MovieChat Forums > Mobsters (1991) Discussion > The most factual errors I can count on f...

The most factual errors I can count on film, well maybe

posted 16 years ago by clockwork_mike83
11 replies | jump to latest

I understand that "Mobsters" isn't a historical-biography, with that out of the way, this movie is loaded with so many errors is actual a let-down.

First off, it's Salvatore MARANZANO, not FARANZANO.

Secondly, Joe Profaci wasn't a frumpy old fat womanizer, he was an average male who wore glasses and was a devout Catholic who often pressed his own men for too much of a cut for his own pocket

Third, Tommy Reina was killed by Vito Genovese ( future head of the Luciano-Costello Family, now named the Genovese) with a shotgun blast to the head in the streets. Not by Bugsy Siegel with "Mussolini's Stolen Pistol" in a sauna.

Fourth, Lucky Luciano met Meyer Lansky in a fight between them during their youth, with Luciano winning but being impressed by Lansky never backing down. It was not Vince "Mad Dog" Coll who beat Lansky.

Fifth, Joe The Boss Masseria was killed in a Coney Island restaurant after playing cards and eating a huge meal with Luciano, upon Luciano excusing himself to go to the bathroom. Masseria was gunned down Bugsy Siegel, Joe Adonis, Vito Genovese, and Albert Anastasia. Not by Siegel and Costello.

Sixth, the entire finale is completely fictional. Mad Dog never killed Luciano's mistress and Luciano never killed Mad Dog. Maranzano ordered Mad Dog to kill Luciano but was murdered by 4 hired gunmen (Not Siegel,Lansky,Costello and Luciano). After Maranzano's murder, Mad Dog was met by the 4 gunmen and paid to walk away, which he did.

The facts in this movie are horribly twisted.

[–] highschoolkiller 14 years ago

i noticed that too. still an entertaining movie tho.

You can't swing a dead cat in hollywood without hitting someone with a vampire script

[–] ActorKennyK 13 years ago

You`re pretty much right about how everything really happend. The only explanation I can come up with is that because its a movie it still needs to follow `traditional movie layouts` and I guess sometimes even if its based on a true story some things need to be changed to fit those layouts such as- prologue, conflict, turning point, climax, etc. Because its not a historical biography hollywood just wants to make a good movie for the general audience. I find the changes to this film very similar to the movie Bugsy- another innaccurate portrayal due to changes in order to `glorify` it and make it entertaining for anyone to watch it and not just people who are interested in mob history. It is unfortunate because I think they could have stayed more true to the source material but thats all my guess.

[–] GrifterZed 13 years ago

WHY they do this is a bit of a mystery to me... but they do it constantly. I assume maybe it makes the process easier by simplifying things, less actors to deal with and pay, less roles to characterize, etc... A good example is actually the Disney movie, Aladdin. One of my favorites as a child. Based on the short story of "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp," it is one of many stories told within a story told by Scheherazade in "One Thousand and One Nights," along with "Ali Babba and His Fourty Thieves" and "The Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor." In the Disney version there was only one genie, whereas the story has two. One in the lamp who is more powerful, and one in a magic ring who is less powerful. Not only did they do away with this second genie, they combined some of its very important acts with either the other genie, or the magic carpet, which Aladdin also has in the original version. Now, the differences between the two stories are FAR larger than that, but my point is not just mere differences, but rather the amalgamation of characters for what appears to be no reason.

[–] highschoolkiller 12 years ago

marazano was killed in his office by gunmen who were dressed as officers. amoung the gunmen were red levine, bugsy siegel, albert anastacia and tommy lucchese.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xumRR88kwv4&feature=channel_video_t itle

[–] sawarrior 8 years ago

marazano was killed in his office by gunmen who were dressed as officers. amoung the gunmen were red levine, bugsy siegel, albert anastacia and tommy lucchese

Anastasia and Lucchese were not part of the hit team, as a matter of fact Lucchese was in on the hit but NOT part of the hit team. His role was just to be present to make sure Marranzano was in deed dead, it was an act of betrayal. As a matter of fact this fact lead to Luciano stating that his memoirs (which were not to be published until 10 years after his death at his insistence) not be published for another 10 years if Lucchese was still alive.
all of the hitters were Jewish so as no not raise suspicion (as they would if they were Italian) and let Marranzano drop his guard when they posing as IRS agents entered his office.

[–] CranekickWinja 12 years ago

The movie doesn't take itself seriously enough to make anyone think it's even trying to be close to real events. Great post though. Interesting reading what actually happened.

[–] Littlebitsofgaming 11 years ago

Six, six is the "most" you can count in 1 film.
Have you only ever seen 1 film?

Well it's not a "factual" film...which would explain why it's not "factual".
It's a film that used "real life" events and made a fictional film around them.

And so, God came forth and proclaimed widescreen is the best.
Sony 16:9

[–] simba122504 10 years ago

The movie features real life characters, but the story is fictional. It should not be taken seriously. It should be viewed the same way other fictional films are viewed.

Clark's destiny = Superman, LL & LL.

[–] Gabe1972 10 years ago

The things that you listed are just the tip of the iceberg. This film is nothing but an error.

The characters are nothing like they really were. The things that happened in the film VERY loosely resemble a few of the things that happened, and when I say loosely, I mean a man with a 32" waist wearing size 86" pants. And why in God's name is Maranzano called Faranzano. You, me and the rest of the world is wondering about this one. Perhaps they thought people might have a hard time differentiating between two bosses with names starting with M. Sure, I'm that stupid. Good God.

This film definitely has the most errors of any fact based story that I have ever seen. By far.

The plural of mouse is mice. The plural of goose is geese. Why is the plural of moose not meese?

[–] GodfatherCW 9 years ago

I agree with a lot of the posts above. No one is really sure beyond a general outline what the true story of Lucky Luciano was because he stayed out of the limelight, and rarely talked to the press. His life story has been frequently made cartoonish, such as in the movie Hoodlum, where he was portrayed as a pimp, or this movie, where he was seen as carrying out a personal vendetta for slights made against his family.
From what I've been able to gather Lansky and Seigel had their own organization, called the Bug & Meyer mob that operated out of Philadelphia. Luciano and Costello ran another mob out of New York. Both mobs started out working for Arnold Rothstein as bootleggers and didn't team up until the Mafia commission years after Rothstein's death.
The name of Maranzano was changed because it was too close to Masseria, and it was thought to confuse the young audience this film was geared towards. But this film was never intended to be a biography, any more than The Godfather movies were intended to be an accurate portrayal of the mafia. Some events do correspond to actual events, but very loosely.

This message board needs an enema!

[–] sawarrior 8 years ago

From what I've been able to gather Lansky and Seigel had their own organization, called the Bug & Meyer mob that operated out of Philadelphia. Luciano and Costello ran another mob out of New York. Both mobs started out working for Arnold Rothstein as bootleggers and didn't team up until the Mafia commission years after Rothstein's death.

Your facts are waaaaay off. seigel and Lansky were New Yorkers through and through, they didn't operate out of Philly and Luciano and Lanksky did hook up as teens.