User Reviews

I didn't know the movie's background when I started watching it but events in the story brought to mind the internecine gang wars of the New York Mafia during the Sixties. If you lived in, or in proximity to New York City during that time, you would have been regaled with photos and headlines of the latest mob hit on the front page of the New York Daily News or New York Post. Often quite bloody, you knew the Five Families played for keeps to protect their turf.

Though the last name is never used in the story, it's 'Crazy' Joe Gallo they're talking about here, a celebrated gangster who was part of the Profaci Crime Family. Peter Boyle fans have probably seen him in his 1970 movie "Joe" in which he portrays a racist redneck, so his casting here as another Joe seemed apropos to me. The picture matter of factly presents the intricate back stabbing and double crosses inherent in mob family life, deftly assigning certain contract hits as independent jobs or family matters as the situation warrants.

Other characters in the movie are also stand-ins for historical crime figures. Fred Williamson's Willy represents African-American drug trafficker Nicky Barnes, and Eli Wallach's portrayal of Don Vittorio gives way to Colombo Family boss Joe Colombo, the target of a hit at the second Italian Unity Day Rally at New York's Columbus Circle. It appears the dates cited in the picture are fairly accurate, the hit on Joe Colombo did take place on June, 28th, 1971.

With it's eclectic casting and intricate story line, "Crazy Joe" makes for an entertaining gangster flick, all the more interesting for it's parallels to the real life Mafia scene of a bygone era. Comparisons to "The Godfather" are probably unwarranted as the 1972 film is far superior, though Michael Gazzo's brief appearance as 'Uncle' will recall his "Godfather II" role as the forgetful Frankie Pentangelli.

Peter Boyle's hyperactive performance anchors this Carlo Lizzani thriller about the short life of mafia hood "Crazy" Joe Gallo. Boyle is all energy ready to explode (and frequently does) as a mafia soldier who suffers from more than a little paranoia and a lot of low self-esteem. Easy to dismiss as an exploitation version of THE GODFATHER, the film is actually immensely entertaining and expertly directed by Lizzani. Full of oddball touches from Boyle's rescue of kids from a burning building to one of oddest uses of an iron lung that you're likely to find. The NYC locales help a lot as does the extremely strong supporting cast: Rip Torn; Eli Wallach; Charles Cioffi; Michael V. Gazzo. Hervé Villechaize plays Samson. Aldo Tonti did the very colorful cinematography and the music is by Giancarlo Chiaramello. Paula Prentiss, Henry Winkler and Fred Williamson are in it too.

****SPOILERS**** Somewhat fictionalized movie about the life and times of Joseph "Crazy Joe" Gallo played by a scaled down Peter Boyle who's last name-Gallo-for some reason in the film is never once mentioned and slipped in when he's in a liquor store shaking down the owner, that he ended up getting sent up the river or prison for,by showing Crazy Joe standing next to a case of Gallo wine. As for Crazy Joe himself we get to see him and his gang including his ulcer ridden big brother Richie, Rip Thorn, that feel that their getting the short end of the stick from their Mafia bosses by receiving just $100.00 a hit, knocking off someone, that they preform for them.

Wanting respect as well as a place in the mob hierarchy in the end gets Crazy Joe in hot water with his boss of bosses Mafia Don Vittorio, Eli Wallach, who at first tries to placate the crazy guy by giving him control of the Brooklyn Red Hook sections mob operations that Crazy Joe and his boys come from. This is after Don Vittorio had one of Crazy Joe's rivals for Mafia promotion Coletti, Charles Cioffi, knocked off at an Italian anti defamation rally at New York's Central Park for not keeping his big mouth shut and not drawing attention to the mobs criminal activities! Crazy Joe was in no way as crazy as a fox he was really crazy and got his name after being diagnosed by the prison doctors as suffering from sever schizophrenia which explains his actions in the movie. One of them integrating the black Harlem mob lead by his friend and former cell-mate Willy, Fred Williamson, into his at the time all white Italian gang!

This had Don Vittorio's blood boil especially when Crazy Joe invited Willy and his boys to the Don's mansion-That shocked and enraged Don Vittorio- who made a complete mess, by not showing any respect to the Don, of the place! With Crazy Joe now too big for his own bridges and completely out of control Don Vittorio ordered a hit on him and waited for his 43rd birthday, April 7, 1972, to execute it on the wild and crazy guy as well as his good friend black mob boss now known as Uncle Willy who's invited to his birthday party at the Victorio's Clam Bar in Little Italy.

P.S Crazy Joe paid the price in the saying that those who "Live by the gun die by the gun". Crazy Joe always admired Johnny Udo in the 1947 film "Kiss of Death" and styled himself after Mr. Udo in being as he always called those he hated in the film a "Big Man" or the guy in the movie-Victor Mature-who's ratting him out to the police that sent Johnny Udo up the river. In the end Crazy Joe shared the same fate as his screen idol-Johnny Udo-who unlike himself lived to face justice for the crimes that he committed.

While I have not seen this film since it's release I am anxiously awaiting the day when it gets the well-deserved DVD release.

