Crime Story

Plot synopsis:
=== Season 1 ===
The first season follows Chicago Police Detective Lieutenant Mike Torello (Dennis Farina) and his pursuit of organized crime from Chicago to Las Vegas, circa 1963-64. At the beginning of the series Torello is the head of the Major Crimes Unit (MCU), a squad of hard-boiled cops that includes Detective Sgt. Danny Krychek (Bill Smitrovich), Det. Walter Clemmons (Paul Butler), Det. Nate Grossman (Steve Ryan) and Det. Joey Indelli (Bill Campbell).
At the center of Torello's crosshairs is rising young mobster Ray Luca (Anthony Denison). Initially Luca is an independent thief and killer whose crew, which includes Pauli Taglia (John Santucci) and Frank Holman (Ted Levine), specializes in robberies, burglaries and home invasions. Through his connection to Chicago crime boss Phil Bartoli (Jon Polito), Luca catches the attention of national crime figure Manny Weisbord (Joseph Wiseman), a character inspired by the legendary gangster Meyer Lansky. Luca impresses Weisbord with his desire to leave the streets and move up in the management ranks of organized crime. He assigns one of his men, Max Goldman (Andrew Clay), to be a middleman between himself and Luca.
Luca tells Weisbord and Bartoli of his plan to take over the Las Vegas bookmaking operation of Noah Ganz (Raymond Serra). He is told to negotiate a deal, but instead instigates the theft of Ganz's gambling book. However, this backfires when Torello gets wind of it and catches Frank Holman in the act, which results in the book falling into the hands of MCU. When a crime war threatens to break out with Ganz's organization, Weisbord and Bartoli order Luca to clean up his mess. In typical fashion Luca solves the problem by massacring Ganz and his thugs.
Torello finally manages to get a solid murder indictment against Luca. Meanwhile, Holman, who escaped custody only to be hunted down again, has made a deal with U.S. federal prosecutor Harry Breitel (Ray Sharkey) to provide information about the mob in exchange for immunity. Among his lies is a made-up story that he paid off Chicago cop Mike Torello. The murders of Ted Kehoe, a childhood friend of Torello with ties to the organization, and his associate Marilyn Stewart convince Breitel to take Luca, Taglia and Bartoli to trial. Torello finds himself being investigated by Breitel and the feds for corruption, based primarily on the testimony of Holman.
At a bar Luca casually asks straight-laced public defender David Abrams (Stephen Lang), whose father once had mob connections, for advice. That advice leads Luca to subpoena Torello to testify for the defense at his trial. Abrams is furious when he discovers the result of his conversation with Luca, who has also tried to convince Abrams to work for him. When Luca learns that Abrams is applying for a job as a Justice Department attorney, he worries that Abrams will now come after him. He orders Abrams killed — but by mistake the car bomb intended for the lawyer kills Abrams's father instead.
Manny Weisbord, in the meantime, is planning to relocate the majority of his organization to Las Vegas, with interest in having a legitimate business that will provide future profits. To this end, he has called upon the services of casino board member Steve Kordo (Jay O. Sanders), who is looking to sell his plans to the highest bidder. Phil Bartoli, along with some of the other Organization members, express disinterest, as they are more concerned with immediate profits than the future. Weisbord sends Ray Luca to Las Vegas with the assignment of taking over the casinos. Luca takes along his dim-witted but brutally violent sidekick Taglia to be his muscle. First, though, he murders Bartoli and all those opposed to the relocation.
With Abrams' help, Torello nullifies Holman's credibility as a witness. The corruption investigation against Torello is dropped and Breitel is taken off of the case. Unfortunately, the case Torello has built against Luca has been destroyed by Breitel's interference. Justice Dept. Assistant Attorney Gen. Patrick Hallahan (Jann Wenner) offers Torello the chance to head up a new federal Organized Crime Strike Force to root out mob activities in Las Vegas. To assist him on the legalities side he will be aided by David Abrams, now a Justice Dept. attorney. The members of his MCU staff, Indelli, Clemons, Krychek, and Grossman, were reassigned to work with him in the Federal Strike Force, based upon, among other things, the fact that they had "the finest arrest/conviction record on the Chicago police force."
