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In 1933, Gianni ‘The Jaw’ Cacciatore throws a boxing match that angers the mob and gets everyone around him killed.
'Raging Bull' (1980) meets 'Maltese Falcon' (1941)
2nd of 3 in trilogy (Prequel)
80 min.
SYNOPSIS:
After placing a bet he couldn’t cover on a boxing match that he loses, Marcello tells his father that he thinks he was cheated and that the fix was in. The fact that Gianni Cacciatore’s father is the one that took the bet and is in the mafia isn’t lost on anyone either. Marcello’s father having been in the Black Hand writes an extortion note for his son to get delivered before he gives Marcello a shotgun to carry out any necessary actions. All of these actions will result in many people becoming very dead.
Gianni having lost his match is questioned by his father. Gianni tells him that he lost fair and square. Once the letter is delivered by an anonymous person, Gianni and his father have a talk with Frank Nitti about it’s validity since the Black Hand hasn’t been around for many years. Gianni isn’t taking it seriously, but his father isn’t so sure. Gianni seems to continue on with life as normal waiting for his payout for the fight even though the deadline to pay off the money requested. Gianni even gets Vera, a waitress at his fathers club, to take him back to her place, playing that his father is abusive to him.
The next morning, after spending the night with Vera, Gianni leaves her like it meant nothing as he plays at having very important things to get done. Gianni goes back home to his parents home and has breakfast as his mother asks him when hes going to get married and supply her with grandchildren. He let her know that he’s making the attempt and his father doesn’t seem to care. Later they both return to the club run by Gianni’s father and Marcello calls Vera to have her keep an eye on Gianni for anything odd occuring. At first, she is wanting to ditch work for the night, but once she hears its about Gianni, she says that she will. Marcello gives her his fathers phone number and asks that she call if any information should come up.
Later that night, a poker game happens with Gianni’s father, Marcello, Frank Nitti, and Augusto Gossini. The latter two having lost money on the fight as well. Gianni and his father begin setting up the game and Augusto beings his son along as Gianni’s father and Frank Nitti get set for the game. Gianni leaves the room and goes out front to meet with a couple men. Vera sees it and calls Marcello, but his son Falen answers and she gives him the message that she wants to talk with his father. Marcello is at his own home leaving as he argues with his wife about the shotgun he has. When they begin the game, Marcello hasn’t shown up yet and Augusto’s son runs around playing in the back room of the club without the others caring. Marcello stops on his way to the game at a butchers and drops off the shotgun in a case with a coat and other clothing, asking for a bundle of paper to be wrapped as if it’s a bunch of money in butchers paper. When Marcello arrives at the club, he takes his place at the table and hands off the wrapped paper to Gianni’s father as payment for the bet. Marcello then realizes that Augusto’s son is looking at everyone’s cards to signal his father.
Being good sports about it, they take all of their money back from Augusto as his son thinks he’s in trouble. The game continues and the extortion note is mentioned before it is shown to Augusto and Marcello. Augusto isn’t sure what to think of it, but Marcello reminds them of what happened to another man and his son when they ignored their letter. Gianni was to have served drinks to the game, and is reminded about it by Vera. Gianni gets up to go check on the players. Augusto gets up to go get drinks because Gianni hasn’t shown up and on the way to the bar, he sucker punches Gianni to see if he really has a soft gut. Gianni is floored and Augusto is happy with himself as the others find out that the fight may have been on the level.
As Gianni takes his time to catch his breath, his father hands off the paper bundle telling him its for you know what. Augusto hits the bar and orders a bottle and glasses for the poker game. He then makes a call to set up an interception of the money drop later that night. The game continues and they all leave at the same time around eleven at night. Marcello returns to the butcher’s shop at the entry to the apartment above and comes back out dressed in a long trench coat and mask with the shotgun in hand. Augusto is picked up and drives with two men a few blocks from the drop off location that Gianni was told to use. Gianni cons Vera into a ride home, feigning that he has feelings for her safety, they go outside and find his father ready to drive them with two men in the back of the car. She finds it very odd and questions what’s happeneing. Gianni tells her that they will be making a stop.
A few blocks from the location of the drop, Augusto leaves his men after telling them to collect whatever is left at the drop spot. They stay in the shadows as Marcello arrives doing the same in an alley. Gianni and his father stop a block from the drop and leave their men. Marcello’s father is waiting up to see how it will go, when Marcello’s son tells him that there was a call from Vera. Marcello’s father dresses in a long trenchcoat and mask before putting together a shotgun and leaving. They then drive to the drop and have Vera leave the bag with the extortion money, which is actually the bundle of paper. After she has left, a man that Marcello has given money to get the bag arrives and all of the men come together in a stand off, each wanting the bag. Gianni’s father finds out that Gianni had put the bundle into the bag, but hadn’t wanted that, so he goes back to the drop location to retrieve it thinking it’s ten grand. All hell breaks loose when Marcello’s father shows up and without a word begins to blast everyone. They all begin shooting one another and after the smoke settles, Gianni’s father has been dragged into a storefront by his two men. One of Augusto’s men is dead and the other has the bag as he runs off. Marcello is on the ground dying as his father checks on him.
An ambulance is called by Gianni’s fathers men, who both die very soon from blood loss. As the sirens get closer, Marcello’s father takes his mask and shotgun from him and leaves. Marcello dies. Gianni wants to go back, and Vera tells him to never see her again before she leaves. Gianni goes back to find that Carl Calieu, a rookie police officer, has arrived to find his father dead. Carl is the man that Gianni had fought in the boxing match. They discuss Carl’s share of the pay out from the fixed fight and that Gianni had gotten in to the mob from doing it. The man with the bag from the drop shows up at a warehouse and dies on the stoop. The bag is taken in for safekeeping and the body is thrown into Lake Michigan.
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