Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, History
Release Date: March 21, 2025
Director: Barry Levinson
Writer: Nicholas Pileggi
Production Companies: Warner Bros., Winkler Films
Filming Locations: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Story
In his exploration of the complex world of organized crime in America during the mid-20th century, Alto Knights focuses on the tumultuous relationship between Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, two significant Italian-American criminal figures. The film depicts the fierce rivalry between these mob figures against a background of shifting power dynamics, leading up to Genovese’s dramatic 1957 attempt to assassinate Costello. Power, revenge, and survival in the brutal world of organized crime are some of the themes explored in this film as the two men navigate betrayal, loyalty, and the intricate web of their criminal empires. The movie shows how Costello eventually left the mob despite the attempt on his life, shedding light on the dangerous game of survival in the criminal underworld.
Plot Summary
Vito Genovese (Robert De Niro) and Frank Costello (Cosmo Jarvis) are the titans of their respective crime families in the 1950s underworld of New York City. The film begins with the simmering tension between these two men, whose personal animosity fosters a risky game of cat and mouse and whose operations clash violently.
The narrative builds to Genovese’s spectacular 1957 assassination attempt. The attempted murder is a crucial incident that rocks the criminal community and ripples through their friends and relatives. The film examines the beginnings of their conflict, the effects on their families, and the internal politics that resulted in such drastic measures through a series of flashbacks and intense dramatizations.
The film shows the personal and professional costs of their rivalry against the backdrop of the busy city and the complex world of organized crime. The story unfolds with high stakes negotiations, shifting allegiances, and the constant threat of violence as Costello escapes the attack and withdraws from the mob. The movie ends with a contemplation of the fallout from their deeds and the final struggle for survival and atonement.
Cast
Robert De Niro as Vito Genovese
Cosmo Jarvis as Frank Costello
Debra Messing as Kathrine Narducci
Matt Servitto as George Wolf
Belmont Cameli as Frankie Boy
Louis Mustillo as Joe Bonanno
Carrie Lazar as LT. Trooper
Bryant Carroll as Local Reporter #1
Joseph Moreland as Juror
Bob Glouberman as Victor Riesel
Ed Amatrudo as Rudolph Halley
Jean Claude Leuyer as Assassin
James Ciccone as Carlo Gambino
Dennis Craig Hensley as The Majestic Doorman
Steven Terry Walker as Judge (Angry) (credit only)
Michael Adler as Senator Tobey
Jeffrey Grover as Judge Liebowitz