In Vegas, Ray Luca sets about a takeover of the casinos in his usual violent, thuggish manner, which includes the murder of the resort-workers union leader and a federal agent planted by the Strike Force. When Frank Holman resurfaces, Luca makes him sorry for bringing him to trial, before hiring him on again as a casino manager. Luca soon becomes so drunk with his own sense of power and invincibility that he alienates those around him. Steve Kordo in particular is worried, as Luca's actions are veering away from the legitimate plans he had and strengthening the Strike Force's case; despite the massive profits from the business, Luca continues to use dishonest methods, simply because he can.
Torello and Abrams finally get enough proof of skimmed profits and rigged games to rescind Luca's gaming license and bar him from entering any and all casinos. Infuriated, he impulsively goes after Goldman, whose wife he had been sleeping with (among other women); he then sends Holman to try and kill Goldman with a car bomb, but Goldman survives. When Luca (still seething from being banned from his own casino) brutally rapes Pauli Taglia's girlfriend, a distraught Taglia turns against his boss and implicates Luca in the union leader's killing to Torello's Strike Force, just as Luca gets the ban on his license lifted. Luca goes on trial for multiple murders, but cleverly orchestrates a mistrial by having Holman tamper with the jury and making sure the judge learns of it. Luca is then released on bail pending a new trial. He apologizes to Pauli, who forgives him out of loyalty, though it is an agonizing decision since it means abandoning the one person who was genuinely decent towards him.
Luca tries to force casino owner Nat Martino to sell out his interest, but Martino's refusal threatens a mob war. Weisbord orders Luca to make peace, but instead the hot-headed Luca murders Martino. Torello and his men had set up the killing as a (somewhat) failed trap, and a gunfight ensues. Luca flees through the streets of Vegas, he and Torello shooting each other several times, before being rescued by Pauli. The wounded Luca wakes up in an isolated desert shack thinking he is safe, only to discover that Taglia has brought them to a restricted government nuclear test area. The season ends with an A-bomb being exploded on site, presumably obliterating Luca and Taglia as they attempt to escape.
=== Season 2 ===
In the second season, Torello and his cops are shocked when Ray Luca and Pauli Taglia reappear in Las Vegas alive and well... and even more shocked to learn that the U.S. government has made a secret deal with Luca and given him immunity in exchange for his cooperation. Assistant Attorney General Hallahan tells Torello that elements within the government have made a marriage of convenience for their own political agenda. If they continue their pursuit of Luca, they will be operating without official sanction.
Despite Luca's outward appearance of propriety, Torello is convinced the gangster chieftain is anything but. When the Strike Force puts him under surveillance, Luca goes to court to get a restraining order. David Abrams argues that Luca's history of violence justifies the surveillance, but his personal vendetta against Luca for his father's death becomes obvious, and the judge grants the injunction.
Torello and his men aren't the only ones angered by Luca's return to Las Vegas. His abrupt reappearance doesn't sit well with Max Goldman and Steve Kordo. In Luca's absence they now run the mob's Vegas casino interests, and despite Luca's assurances that he has no intention of pushing them out, they feel threatened. Publicly they welcome him back with open arms, but privately they begin to plot against him. Kordo tries to hire a hitman to kill Luca, but is instead warned that the Outfit wants Luca alive because he is too valuable to its operations.
Abrams is so embittered by the failure of the system he believes in that he resigns from the Justice Dept. Though he says he is leaving Las Vegas, Torello discovers he actually intends to kill Luca. Torello and Krychek rush to Luca's house just in time to prevent the killing. Luca thanks Torello, who says he did it for Abrams.
Abrams descends into a haze of alcohol and drugs. Luca finds him strung out on peyote and lies that it was Chicago crime boss Phil Bartoli who ordered the hit that accidentally killed Abrams's father. He tells Abrams he was born to be part of the Outfit and offers him a job as his personal lawyer if he ever decides to clean himself up. Soon after, to the Strike Force's disbelief, Abrams shows up at Luca's door and takes the job.
When Manny Weisbord is stricken by a heart attack and lies near death, Luca flies an internationally known South African surgeon to Las Vegas to secretly perform the first heart transplant—with a heart from a murder victim supplied by Taglia. With Weisbord lying near death, Goldman and Kordo meet to discuss their uncertain future. Concerned Luca will take them both out if the old man dies, Goldman argues for killing Luca preemptively and insists Kordo is the only one who can get close enough to do it.
What they don't know is that Torello's men have them wired and ovearhear their plot. Torello tells Goldman that Weisbord is now expected to live, which means any hit on Luca is a death wish. Goldman races to Luca's penthouse and throws Kordo out a window as he is about to shoot Luca. Afterward, Torello makes it clear that he now expects Goldman to be his snitch.
