Cosa Nostra News

"He made it look easy in all respects. He was genuine," Martin Scorsese wrote in a tribute to his friend Frank Vincent. "Frank Vincent was someone I could count on. He was a natural who was at ease in front of the camera — on a set or on a stage." Vincent died Wednesday of complications from heart surgery. He was 80.  Scorsese directed him in three films, all classics:  Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990), and Casino (1995). Vincent's screen debut, The Death Collector , is also a must-see for fans. (Mikie Scars highly recommends it too.) Vincent's career probably reached its pinnacle with his turn as Phil Leotardo, boss of a New York crime family on The Sopranos.

Frank Vincent sports a '70s 'fro in Family Enforcer , Joe Pesci 's film debut. Wanna watch Family Enforcer, the film that launched Joe Pesci's career? Robert De Niro allegedly viewed the B-flick and recommended that Martin Scorsese check it out. That's apparently how Pesci (and Frank Vincent, who also starred in the film) wound up in Raging Bull, then Goodfellas. Family Enforcer was originally named The Death Collector, and versions of the 1976 film can be found under either title. Amazon offers it as part of a double- and even triple-feature DVD for as little as $5 (with free two- day delivery for Amazon Prime members ). Grindhouse Releasing , which focuses on acquiring and distributing "classic" films (ie, shock horror ( Cannibal Holocaust ) and exploitation films) is preparing a new version of Family Enforcer for release as well. Or you could watch Family Enforcer for free....

I read one of those 10 Mafia Movies That Made Their Mark lists and saw not a single surprise. Here's five Mafia films that'll surprise you -- and I mean in a good way. I have seen all of them, some once, others as many as a dozen times. From the bare-bones budgeted Wannabes to the major studio release Running Scared, these movies add technique or simple great story telling to etch their mark.... Chicago Overcoat (2009)   When Chicago mob kingpin Stefan needs a witness eliminated, Lou volunteers for one last big job so that he can retire. The task becomes complicated, however, when younger thugs resent Lou's interference.