I would like to set something straight: Another reviewer insinuated that this is a "Godfather" rip-off, and nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact this film is the (largely) true story of the Gallo Brothers and particularly "Crazy" Joe Gallo. I have something of a personal interest in the movie because I lived in NYC during the days of the mob war triggered by the Gallos, and actually had the dubious honor of meeting Joe Gallo several times after his release from prison in 1971 (he had spent ten years educating himself in prison, and became something of a social butterfly and curiosity of the entertainment and arts crowd. I believe this is portrayed in the film.) As to the "Godfather" thing: Coppola/Puzo naturally used many real occurrences and characters from the real-life mafia. This has been analyzed to death elsewhere so I'll be specific here re the Gallo connection:

The sequence in GFII where Frankie Pantangeli is lured into an empty bar and the killers attempt to strangle him, only to be thwarted when a Police Officer enters the bar and sees the victims feet protruding from behind a table ACTUALLY happened. It is an EXACT re-enactment of the attempt to murder Larry Gallo in the Sahara bar in Brooklyn in either the late 50' or early 60's, during the Gallo-Profaci war.

The character of Joey Zaza in GFIII is clearly based on John Gotti and largely on Joe Gallo, who had been responsible for the worst gang wars in New York since the 1930's.

When I have a chance to see this again, I'm going to add my review, as I don't generally comment on movies unless I have recently viewed them.

One personal not: The one thing a do recall when I saw it the day it opened was that the great Peter Boyle did an excellent job, the thing that stuck out was Boyle was very tall and bald. Joe Gallo was shortish and dark blond as I recall.

UPDATE August 2007: I've just gotten a chance to see this again, and I'm surprised that it holds up very well indeed. This is a nearly perfect cast..Rip Torn is excellent as Richie (Larry Gallo) Peter Boyle is as usual right on his game. Luther Adler makes a great Profaci and Eli Wallach is nearly perfect as "Don Vittorio" (Carlo Gambino) He would get to essentially reprise the role in Godfather III. The only person better suited to the part would have been the great Richard Conte (though he had basically played Gambino as Don Barzini in The Godfather). Paula Prentiss does her best with a small, thankless and poorly written part.

The movie is fairly true to the facts (as we know them), but does need to condense and fictionalize events. Example: Two separate attempts to kill Joe and Larry Gallo are presented very effectively as one single event.

As much as I am a Peter Boyle fan, I have to say that I always felt that he was not the right person for the part. My own dream cast for this would have been Harvey Keitel, who was physically closer to Joe Gallo, and had the same kind of intensity as Boyle.

For some odd reason (probably that he was (and is)still alive), the third Gallo brother, Albert "Kid Blast" Gallo is absent completely from the film; Henry Winkler plays a much watered-down character named "Manny" in his stead. And a fun point: The name Gallo is never used in the film...however, in a scene where Joe is arrested for shaking down a liquor store, the place is comically stacked to the rafters with wine boxes marked "Gallo" in huge letters!!

All in all, a film that deserves true classic status in the mob-movie genre.

Crazy Joe perfectly melds two cultural aspects of a fantastic seventies genre, the crime thriller. With a New York location and loads of terrific American character actors in addition to Italian direction, production and veterans of Italian poliziotti, this film stands out on many levels. Peter Boyle is chillingly effective as Joe, a power hungry Family soldier who desperately wants his own piece of the action with his brother and a small, but loyal army. He wages a war in New York to the dismay of the Capo di tutti capi and ultimately winds up in prison on a federal charge of liquor distribution. Once out, Crazy Joe plots his next move with his new partner, members of the Black Mob. What makes Crazy Joe stand out are the tons of familiar faces from movies of the era. Rip Torn, Luther Adler, Charles Cioffi, Carmine Caridi, Louis Guss, Eli Wallach, all appear in this movie. Even small roles are handled by well-known faces. Michael Gazzo (Godfather 2) plays a cook who still can't speak English despite being in NYC for years and years. Herve Villechaize of The Man With The Golden Gun and Fantasy Island fame is seen briefly as one of Joe's soldiers. There are veterans of Polizotti films (Fausto Tozzi) and Enzo the baker from the Godfather makes an appearance (Gabriele Torrei) to devastating effect.The gritty locations, bloddy violence, period music, and dialogue are all top-notch. A must for all organized crime film buffs. If "Mean Streets" were combined with "Il Consigliori", this movie would be the end result!!! The only fault I find with this movie is that it is so HARD TO FIND!!! This classic needs a DVD treatment ASAP!

Volatile and impulsive low-level mobster Joe Gallo (a fine and credible portrayal by Peter Boyle) uses brutal and unorthodox means to rise to power in the New York City criminal underworld only to have his life put in jeopardy for upsetting the natural balance of things.

Director Carlo Lizzani relates the absorbing and enjoyable story at a constant pace, maintains a stark unsentimental tone throughout, makes nice use of various gritty Big Apple locations, and stages the assorted mob hits and shoot outs with skill and aplomb. Lewis John Carlino's tight script not only offers some interesting insights into the pecking order and proper protocol existent in the mafia, but also states a strong central point about the bitter price one must pay for ruthless ambition run dangerously amuck. The excellent cast helps a lot: Paula Prentiss as Joe's worried moll Anne, the always hip and smooth Fred Williamson as easygoing, but still formidable ally Willy, Eli Wallach as wily godfather Don Vittorio, Rip Torn as Joe's more sensible older brother Richie, Charles Cioffi as the shifty Coletti, Luther Adler as ailing capo Falco, and Henry Winkler as loyal flunky Mannie. Giancarlo Chiaramello's sharp cinematography gives this film an impressive expansive look. Flavorsome score by Aldo Tonti as well. A real bang-up movie.