The murder of a reporter writing a story about Luca leads the Strike Force to discover the truth about Luca's secret activities. Luca has made a deal with the U.S. military to smuggle weapons out of the country to revolutionary causes the government secretly supports. In exchange, the military turns a blind eye to the fact that Luca is smuggling narcotics into the U.S. from Mexico and Asia.
With this evidence, Hallahan convinces Congress to convene hearings to investigate the unholy alliance between the U.S. government and organized crime. But just as Luca is testifying, the hearings are adjourned because of a national emergency: North Vietnam has attacked a U.S. warship in the Gulf of Tonkin. Hallahan gets a warrant for Luca's arrest anyway, but Luca flees the country with Taglia and Goldman before it can be served, headed for Latin America. Hallahan gives Torello's Strike Force his blessing to pursue Luca onto foreign soil, but warns that outside the U.S. their badges will mean nothing.
In a small banana republic, Luca sets up a new base of operations for his international criminal empire, buying off politicians, military and police with the mob's money. Unable to have Luca extradited, the Strike Force attacks Luca's drug lab in the jungle. Furious at Torello's interference once again, Luca orders the president to have him arrested. The president refuses—and Luca promptly shoots him dead and installs a new president better to his liking. Later, however, the local army executes a coup and their ranking colonel appoints himself leader; while not receptive to Luca's influence, he tolerates him for the money he brings to the republic.
In a confrontation between the Strike Force and the local police, Krychek is captured and thrown into a hellhole of a prison. Torello and the others stage a rescue. Luca decides to rid himself of this thorn in his side once and for all, and orders Torello killed.
In the dead of night Torello meets with his secret source inside Luca's organization: it is David Abrams, whose sellout to Luca has all been an act. Abrams warns Torello about the planned hit and also reveals the location of a major drug shipment. When the Strike Force captures the narcotics, Luca concludes that Abrams is an informant. He offers to trade Abrams to Torello for the shipment. The trade is made—but Torello's men have planted explosives on the drugs, and the shipment is blown up.
An assassin attempts to kill Torello, but Abrams is badly wounded instead. While Clemmons and Indelli race Abrams to a doctor, Torello and the others pursue Luca to an airfield, where he, Taglia and Goldman are about to leave the country. Torello, Krychek and Grossman manage to board the plane as it is taking off. In the ensuing airborne fight, Taglia accidentally shoots the pilot, causing the plane to plummet into the ocean below. The final shot is an explosion of waves caused by the plane's impact, with the fate of the cops and criminals unknown.

Tags: neo noir

Review:
I was traveling on a short vacation, I stopped into Tower Records in L.A. probably about (1995) and found the complete 'Crime Story' series on VHS for I believe it was merely $60.00 then.
From the lawyer, David Abrams(Stephen Lang), the ever 'Bad', Ray Luca, to Johnny O'Donnell (David Caruso, now C.S.I.:Miami's Lt. Caine) Pauli Taglia the roly-poly happy go lucky, sometimes fearful,(when running into Turello) sidekick to head man 'Luca'.
From producer Michael Mann, a brilliant crime drama series that can be mentioned with similar reverence as THE UNTOUCHABLES(TV series)1959-1963.
Michael Torello(Dennis Farina)is the head of Chicago's Major Crime Unit and determined to bring down up and coming crime figure Ray Luca(Anthony Denison).
From direction to dialogue; from story line to acting...hard to find fault with one of the best in this genre.Kudos for strong acting from Stephen Lang, Bill Smitrovich, Andrew Dice Clay, Jon Polito, David Caruso, Ray Sharkey and Joseph Wiseman.
Crime Story was very probably the best show of its kind ever.
Although it ran only two seasons, it boasted a superbly worked story and, without question, the best cast ever assembled for television.
Probably the best conflict ever between two men on screen, Denis Farina as cop Mike Torello, and Anthony Denison as hot-headed mob figure Ray Luca.
Luca's rise to power in Chicago and later in Las Vegas is the central plot, with Torello and his task force on target to bring him down.
With Torello's every failure to bring Luca to justice, he becomes more frustrated and empassioned, and turns up the heat a notch each time, while Luca dances just beyond his reach, increasingly arrogant in his new-found invincibility.Along with the well-laid foundation of drama and conflict, there was quite a lot of dark humor, one of the things I liked best about the series.
