In light of “Black Mass” recently coming out, I wanted to rank my top ten favorite gangster movies of all-time. This includes all types of gangster movies, not just specifically movies about the mafia. But I must give some brief background. I am Italian and there’s a special place in my heart for mob movies. I just love the corruption and violence that comes with them, but even more than that, I like to have felt like I have learned something in the process. Most of these movies are based on a true story, so they do a good job of teaching us something. With all of these movies, there are themes that I have carried with me throughout my life—for example, in “GoodFellas” when Jimmy (De Niro) tells Henry (Liotta) to “never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut.” Gangster movies are my favorite movies, so I am very excited to share my top ten with you all.
(May contain some spoilers)
10. Boyz ‘n the Hood
· “Boyz ‘n the Hood” had to crack my top ten. Although I’m not from the hood, this movie made me feel like I could relate to what these teenagers from South Central L.A. were going through. Cuba Gooding Jr. gave an outstanding performance as Tre and Ice Cube really burst onto the acting scene and showed us that he’s more than just a rapper. This movie really pulled on my heartstrings and that, alone, makes it worthy of cracking my top ten.
9. Donnie Brasco
· “Donnie Brasco” cracked my top ten because of Al Pacino’s portrayal of Lefty. The movie is a little slow and some may even argue that it’s boring for a mob movie, but something about the different spin on things and the storytelling did it for me. Joseph Pistone (played by Johnny Depp) is an undercover FBI agent who infiltrates one of the New York mafia families as Donnie Brasco after Lefty Ruggiero (played by Al Pacino) vouches for him. I think one of the reasons why I liked this movie so much was because I watched it right after seeing an episode of National Geographic’s documentaries, “Inside the American Mob” where the actual Joseph Pistone tells about his adventures of being an undercover agent in the mafia, gaining respect and loyalty and getting close to becoming a made man inside the mafia. It was very cool watching the documentary and then seeing Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Donnie Brasco and Al Pacino’s portrayal of Lefty in the film.
8. Scarface
· “Say hello to my little friend.” “Scarface” was iconic and groundbreaking in a way. This film has directly influenced rap music, comic books, video games and many other platforms. One of the main reasons I enjoyed “Scarface” was the overall theme that the American dream is achievable. Tony Montana (played by Al Pacino) rises into a kingpin but greed pushes him over the edge. Pacino’s performance was excellent and overall, it was a classic film.
7. American Gangster
· A lot of people forget about “American Gangster” and Denzel Washington’s portrayal of Frank Lucas. This movie is very dark and tells a tale of Frank Lucas’ rise in New York through his heroin racket. I love Frank Lucas’ mixture of ruthlessness and business strategies. An iconic scene for me is when Frank Lucas is having lunch with his family because he’s bringing them in on the business, and Frank notices Tango (played by Idris Elba) outside buying fruit. Tango owes Frank money. Tango doesn’t have it so Frank shoots him in broad daylight in front of God and everybody. Just the fact that all the witnesses around knew who the head honcho was and not to play games with him was epic for me. Denzel Washington was an amazing kingpin, and “American Gangster” is awesome.
6. Black Mass
· I have read a lot of mixed reviews about “Black Mass,” but I really enjoyed the newest gangster movie to date. Johnny Depp was amazing, and, in my opinion, deserves an Oscar for his role as Whitey Bulger, one of the most notorious and ruthless gangsters in American history. My favorite theme throughout this movie was the unholy and corrupt relationship between Whitey Bulger (played by Johnny Depp) and the FBI—mainly John Connolly (played by Joel Edgerton). In the movie, John Connolly tried to protect Whitey Bulger as much as possible but then got caught up in the lifestyle a little too much. It was interesting to see from that angle. My favorite scene was when Whitey Bulger and some of his cronies had dinner with John Connolly. It was so intense and almost uncomfortable that I couldn’t turn away. I think another reason why I liked “Black Mass” so much was because I had watched a 60 Minutes special on Whitey Bulger a couple years prior to the movie coming out, so I had some background knowledge of what was going on. If I had one beef with this movie, it would have to be that it was slow at certain parts, but, all in all, with Johnny Depp’s performance and the amount of quotes I’ll be saying from this, I’d say it was a pretty great film.
