Antigang

The underworld attacks...the police react: Italian crime film with Leonard Mann and John Steiner

This film by Mario Caiano never made it to West German cinemas. In Italy it brought at least ITL 693 million into the box office. Crime films were churned out at the Cinecitta in 1977. This one had a noticeably smaller budget (it saves on car chases and excessive shooting), but offers good entertainment.

There's something going on in Rome again! Three underworld bosses are wiped out in Mario Olivieri's (Roberto Messina) house. The young Inspector Baldi (Leonard Mann) suspects the fine Professor Salvati (Chris Avram), known as the Prince. After all, Olivieri works for him. However, Baldi's superiors consider the professor to be a pillar of society. If you're not mistaken! The Roman small-time gangster Rudy (great: John Steiner) is extremely ambitious and increasingly openly challenges the oh-so-clean prince. Hot on his heels is ex-police officer Rampelli (Ettore Manni), who also has a score to settle with Salvati. And then there is Laura Olivieri (Maria Rosaria Omaggio), who sits in a wheelchair and is unmistakably fond of Commissario Zuckerschnute. The smart Baldi will use her as bait to play Rudy and Salvati against each other...

A little complicated, but definitely exciting! John Steiner delivers a fantastic performance as a psychopathic gangster. Leonard Mann, born in 1947, is just as cute a model Italian as Franco Gasparri from the competing films "Mark, il poliziotto". That's why he repeatedly appears in such films. Of course he doesn't reach the intensity of Maurizio Merli or even Franco Nero. But that doesn't detract from the good entertainment.

Highly recommended EuroCrime thriller!

Notable actors: Leonard Mann! John Steiner! Maria Rossaria Omaggio! Chris Avram! Ettore Manni! Franco Ressel!

That crazy Italy and its criminals - what ya gonna do? Here Leonard Mann is young hot shot cop out to bring down a crime boss called The Prince, but will he rock the boat too much or will he get his man? Its the good guys versus the bad guys versus the other bad guys versus other bad guys that aren't quite as bad as the other guys. And one of them looks like a Chuckle Brother!

Things are rather complicated for cops in Rome. Leonard wants to catch the Prince (Chris Avram) for the murder of three mafia bosses that happened some time ago, but is finding it hard to find any evidence, plus his bosses maintain that the sauve Avram is an upstanding citizen. There's an old ex-cop (Ettore Manni) who also tried to catch the Prince who is now hanging around with ambitious jerk thief Rudy (John Steiner). Manni seems to be either genuinely after the Prince in his own time or perhaps playing two sides off each other for some unknown reason - it's a mysterious angle that keeps things interesting.

What also keeps things interesting is Maria Rossaria Omaggio as the crippled daughter of a dead guy who owned the villa where the three mafia dons were killed. Of course, there's a love/hate relationship here with Leonard Mann as Maria has Chris Avram looking after her. To be honest with you the plot isn't that different from the several hundred other films made around this time, but at least we've got John Steiner getting all up in people's faces as he's rather insecure about his standing in the criminal world.

So, it's another business as usual film that isn't quite as action packed as usual, but still has plenty going for it. I'm not so impressed by Leonard Mann mind you - it's hard to kind of distinguish him from the Marc the Narc guy and others of that ilk. Maybe a moustache would help?