Witness to the Mob

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Witness to the Mob
Witness to the Mob.jpg
GenreCrime
Drama
Written by Stanley Weiser
Directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan
Starring Nicholas Turturro
Tom Sizemore
Michael Imperioli
Vincent Pastore
Theme music composer Stephen Endelman
Sonny Kompanek
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Producers Caroline Baron (producer)
Robert De Niro (executive producer)
Brad Epstein (executive producer)
Pamela Reis (associate producer)
Jane Rosenthal (executive producer)
Amy Sayres (associate producer)
Cinematography Frank Prinzi
EditorDavid Ray
Running time240 min
Production companies NBC Studios
Tribeca Productions
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseMay 10 (1998-05-10) 
May 11, 1998 (1998-05-11)

Witness to the Mob is a television film which premiered on Sunday, May 10, and concluded on Monday, May 11, 1998.

Contents

Plot

Based on a true story, the film follows the rise of Sammy Gravano in ranks in the Gambino crime family, one of the "Five Families" of the New York Cosa Nostra that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, his turning to government witness in the legal trials of John Gotti and his life in federal Witness Protection Program.

Cast

Production

The film was based on court records, FBI transcripts and news reports (rather than on the 1997 book Underboss written by Peter Maas). [1]

Vincent Pastore, Tony Sirico, and Frank Vincent had all previously appeared in the 1996 film Gotti, which covered the same events, each playing a different character than he played in this film.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Gotti</span> American mobster (1940–2002)

John Joseph Gotti Jr. was an American mafioso and boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. He ordered and helped to orchestrate the murder of Gambino boss Paul Castellano in December 1985 and took over the family shortly thereafter, leading what was described as America's most powerful crime syndicate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sammy Gravano</span> American mobster

Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano is an American former mobster who became underboss of the Gambino crime family. As the underboss, Gravano played a major role in prosecuting John Gotti, the crime family's boss, by agreeing to testify as a government witness against him and other mobsters in a deal in which he confessed to involvement in 19 murders.

The Gambino crime family is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominated organized crime activities in New York City, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the American Mafia. The group, which went through five bosses between 1910 and 1957, is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963, when the structure of organized crime first gained public attention. The group's operations extend from New York and the eastern seaboard to California. Its illicit activities include labor and construction racketeering, gambling, loansharking, extortion, money laundering, prostitution, fraud, hijacking, and fencing.

<i>Gotti</i> (1996 film) 1996 American crime drama television film

Gotti is a 1996 American crime drama television film directed by Robert Harmon and written by Steve Shagan, based in part on the 1996 non-fiction book Gotti: Rise and Fall by Jerry Capeci and Gene Mustain. The film stars Armand Assante in the title role as infamous Gambino crime family boss John Gotti, along with William Forsythe, and Anthony Quinn. It aired on HBO on August 17, 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank LoCascio</span> American mobster (1932–2021)

Frank "Frankie Loc" LoCascio was an American mobster who rose to become consigliere of the Gambino crime family under the administration of John Gotti.

Michael "Mikey Scars" DiLeonardo is a former Italian-American mobster who rose to position of caporegime in the Gambino crime family. In the early 2000s DiLeonardo turned government witness and decided to cooperate with the FBI and managed to convict over 80 mobsters. DiLeonardo testified a record 15 times, more than any other "made" Mafia member to date.

Bartholomew "Bobby" Boriello was an American mobster who belonged to the Gambino crime family and served as boss John Gotti's favorite bodyguard and chauffeur. A prominent hitman during the 1980s, Boriello participated in the 1990 murder of Gambino soldier Louis DiBono.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank DeCicco</span> American mobster (1935–1986)

Frank DeCicco, also known as "Frankie D" and "Frankie Cheech", was an American mobster and eventual underboss for the Gambino crime family in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angelo Ruggiero</span> American mobster

Angelo Salvatore Ruggiero Sr., also known as "Quack Quack", was a member of the Gambino crime family and a friend of John Gotti's. Once Gotti became leader of the family he made Ruggiero a caporegime. Although he showed little organizing or money making ability, anyone questioning Ruggiero's suitability for a top position in the hierarchy did so at their peril so the FBI regarded Ruggiero as an unpredictable psychopath not amenable to confrontational tactics. While Gotti was held in pretrial detention for a state case that he eventually beat, Ruggiero served as his contact with the crime family until the impulsive capo got himself thrown in jail beside Gotti by cursing and arguing with the judge during a hearing. This blunder lost Ruggiero any chance he had of becoming Gotti's underboss.

Thomas Francis Gambino was an Italian-American New York City mobster and a longtime caporegime of the Gambino crime family who successfully controlled lucrative trucking rackets in the New York City Garment District. He was the son of Carlo Gambino and nephew of Paul Castellano.

Louis Vallario, also known as "Big Louie" and "Big Lou", is a member of the Gambino crime family who was a top aide to boss John Gotti and Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano in the late 1980s.

George "Big Georgie" DeCicco was a New York mobster and longtime captain in the Gambino crime family. DeCicco is one of the last captains of the old John Gotti administration in the 1980s who have not been under any indictment until now. DeCicco is the brother of former Gambino underboss Frank DeCicco, who was killed in a car-bomb meant for his boss John Gotti, ordered by then boss of the Genovese crime family who is now deceased, Vincent "Chin" Gigante, and Lucchese crime family leaders Vittorio "Vic" Amuso and Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso as revenge for the murder of former Gambino crime family boss, Paul Castellano, a strong ally of both the Genovese and Lucchese crime families.

Michael "Mickey" DeBatt was a Gambino crime family mob associate who was involved in the gangland slaying of drug trafficker Frank Fiala.

Nicholas Mormando, also known as "Nicky Cowboy", was a Gambino crime family mob associate who was involved in the murder of Frank Fiala and member of Sammy Gravano's Bensonhurst, Brooklyn crew.

Joseph Paruta, also known as "Old Man", was a respected soldier in the Gambino crime family and considered a "key member" of Sammy Gravano's Bensonhurst, Brooklyn crew. He is the only known mobster who asked for a mercy killing after becoming terminally ill with lung cancer. The proposition was not agreed upon by John Gotti but Paruta died before the mercy killing was performed.

Nicholas Scibetta, also known as "Little Nicky", was a Sicilian American mobster who was the nephew of Joseph and John Zicarelli, the brother-in-law of mobster Sammy Gravano and uncle of Gerard Gravano, who was a Gambino crime family mob associate who was later marked as an informant by fellow crime family members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert DiBernardo</span> American mobster

Robert "DiB" DiBernardo was an American caporegime in the Gambino crime family, who was reputed to control much of the commercial pornography in the US. During the 1984 US presidential election, publicity about DiBernardo having rented business premises from the husband of Geraldine Ferraro embroiled her in damaging media innuendo about organized crime.

References

  1. "Picks and Pans Review: Witness to the Mob". people.com. May 11, 1998.