al capone may be the most famous chicago mobster, but his successor, frank the enforcer nitti anthony lapaglia, was just as ruthless. Francesco raffaele nittoni, aka frank nitto, aka frank the enforcer nitti january 27, 1881 march 19, 1943 was an italian american gangster. Annette caravetta nitto 19011981 find a grave memorial. Frank nitti was the one of al capones top henchmen, known as the enforcer who was in charge of all strongarm and muscle operations for the chicago outfit, and later the frontman following al capones prison sentence. The enforcer 1988 smalltime hoodlum frank nitti anthony lapaglia becomes gangster al capones vincent guastaffero righthand man in prohibitionera chicago. The performances by all were very good and not overacted. He is the psychopathic personal hitman for al capone. The enforcer is a made for television movie that is a biography of al capone s enforcer frank nitti. The enforcer, 1988, directed by michael switzer, with carl princi, tessa richarde, eugene brusilovsky, at turner classic movies. This poster measures 812 x 11 inches and is handaged to give the poster an authentic antique look and feel. On december 19, 1932, a team of chicago police, headed by detective sergeants harry lang and harry miller, raided nittis office in room 554, at 221 n. The frank nitti story originally aired on april 28th, 1960.
But the notorious frank nittis heart does shine through in a new abc movie centering on chicagos gangland of the 1920s and 1930s. He was portrayed by the late billy drago, who also portrayed john bly in the adventures of brisco county jr. The enforcer 1988 michael switzer on allmovie al capones imprisonment opened the way for. He survived the bullets of robert stack in the television series the untouchables, where the only character more inflated than eliot ness was nitti himself. Al capones main enforcer, frank nitti, has gone into the movie business. The movie depicted the 1912 sinking of the rms titanic and surrounded it with a love story involving two fictional characters. Eliot ness never appears in the movie and is dismissed, by special prosecutor hugh kelly michael moriarty, as being a publicity seeker.
Nitti covered franks rise and fall and tragic end in the mafia organization of if i remember correctly the 1920s and 30s. One of the top henchmen of al capone, in charge of all strongarm and muscle operations. Frank nitti former boss of the chicago outfit, is buried at mount carmel cemetery, in hillside, cook county, illinois. The frank nitti story the untouchables television show the frank nitti story originally aired on april 28th, 1960.
The enforcer tv1988 anthony lapagliavincent guastaferrotrini alvaradomichael moriartyhank azariabruno kirby. On march 19, 1943, the successor to al capones crime empire was drunk and despondent over a pending grand jury appearance digging deeper. Nitti the gangster and nitti the family man are both explored and the contrast between the two is startling. The performance of anthony lapaglia is breathtaking as frank nitti. Information courtesy of the internet movie database. He also survived the prohibition era and lived until 1943, when he committed suicide. In real life, nitti was a completely different person, though he was still a gangster. Frank nitti born francesco raffaele nitto is the secondary antagonist of the untouchables. This biopic goes to great lengths to accurately trace nittis rise to the top of the windy citys underworld, amid corruption, betrayal and violence. The true story of how this infamous gangster was almost murdered by a chicago detective. Although nitti and capone were as youths in new york city both members of the five points gangone of the most notorious of the citys many violent street gangs at the turn of the centurythey apparently. Frank nitti was born january 27, 1886, in salerno, italy, in the town of angri. The enforcer 1988 cast and crew smalltime hoodlum frank nitti anthony lapaglia becomes gangster al capones vincent guastaffero righthand man in prohibitionera chicago. Frank nitti, 57 years old, was running the chicago crime scene having taken over when.
The enforcer 1988 official trailer watch on amazon. He emigrated to new york city after the end of world war i, and later moved to chicago, where he set up business as a barber, with a profitable sideline as a smalltime jewel thief and fence. As frank nitti leads an extortion attempt on the movie theater industry, eliot ness pressures a theater chain owner to testify against him. The estate, entirely in cash, will be shared by his widow, mrs. The enforcer tv movie 1988 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Movie info al capones imprisonment opened the way for mobster frank nitti to become the underworld king of chicago as related in this true story. Broadcast a year after the untouchables, nitti is, in many ways, a direct refutation of depalmas film. In 1943, frank the enforcer nitti was similarly charged with extorting millions of dollars from hollywood studios such as metrogoldwynmayer and 20th century fox.
Fbi arrest new york mafia suspected of carrying out the infamous 1978 lufthansa heist. Ron humble charts the life of frank the enforcer nitti, one of history. Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 imdb viewer poll rating. An excellent movie about frank nitti and al capone.
You have just read an eyewitness account of how frank nitti. Gangster frank nitti was born on the 27 january 1886 in angri, italy. The day before his scheduled grand jury appearance, nitti had breakfast with his wife in their home at 712 selborne road in riverside, illinois. Although frank nitti has gotten the reputation over the years as the righthand man of gangster al capone and a feared killer in his own right, this has actually proven not to be the case. Frank nitti the true story of chicagos notorious enforcer by ronald d. In the 1983 film easy money, the frank nitti is the name of a kind of pizza ordered to rodney dangerfields characters house. In 1943 frank nitti was among many gangsters facing charges for trying to extort money from the movie studios. Frank nitti biography, life, interesting facts childhood and early life. Anthony lapaglia would later play al capone in road to perdition although his scenes would be deleted. The frank nitti story the untouchables television show. He threatens theater owners into paying him protection money. The enforcer was a madefortv movie that told the story of nittis life. Luigi died when nitti was just two years old, and his mother was remarried to francesco dolendo. 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.
His parents were rosina and luigi nitto, and he had three siblings. He is portrayed by stanley tucci in the 2002 film road to perdition. One of capones top henchmen was a gangster named frank the enforcer nitti. When nitti was a small child, his father died and his mother subsequently remarried. Here is a wanted poster for al capones number two and his successor as head of the chicago crime syndicate frank the enforcer nitti. Frank nitti feared chicago outfit enforcer and capone. Al capones imprisonment opened the way for mobster frank nitti to become the underworld king of chicago as related in this true story. A 95 minute time constraint tends to make the story telescopically episodic. Humble is a superb and clinically crafted literary trail in persuit of historical footsteps from the notorious and infamous frank nitti. The revenge of al capone, a 1989 tv movie starring ray sharkey, explores the life of frank nittis boss. Frank the enforcer nitti is arguably the most glamorized gangster in history.
The enforcer is a made for television movie that is a biography of al capones enforcer frank nitti. Frank the enforcer nitti 18861943 find a grave memorial. Nitti was later the frontman for the chicago outfit, the organized crime syndicate headed by capone. Frank nitti wanted poster, gangster, mobster, enforcer, al. Frank nitti organized crime encyclopedia wiki fandom.
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