My review was written in October 1990 after watching the film on PM video cassette.
This ambitious made-for-video feature pays homage to the classic gangster films via a wish-fulfillment plot: a youngster dresses up and starts acting like Cagney and Bogie to avenge his dad's rubout.
Andrew zeller portrays Sally Boy, a New York kid whose dad Frankie Fingers (Phil Suriano), is killed in his pizza parlor by rival gangsters. Zeller, who watches old gangster pics obsessively on video, goes into a nearly catatonic state at the trauma of his dad's demise. Snapping out of it, he thinks he's a real-life gangster Don Salvatore and dresses up to fit the part.
Twist is that the adults start to humor Zeller because it fits their own purposes. Gangster Geroge Simonelli tricks the boy into carrying out his dirty work, and Zeller's uncle Patsy (Joey Travolta) joins in the mayhem enthusiastically.
Film holds up until several final reel scenes meant as homages to "The Godfather" and "The Roaring Twenties", e.g., intercutting Travolta blasting mobsters with shots of the Midnight Christmas Mass at the cathedral and a death scene on building steps.
These sophomoric tributes aside, director Raymond Martino does an okay job with limited resources. Acting is passable, and Travolta takes another step toward coming out of his famous brother's shadoow.