The second half of the first season, in which Torello follows Luca to Las Vegas, is no less than outstanding.
Having seen "Casino",the Martin Scorcese movie from 1995, I was struck by how many similarities there were between that movie and "Crime Story" in Las Vegas.
This tv show had it all, great characters played by a fantastic cast, some of the coolest cops and villians you could ever ask for, great music, the cars, the atmosphere and dialogue, and a plot that went way beyond any single episode!
It's the story of one cop named Michael Torello (Dennis Farina) who makes it his life's mission to bring down a "ruthless hood" named Ray Luca (Anthony Denison) who is quickly working his way to the top of the Chicago organized crime syndicate.
Along the way, you're introduced to other key figures, like Andrew Dice Clay's character Max Goldman and a performance by Joseph Wiseman as Manny Weisbord that stands just as strong as anything The Godfather produced (in my absolutely biased opinion, of course).
The series started in Chicago, migrated to Las Vegas about a third of the way through, and ends in Latin America of all places.
It's hard to believe how few people know about Crime Story!
Michael Mann's 50s cop series from the eighties.
Crime Story was a strange, hard and often inspired tv series from the mid-eighties.
It was made by the producer of Miami Vice, Michael Mann, and the cast is stocked with Michael Mann regulars - Stephen Lang, Bill Smitrovitch, Ted Levine and Dennis Farina (all except Ted Levine are in Manhunter).
Although Farina and his crew throughout the series chase after their arch nemesis, Ray Luca and his gang (Pauli Taglia, Frank Holman), the story comes in two parts.
However, very often the focus is the psychological dynamic between Mike Torello (real-life Chicago cop Farina) and Ray Luca (played with a psychopathic coldness by Anthony John Denison).
If you haven't seen it, and you like Wise Guy, or the feel and look Michael Mann gives to his productions, don't miss this series.
Mann also directed Heat, The Insider and Ali. Before he did that however, he created the classic tv shows Miami Vice and Crime Story.
I loved the look of this series, it made you feel like you were back in that time where cars had finns, where rock and roll was king and where the good guys wore black!
Mike Torello against Ray Luca was almost like a morality play of good versus evil.
Dennis Farina had actually been a cop with Chicago Police Department and it amazes me that a man who never had an acting lesson could give such a fine performance in every show that he has been in!
Whether you like action, drama or anything else in between, Crime Story is a one-of-a-kind show.
Debuting in 1986, Crime Story centres on Lieutenant Mike Torello (Dennis Farina), a 1960's Chicago cop who is determined to catch the notorious and ruthless gangster Ray Luca (Anthony Denison).
Not only does Luca affect his working life but he also affects his personal life, with people he cares about getting in the cross-fire.Often touted as a "precursor to "The Sopranos", Crime Story is a show that's seems too good to be true.
Dennis Farina shines in the lead role as Mike Torello in his first-ever regular TV series.
Being an ex-Chicago cop in real life, the role comes easy to him and makes it so believable that you'll sometimes forget it's just a TV show.
Not only is Farina excellent but Anthony Denison (now known as Tony Denison who appears on TNT's The Closer) is just as good as Ray Luca.
Crime Story was one of the first things Denison had appeared in but made it look like he had been acting all of his life.
No matter how frightening Luca seems, the only person who could send a shiver down his spine is Torello and although Luca would never admit it, you can see the fear in his eyes.Not only are Farina and Denison's character two of the most powerful in television history but the supporting cast is also great too.
There is also Stephen Lang as David Abrams, an attorney who is at ends with Torello but eventually becomes one of his closest allies.Support from the other side of the law include memorable performances from Jon Polito as Phil Bartoli (many of whom would recognize from a string of TV shows and movies), John Santucci as Ray Luca's clown-faced side-kick Pauli Taglia, Ted Levine as the slow-witted Frank Holman and Joseph Wiseman as the boss-of-bosses, Manny Weisbord.
Also backing up the cast are guest stars such as David Caruso, Michael Madsen, Pam Grier, Julia Roberts, Gary Sinise (both in two of their earliest roles) and many more.Music also plays a big part in the series.
Farina is perfect as ultra-tough guy Mike Torello, leading a squad of elite Major Crime Unit cops.
Great lines, awesome acting, and an overall "feel" that no police drama has come close to matching.
Knowing that,many of my Friday nights(when they,NBC,first plugged this show into their line-up)were "freed up" to watch television and I was usually between this show and the even shorter-lived ABC series "Starman".
