Top 5 Mobster/Gangster Movies of All-Time

 This column is in its infancy at the moment, but in the future, this space will be used to dig through the depths of a variety of topics. Today we will start by breaking down the top five mobster/gangster movies ever made. It's no secret that movies offer the ordinary human a chance to escape reality, even if just for a short while, and enjoy a situation that they would never experience themselves. Many have found that movies offer them a solid alternative to taking excessive chances in life. Whatever the reason, most all humans enjoy a good story supported by characters they can relate to in an environment that is familiar to them. The following five movies (in no particular order) are the best at depicting a mobster or gangsters life.

Goodfellas

Martin Scorsese raised the bar on expectations when he created this masterpiece starring Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci (won Academy Award for best supporting actor), Robert De Niro, and Lorraine Bracco. The movie is based on the life of mob associate turned informant Henry Hill and occurs in early 1955 through 1980. The movie was released in 1990 and was based off a book written in 1986 by Nicholas Pileggi, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese. The film cost around $25 million to create but grossed over $46.8 million in the theaters. Beyond the box office numbers, Goodfellas is widely viewed as one of the best movies of all time and still finds itself on major cable networks and streaming companies like Netflix.

The Godfather

Created in 1972, The Godfather has ultimately become the film in which other mob movies are compared. Francis Ford Coppola directed this film, and Albert S. Ruddy produced it, the movie was based on Mario Puzo's best-selling novel with the same name. The movie starred Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Diane Keaton among others and won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Actor (Brando), and Adapted Screenplay but was also nominated seven other times. The rights to the novel were obtained for $80,000 before the story became popular. In the end, after three theatrical releases, The Godfather has grossed $245 million and $286 million in worldwide box office numbers. The story centers around Vito Corleone, the Don of a very prominent New York crime family, and his sons in the early 1970's.

A Bronx Tale

Few films can grab a viewer and make him feel like part of the story; A Bronx Tale did just that without even trying. Robert De Niro directed this classic that was based on the novel of the same name by Chazz Palminteri in 1993. The movie was well received by movie critics and grossed $17 million domestically while cementing De Niro's place in the director's chair. The plot is based on an Italian bus drive named Lorenzo Anello who lives in the Bronx with his wife, and son Calogero. Calogero is fascinated by the "wise guys" in his neighborhood, one in particular named Sonny. Like most great movies, the story twists through several real-life situations and leaves the audience feeling like they're part of what's going on.

Scarface

The 1983 Scarface film was directed by Brian Del Palma, written by Oliver Stone and was based on the 1932 movie of the same title. The story of a political refugee from Cuba (Tony Montana, played by Al Pacino) who rises to the top of the American cocaine import/export business. The film grossed $44 million despite the heavy criticism it received from critics about the violence and language involved in the movie. Over the years the opinions have shifted about the film, and it now gets the acclaim it has always deserved and has developed a cult-type following in the process.

Casino

Casino was the 1995 film based on the book by Nicholas Pileggi and directed by Martin Scorsese. The movie starred Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, and Joe Pesci. The plot was centered around Sam "Ace" Rothstein's (De Niro) rise from gambling handicapper to casino boss. De Niro's character is based on Frank Rosenthal, a mob associate who ran several casinos for a known Chicago family in the 1970s. The film experienced great success at the box office grossing over $71 million and saw Sharon Stone win the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture. Many believe Pesci's character (Nicholas "Nicky" Santoro) was the best role of the film and that he delivered one of his best performances.