5. Casino
· I remember when I first watched “Casino.” From the very beginning, I was hooked when Sam “Ace” Rothstein’s (played by Robert De Niro) car exploded and when Nicky Santoro (played by Joe Pesci) talked about the “holes in the desert.” This was a movie where I learned a lot about how things worked from behind the scenes at a casino as well as the mafia side of gambling. De Niro and Pesci’s chemistry was incredible, and Martin Scorsese’s storytelling was nearly flawless. Another piece to the puzzle was Sharon Stone’s perfect portrayal of Ginger, Sam Rothstein’s eventual wife. Every time I watch this movie, I find myself yelling at Sam, saying, “Don’t do it! Don’t marry her!” The only beef I have with “Casino” is the runtime of 178 minutes, two minutes short of three hours. You literally have to plan your day around watching it, but it’s definitely worth it.
4. The Departed
· “The Departed” is another Martin Scorsese classic. I’ll even go as far as to say that this film is a masterpiece. There are just so many plotlines and little ironies from Billy Costigan’s (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) family’s gangster roots to him becoming an undercover cop, from Colin Sullivan (played by Matt Damon) being a young church boy to him becoming a dirty police detective, from Madolyn’s (played by Vera Farmiga) relationship with both Billy and Colin, and the list goes on and on. The depth of this movie is insane. Another great aspect of this movie is the amount of quotes I have taken to use in my everyday life. My favorite quote is one of the very first ones: “I don’t want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me.” Mark Wahlberg’s role as Dignam was awesome as well. “The Departed” is outstanding.
3. The Godfather Pt. II
· Michael Corleone (played by Al Pacino) is in charge and it’s glorious. This film was the first sequel to win the Oscar for Best Picture. It won six Oscars overall, which gives many people an argument to rank this one above the original. “The Godfather Pt. II” was a masterpiece. Francis Ford Coppola’s use of flashbacks was brilliant and added a great element to the storytelling. It was very cool to see a young Vito Corleone played by Robert De Niro. Overall, “The Godfather Pt. II” was amazing.
2. The Godfather
· “The Godfather” sets the standard for all gangster movies. We wouldn’t have this list if it weren’t for this iconic film, and we wouldn’t have “The Godfather Pt. II” if it weren’t for “The Godfather.” It actually breaks down how the mafia runs its business and its motives for nearly everything. “The Godfather” also gives us what’s arguably one of the greatest scenes in cinematic history—the baptism murders scene. The irony of Michael Corleone (again played by Al Pacino) renouncing the devil during the baptism and the cutaways to his crew having people killed is epic. Some people who grew up on “GoodFellas” and “Casino” might argue that the “Godfather” movies are a little slow. But I’d say to truly understand and enjoy the “Godfathers,” you have turn off all your electronic devices—don’t text, don’t tweet, don’t get distracted. “The Godfather” requires all of your attention to truly enjoy it. This original gangster masterpiece is remarkably groundbreaking and is widely known as one of the best movies in cinematic history.
1. GoodFellas
· A lot people may disagree with me on this one and hate me for picking this over “The Godfather,” but my favorite all-time gangster is and probably will forever be “GoodFellas.” Yes, another Martin Scorsese classic. As you could probably imagine, Scorsese is one of my idols, and this movie is one of the main reasons why. I love how it tells a personal story about Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta) as well as an overarching story about the infamous Lufthansa Heist. Again, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci’s chemistry is unlike anything else. Both of them really had amazing performances—Pesci won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Another great aspect of this film was the plethora of quotes and the life lessons embedded throughout the plot. My favorite quote/scene would have to be the “Funny How” sequence when Tommy (played by Joe Pesci) messes with Henry (played by Ray Liotta). This is just a fantastic and epic gangster film—definitely a masterpiece. “The Godfather” may have set the standard but Martin Scorsese’s “GoodFellas” took it to another level.
