XNUMX Real Gangsters Who Played Mobsters in Mafia Movies

In the history of cinema, there have been several real-life gangsters who have appeared in the most famous gangster films. The full number of mafia members who have become Hollywood actors is understandably a mystery. But there are still a number of well-known characters who have appeared on screen in some of the greatest mafia films ever made. ScreenRant.

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Mafia and gangster films have essentially become a genre of their own, creating some of the most prestigious examples of modern cinema with such masterpieces as Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather and Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas.

Several prominent actors and celebrities have not starred in gangster films but have been associated with the mafia and gangs. The most famous of them are Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe. The character in The Godfather was actually based heavily on Sinatra, although the well-known singer and actor naturally denied any involvement with the mafia for years. Ultimately, after his death in 1998, an FBI file on Sinatra was released, which confirmed that he maintained friendly relations with some of the most prominent real-life gangsters who ever lived. And here are examples of real gangsters who lit up on the big screen.

Lenny Montana ("The Godfather")

Lenny Montana is one of the most famous ex-gangsters who starred in gangster films. In fact, Montana had a very memorable role in The Godfather as Luca Brasi, a nervous and massive mercenary who was loyal to the Corleone family.

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Brasi first appears in the opening moments of The Godfather, stuttering over his lines because he wasn't a professional actor. Montana was a real-life Colombo family mobster who was on the set of the movie to make sure the word "mafia" was never spoken in front of the camera.

Tony Sirico (The Sopranos)

Tony Sirico was one of the few actors to appear in The Sopranos, The Godfather Part II (uncredited) and The Goodfellas, making it into the top three gangsters. It's no wonder he's been able to perform so convincingly in iconic gangster films, given that he's had 28 arrests and two convictions before he rose to fame as an actor. Sirico was a prominent associate of the Colombo crime family in Brooklyn, New York.

Gianni Russo ("The Godfather")

Gianni Russo is best known on screen for his role as Carlo Rizzi in The Godfather, Connie's abusive husband. His character ended up selling Sonny out to rival gangs, resulting in his quick and brutal death. In real life, Russo admitted in 2020 that he was a former associate of mob boss Frank Costello starting at the age of 13. Russo claims to have been involved with the Mafia since 1955, where he started out mostly as an errand boy.

Alex Rocco ("The Godfather")

Alex Rocco, best known for playing the infamous Moe Green in The Godfather. His character was a Las Vegas casino owner who refused to sell his casino to Michael Corleone. Of course, Corleone ended up killing him. Rocco, whose real name was Alexander Federico Petricone, was considered a real-life mafia member before appearing in the greatest gangster movie of all time.

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James Caan ("The Godfather")

Although James Caan has never been officially linked to the Mafia, there have been strong allegations against him regarding his association with the Colombo crime family. Former mobster Salvatore "Bull Sammy" Gravano told The Megyn Kelly Show that Caan was a high-profile mob associate and had to ask their permission to appear on The Godfather.

“I was there when he came and asked permission to act in this film. I was there with Carmine Persico. Joe Colombo allowed him. He was connected to the Colombo family,” Gravano said.

Caan never officially confirmed or denied his alleged involvement with the Mafia and never openly spoke about it to the public. However, his performance in The Godfather certainly gives the impression that he knew something about the authentic way of life of the bandits of that time.

Michael Squichciarini ("The Sopranos")

Michael Squicciarini appears briefly in the second season of The Sopranos as enforcer "Big Frank" Cippolina. Squicciarini is an imposing man, standing almost 2 meters tall and weighing over 130 kg, making him hard to miss even as an extra in the series. Squicciarini was involved in a gang-related murder - he was identified after his appearance in a movie.

Anthony Borghese (“The Sopranos”)

Anthony Borghese, alias Tony Darrow, was friends with two established gangsters, Paul Vario (who was the inspiration for Paul's character in The Goodfellas) and John Gotti, the boss of the Gambino crime family. Tony Darrow's own father was a notorious gangster in the Brooklyn area.

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In 2009, Darrow was charged with extortion for his involvement in an attack orchestrated by the Gambino crime family. Tony Darrow confessed to the crime in 2011 and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Al Martino ("The Godfather")

Al Martino played Johnny Fontaine in The Godfather, a character inspired by Frank Sinatra. Martino himself was a real-life singer and later actor, much like Sinatra, who was able to use his mafia connection to land a role in a coveted film.

Although Martino was not really considered a real gangster, he was very closely associated with the mob, who acquired the rights to his contract after his 1952 hit single "Here in My Heart". Frank Sinatra himself wanted to stop production of the film because he was upset with Martino's casting. Even though he wasn't a real gangster, Martino felt the pressure of the real mafia, perhaps more so than most others caught in the crossfire of fact and fiction surrounding this gangster movie.

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