Product Details

• Actors: Dennis Farina
• Directors: Ben Burtt
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
  PLEASE NOTE: Some Region 1 DVDs may contain Regional Coding Enhancement (RCE). Some, but not all, of our international customers have had problems playing these enhanced discs on what are called "region-free" DVD players. For more information on RCE, click here.
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• DVD Release Date: February 19, 2008
• Run Time: 48 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B00103586C
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #93,023 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The American Gangster" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The history of organized crime in America is given a lively treatment in this video narrated by actor Dennis Farina. The focus is on Charles "Lucky" Luciano and his longtime associate Meyer Lansky, who were both tutored by legendary gambler Arnold Rothstein and went on to amass power and riches during the years of Prohibition. Ancillary characters, including Al Capone and Ben "Bugsy" Siegel, are profiled in some depth, and other outlaws of the day, such as John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd, killers who gathered headlines while the real mobsters quietly consolidated their influence, are mentioned in passing. The video is consistently entertaining, though one criticism is that some of the inside knowledge it purports to relate, such as the identities of triggermen in notable New York City hits in the late 1920s, is rooted more in myth than fact. But despite the occasional excess, the narration does mostly stick to the facts as they are known, and the story of how a few uneducated teenagers from the ethnic slums of New York came to control a virtual empire of crime by the 1950s is very well told. --Robert J. McNamara

Product Description

They fixed the World Series. They built Las Vegas. They terrorized America with their vicious murders and fearless robberies. They are men named Bugsy Siegal, Al Capone, John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Lucky Luciano. And, for the first time, The American Gangster tells the true story behind their ruthless rise to wealth and power. Filled with vintage film and actual photographs, The American Gangster is a gripping look at the birth of organized crime. From prohibition to prostitution, from gangland massacres to gambling empires, their most infamous deeds are chronicled in shocking detail. Even more explosive than the movies they inspired, such as Scarface and The Godfather, are the true histories of the brilliant, brutal gangsters who turned the American Dream into an ongoing nightmare.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A true-crime must see!, May 10, 2008

By	D. Ternbach "film devourer" (Scottsdale, AZ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I absolutely loved this documentary!There is so much information in this film that you can watch it time and time again and pick up more tidbits. There are many photos of Bugsy,Capone,Luciano as well as many others.There is plenty of live footage of court-room drama with Virginia Hill and quotes from the most famous mobsters.This is true American history dating back to the arrival of many European immigrants to Ellis Island,NY.Even the back-round music is great.Dennis Farina's narration is captivating and he is one with first-hand knowledge being an ex Chicago cop for 18 years in the 60's and 70's! I was still processing this documentary for days after viewing it.This would be an invaluable addition to any crime history enthusiast!