The Irishman: Cleveland mob film

WBNX Blog, 7.7.09

Vincent D’Onofrio has seen his share of mob stories during eight seasons on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, but in his latest role he channels a real-life crime lord from the recent La Cosa Nostra era in Cleveland. Folks under 40 may be stunned to learn about the surreal underworld factions that ruled the Rock & Roll Capital as far back as the 1920s through the mid-1980s. We’re talking rackets, labor, godfathers, hitmen…and in 1976 alone, 36 bomb explosions throughout the city. Much of Cleveland’s organized crime history is documented by area lawman/author Rick Porrello in To Kill The Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia. His revealing book finally comes to the big-screen next year as The Irishman, which just finished filming in Detroit—where the bleak urban landscape simulated the local scene of a quarter-century ago. The title character refers to Danny Greene, the brash Irish-American mob boss whose rivalry with the local Italian mafia provoked a countrywide turf war, ultimately ending with Greene’s assassination and several high-ranking crime family members turning government informants. D’Onofrio portrays ruthless John Nardi, a rebel Italian who took Greene under his wing. Clevelanders will recognize many of the key players’ names in this infamous chapter of local history. The sprawling all-star cast features Ray Stevenson as Greene; plus Val Kilmer, Christopher Walken, Paul Sorvino and Linda Cardellini. Sound like a film…you can’t refuse?


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