By Trey Alessio
1. GoodFellas
2. The Godfather
3. The Godfather Pt. II
4. The Departed
5. Casino
6. Black Mass
7. American Gangster
8. Scarface
9. Donnie Brasco
10. Boyz ‘n the Hood
(May contain some spoilers)
10. Boyz ‘n the Hood
· “Boyz ‘n the Hood” had to crack my top ten. Although I’m not from the hood, this movie made me feel like I could relate to what these teenagers from South Central L.A. were going through. Cuba Gooding Jr. gave an outstanding performance as Tre and Ice Cube really burst onto the acting scene and showed us that he’s more than just a rapper. This movie really pulled on my heartstrings and that, alone, makes it worthy of cracking my top ten.
9. Donnie Brasco
· “Donnie Brasco” cracked my top ten because of Al Pacino’s portrayal of Lefty. The movie is a little slow and some may even argue that it’s boring for a mob movie, but something about the different spin on things and the storytelling did it for me. Joseph Pistone (played by Johnny Depp) is an undercover FBI agent who infiltrates one of the New York mafia families as Donnie Brasco after Lefty Ruggiero (played by Al Pacino) vouches for him. I think one of the reasons why I liked this movie so much was because I watched it right after seeing an episode of National Geographic’s documentaries, “Inside the American Mob” where the actual Joseph Pistone tells about his adventures of being an undercover agent in the mafia, gaining respect and loyalty and getting close to becoming a made man inside the mafia. It was very cool watching the documentary and then seeing Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Donnie Brasco and Al Pacino’s portrayal of Lefty in the film.
8. Scarface
· “Say hello to my little friend.” “Scarface” was iconic and groundbreaking in a way. This film has directly influenced rap music, comic books, video games and many other platforms. One of the main reasons I enjoyed “Scarface” was the overall theme that the American dream is achievable. Tony Montana (played by Al Pacino) rises into a kingpin but greed pushes him over the edge. Pacino’s performance was excellent and overall, it was a classic film.
7. American Gangster
· A lot of people forget about “American Gangster” and Denzel Washington’s portrayal of Frank Lucas. This movie is very dark and tells a tale of Frank Lucas’ rise in New York through his heroin racket. I love Frank Lucas’ mixture of ruthlessness and business strategies. An iconic scene for me is when Frank Lucas is having lunch with his family because he’s bringing them in on the business, and Frank notices Tango (played by Idris Elba) outside buying fruit. Tango owes Frank money. Tango doesn’t have it so Frank shoots him in broad daylight in front of God and everybody. Just the fact that all the witnesses around knew who the head honcho was and not to play games with him was epic for me. Denzel Washington was an amazing kingpin, and “American Gangster” is awesome.
6. Black Mass
· I have read a lot of mixed reviews about “Black Mass,” but I really enjoyed the newest gangster movie to date. Johnny Depp was amazing, and, in my opinion, deserves an Oscar for his role as Whitey Bulger, one of the most notorious and ruthless gangsters in American history. My favorite theme throughout this movie was the unholy and corrupt relationship between Whitey Bulger (played by Johnny Depp) and the FBI—mainly John Connolly (played by Joel Edgerton). In the movie, John Connolly tried to protect Whitey Bulger as much as possible but then got caught up in the lifestyle a little too much. It was interesting to see from that angle. My favorite scene was when Whitey Bulger and some of his cronies had dinner with John Connolly. It was so intense and almost uncomfortable that I couldn’t turn away. I think another reason why I liked “Black Mass” so much was because I had watched a 60 Minutes special on Whitey Bulger a couple years prior to the movie coming out, so I had some background knowledge of what was going on. If I had one beef with this movie, it would have to be that it was slow at certain parts, but, all in all, with Johnny Depp’s performance and the amount of quotes I’ll be saying from this, I’d say it was a pretty great film.