Ordinarily,I wouldn't ever suggest that one should eschew a social life in order to watch television,but I have to say that,where this show is concerned,I'm kinda glad I didn't have much of a social calendar.Producer Michael Mann,flush with success in the mid-eighties from his white hot popular,MTV-fueled crime show "Miami Vice",created this show,a change of pace from the slick,'80s "Vice": cold,rough Chicago of 1963,where pre-Miranda warning cops battled tough,old school mobsters and rising,ambitious hoods.
In this setting we watch as a war is brewing between two particulars:tough,no-nonsense Major Case squad Lt.Michael Torello(Dennis Farina,actual Chicago cop turned actor,excellent) and rising young-ish hood Ray Luca(Anthony Denison,so good here he's become somewhat prone to typecasting).
This show was also a launching pad for then-unknown actors such as Lorraine Bracco,Gary Sinise,Stanley Tucci,David Caruso and Julia Roberts.I think it's a testimony to a show's potency when it can be off the air almost twenty years and STILL inspire plenty of interest on its IMDb site and on various TV and video websites.Heck,even the THEME SONG(Del Shannon re-doing his hit "Runaway")I thought set the mood and tone for the show,further adding to the enjoyment.
Along with the wonderful Anthony John Denison, Dennis Farina and Stephen Lang.
The series was set in the 50s and 60s with dress and cars that gave viewers a nostaligic look the dangerous side of the "Happy Days" era.
When I first started watching the series, I was unaware that Dennis Farina, the star of the series and a virtual unknown, was a former Chicago Police Detective.
If you are lucky enough to live in an area where Crime Story is still shown in syndication, by all means be sure to record every episode.
Each one is a great story in and of itself, and Farina is terrific.
"Crime Story" is the best tv series ever made about law enforcement.
Crime story is often considered a predecessor to more well-known but lower quality shows like the Sopranos which is essentially a soap opera with a minstrel show with Italian- Americans caricatures.
I Feel that if the series had gone on for 5-7 years instead of 2, we would have seen the locales and general feel of the show vary from season to season, with much character development.
In the end assuming the shows final season was set around 1970 i think torello would have been considered a raving fascist lunatic in an asylum somewhere and ray luca would be running for office.
I think crime story was as much about an important decade in American history as it was about these two men..
Crime Story was the best!.
I agree with this assessment of Crime Story as I also taped every episode that I could when they were on.
We need more great programs along these lines.What was really interesting is that IMDb has complete bios on all the actors involved in the production and I found that the pilot had many current stars cast.
This show,and it's 1940s companion(also on NBC)"Private Eye",certainly made 1980s TV watching quite fun.I really enjoyed the exploits of Mike Torello and his group of crime fighters,and the scenery of Chicago and Las Vegas each and every week!!If you love shows like "The Untouchables",and "The Rookies",then you should give this one a try,you won't be sorry.Now that this series is available on DVD,it will finally be seen for the work of art that it is.I enjoy any series that re-creates a decade well,and "Crime Story"is no exception,the look and the feel of the show is pure 1960s,and the acting is excellent,in fact,so good that you find yourself rooting for the good guys without realizing it.All in all,a tour-de-force of the small screen!.
And Dennis Farina simply IS Torello, the sometimes violent cop whose love for his pretty wife borders on obsession.
"Crime Story" was one of the last TV shows that I watched with any kind of regularity.
Just got the DVD of this movie, the pilot episode for the TV series of the same name.
The hard-boiled cop genre of the 80's went back in time a couple ofdecades back in this nostalgic cop drama CRIME STORY.
It portrays Dennis Farina (SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, OUT OF SIGHT) as Mike Torello, a hot-tempered but good Chicago cop on an obsessive pursuit against a mobster named Luca (Tony Denison).
Along with his squad of detectives (consisting of Bill Smitrovich, Bill Campbell, and David Caruso),Torello scowers the streets to nail the mob and their smug leader Luca and to put him out of business for good.
With dramatic intensity, and a good number of hyperkinetic action scenes (including a gunfight in a crowded department store), CRIME STORY is one of those underrated cops and robbers shows that were overshadowed by more popular products of the same genre (i.e. MIAMI VICE).
Crime story great TV show that predated the movie Casino.
This show tells the story of Tony Spilotro, the mobs man who went to Vegas from Chicago which was told in the Scorcese movie Casino.
In real life, it played more like the Sopranos and the godfather mixed with this story.
