NITTI, THE ENFORCER

US, 1988, 94 minutes, Colour.
Anthony La Paglia, Vincent Guastaferro, Trini Alvarado, Michael Moriarty, Bruno Kirby.
Directed by Michael Switzer.

Nitti, the Enforcer, is a telemovie about one of Al Capone's lieutenants. Nitti appears in the various Capone movies but is not prominent. The film is a star vehicle for Anthony La Paglia at the beginning of his movie career (after he had moved from South Australia and was seen as an American). (La Paglia then got a star role in Betsy's Wedding and his movie career was launched both in the US and in his native Australia, Lucky Break, The Custodian, Brilliant Lies.) Trini Alvarado appears as his wife and Michael Moriarty appears as an FBI agent.

The film recreates the atmosphere of Chicago in the early part of the century and especially in the '20s and '30s. The film portrays the life of the Mafia, the codes of loyalty, the inherent violence. However, the screenplay has a framework whereby Nitti looks into a classroom with himself memorising the catechism and supervised by the nuns and then going to kill himself. This is reprised at the end, giving a little more significance to the life of the gangster and its meaninglessness. What doth it profit to gain the whole world...?

1. An interesting portrait of a noted Chicago gangster? His relationship with Al Capone? Seeing the gangster in his context?

2. The telemovie treatment and style? For a small-screen audience? Biography, social comment, action? The musical score?

3. The re-creation of Chicago, at the time of Frank Nitto's arrival in Chicago, the period of his youth, the '20s and the gang wars, the empires of the '30s, the wealth of the '40s?

4. Anthony La Paglia as Nitto - as young, middle-aged, as growing older? A persuasive performance? The background of Nitto's arrival from Sicily, young man, family, getting jobs, making money, surviving? The Mafia links? His ambitions, his violence? His meeting his future wife, concealing the truth from her, his genuine love for her, courtesy, their marriage? Her inability to have children, the adoption? Her staying loyal to him despite his prison terms?

5. Nitto and his relationship to Al Capone? The dividing up of the city, the gangs, the Mafia code? Capone, Scarface, and his ambitions? Ruthlessness? The pursuit by the police, Eliot Ness and the FBI? Getting closer to Capone - and the decision for Nitto to go to prison in his stead? Nitto in court, the jail sentence, prison life, the loyalty to Capone, his being promoted when he came out?

6. The rise of Nitto, his connections, the influence, the rackets, Prohibition and the money from alcohol? Vice in the city of Chicago? Nitto and his shrewdness in management, his ruthlessness in dealing with enemies? Confrontation with the FBI?

7. The passing of the years, Nitto and his empire, the dangers of rivalry from within the mob? Nitto and his best friend, his friend turning against him, the confrontation in the board meetings? The falling out, the massacres?

8. Nitto and his response to Capone's going to jail, managing in his stead, the icon that Capone was for Nitto? The disillusionment, his ageing, going to see Capone and finding Capone ranting and raving? What doth it profit...?

9. Nitto and his going to the church, asking the priest about God, going quietly to his office, getting the gun, at the docks, shooting himself?

10. The portrayal of the gangsters, gangster life, gangster code?

11. The portrait of the police, the investigations? The head of the agency (and the rivalry with Eliot Ness)? Trying to get Capone, sentencing on tax charges? Trying to get Nitto? Leaving the manuscript for the investigator to read and the end?

12. The popularity of this kind of gangster film? The significance of the gangsters in American urban history?