Crazy Joe (1974)

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

****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.

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.

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.

i have seen this movie many years ago,i knew most of the people the actors were playing the movie was to me a great movie,if any one can write me as to where i can purchase this movie i will be grateful.all the actors were really good, Peter Boyle and Paula Prentiss are great together, Fred Williamson also played a good part' i never knew that rip torn played Richie,again i really enjoyed the movie,and can't wait to see it again. i have tried all over to get this movie with no results,so again if there is any one that can help me to buy this movie please get in touch with me [email protected] thank you again