This was an awesome crime drama from the 1980's from michael mann who went on to make the hit series miami vice.
ted levine and the guy who played paulie were excellent dirtbag flunkies for ray luca.
Crime Story is a major triumph in Television history.
Michael Mann brought to life the blazing 60's and crime in Chicago and Las Vegas.
Crime Story follows the Chicago MCU Its major crimes unit as they under the command of Lt. Michael torello chase after a street thug named Ray Luca who goes from street thug to a major player in one of the major crime families.
Crime Story Is maybe one of the finest cop shows that ever aired.
I remember too see this series in the late 80's (the other favorite of mine was WISEGUY) and i just simply was stick to the TV.This series was unique in the 80's because the style and the look of the 50's something like i never see before,the cars,the music,the girls,the food,the action,the cops,the criminals...Everyhting was handle with a great direction and the scripts was incredible.Of course the cast was amazing.Dennis Farina (RIP) was like always incredible,Bill Smitrovich,Steve Ryan,Bill Campbell and Stephen Lang was incredible too...The chemistry between this guys was amazing and still miss all this characters in the TV.Simply one of the best cop series i ever see in my life and when i mention to people if they remember this series EVERYONE says:"oh men!!
They don't make series like this!!!" and you know what?...They are right!!!.
It is a basic plot of a Chicago thug working his way up the ladder, with a cop who's obsessed with bringing him down.The realism of the characters was great.
Dennis Farina is a former Chicago police officer and he was perfect.
Anthony (Tony) Dennison is fantastic as the hot headed yet cool Ray Luca.The first season the best, but I gave it an 8 because the second season seemed to lose it's edge.
But there were some good episodes as well.Another fun thing is seeing some of the guest stars and they are famous today, like Julia Roberts.I got both seasons on DVD and I still enjoy them.
Every fan of crime drama must go out of their way to get this set and watch it with extreme interest.There are only two things that may sink the series for some: the ending to the first season was a bit too much (the very ending would have been great if those involved actually perished; a fitting irony) and the second season's ending is a kick in the teeth the way it was presented.
This always had great cars, music and other technique's until the series on T.V came but overall it was in the time when they did Miami Vice which is now a game, but crime story is fantastic mainly if you like all the 80'S cop stories.
As well there is a Chinese crime story with Jackie Chan in which is not the same.The series really kicks into high gear when Luca makes a move to Vegas, heading up the Starlight Casino it's a licence to print money, naturally there are a hundred crooked scams a guy like Luca could pull here, but oddly he doesn't have designs on any of them.
A lot of characters aren't going to make it to the end, and even our heroes aren't the most law abiding men, Torello in particular is a man who'd clearly be a crook if he wasn't a cop  never feeling the need to flash his badge to get a little cooperation when flexing a muscle or two will get the job done.
Crime Story is an impressive series, according to the sleeve notes the New York Times called it 'one of the best television series you've probably never seen' and they're right, I hadn't heard of the series before its release, which seems strange given how much influence it has had over both Mann's movies and many popular TV series today.
They certainly weren't wrong about the quality either, as Crime Story manages to pack just as many gripping story elements into its series as the likes of NYPD Blue and Homicide: Life on the Street, along with being an intriguing examination of the thin line between the two sides of the law..
The 1986 NBC drama 'Crime Story' is often credited as a predecessor to today's greatly serialized TV show such as 'The Sopranos' or 'The Wire', and as the prototype for this kind of series whose story-arcs span multiple episodes.
Set in the 1960s it's about policeman Lt. Mike Torello and mobster Ray Luca who rises through the ranks.
It features some very good acting, especially from Dennis Farina (playing Lt. Mike Torello), and Jon Polito, whose character Phil Bartoli doesn't get enough screen-time, though.
Abel Ferrara (Bad Lieutenant, King Of New York, The Addiction, ) directs the two episodes spanning pilot and Michael Mann (Heat, The Last of the Mohicans, ) produces the entire series.It's quite evident that this show was made in the 80s, and it feels like the 1980s 90 percent of the time (not only because of the constant anachronistic 1980s score), even though its story takes place in the 1960s, but that doesn't really deter from the production quality of it all.
The story definitely has the potential for it, as Michael Scorsese later showed in 'Casino', which was inspired by 'Crime Story', as he himself admitted, but the show doesn't quite live up to it.
Torello and Luca are interesting enough in the beginning, but character-wise they stay where they are for the rest of the series.