5. Casino
· I remember when I first watched “Casino.” From the very beginning, I was hooked when Sam “Ace” Rothstein’s (played by Robert De Niro) car exploded and when Nicky Santoro (played by Joe Pesci) talked about the “holes in the desert.” This was a movie where I learned a lot about how things worked from behind the scenes at a casino as well as the mafia side of gambling. De Niro and Pesci’s chemistry was incredible, and Martin Scorsese’s storytelling was nearly flawless. Another piece to the puzzle was Sharon Stone’s perfect portrayal of Ginger, Sam Rothstein’s eventual wife. Every time I watch this movie, I find myself yelling at Sam, saying, “Don’t do it! Don’t marry her!” The only beef I have with “Casino” is the runtime of 178 minutes, two minutes short of three hours. You literally have to plan your day around watching it, but it’s definitely worth it.
4. The Departed
· “The Departed” is another Martin Scorsese classic. I’ll even go as far as to say that this film is a masterpiece. There are just so many plotlines and little ironies from Billy Costigan’s (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) family’s gangster roots to him becoming an undercover cop, from Colin Sullivan (played by Matt Damon) being a young church boy to him becoming a dirty police detective, from Madolyn’s (played by Vera Farmiga) relationship with both Billy and Colin, and the list goes on and on. The depth of this movie is insane. Another great aspect of this movie is the amount of quotes I have taken to use in my everyday life. My favorite quote is one of the very first ones: “I don’t want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me.” Mark Wahlberg’s role as Dignam was awesome as well. “The Departed” is outstanding.
3. The Godfather Pt. II
· Michael Corleone (played by Al Pacino) is in charge and it’s glorious. This film was the first sequel to win the Oscar for Best Picture. It won six Oscars overall, which gives many people an argument to rank this one above the original. “The Godfather Pt. II” was a masterpiece. Francis Ford Coppola’s use of flashbacks was brilliant and added a great element to the storytelling. It was very cool to see a young Vito Corleone played by Robert De Niro. Overall, “The Godfather Pt. II” was amazing.
2. The Godfather
· “The Godfather” sets the standard for all gangster movies. We wouldn’t have this list if it weren’t for this iconic film, and we wouldn’t have “The Godfather Pt. II” if it weren’t for “The Godfather.” It actually breaks down how the mafia runs its business and its motives for nearly everything. “The Godfather” also gives us what’s arguably one of the greatest scenes in cinematic history—the baptism murders scene. The irony of Michael Corleone (again played by Al Pacino) renouncing the devil during the baptism and the cutaways to his crew having people killed is epic. Some people who grew up on “GoodFellas” and “Casino” might argue that the “Godfather” movies are a little slow. But I’d say to truly understand and enjoy the “Godfathers,” you have turn off all your electronic devices—don’t text, don’t tweet, don’t get distracted. “The Godfather” requires all of your attention to truly enjoy it. This original gangster masterpiece is remarkably groundbreaking and is widely known as one of the best movies in cinematic history.
1. GoodFellas
· A lot people may disagree with me on this one and hate me for picking this over “The Godfather,” but my favorite all-time gangster is and probably will forever be “GoodFellas.” Yes, another Martin Scorsese classic. As you could probably imagine, Scorsese is one of my idols, and this movie is one of the main reasons why. I love how it tells a personal story about Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta) as well as an overarching story about the infamous Lufthansa Heist. Again, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci’s chemistry is unlike anything else. Both of them really had amazing performances—Pesci won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Another great aspect of this film was the plethora of quotes and the life lessons embedded throughout the plot. My favorite quote/scene would have to be the “Funny How” sequence when Tommy (played by Joe Pesci) messes with Henry (played by Ray Liotta). This is just a fantastic and epic gangster film—definitely a masterpiece. “The Godfather” may have set the standard but Martin Scorsese’s “GoodFellas” took it to another level.
By Trey Alessio
1. GoodFellas
2. The Godfather
3. The Godfather Pt. II
4. The Departed
5. Casino
6. Black Mass
7. American Gangster
8. Scarface
9. Donnie Brasco
10. Boyz ‘n the Hood
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