Ernest Borgnine listed his five favorite films. Among them were Marty and The King of Poggioreale.
Here he plays a black marketeer who rose up to feed and care for Naples, with the help of his crime syndicate, during and after WW2. Borgnine seems to be having so much fun throughout this movie that it's contagious. The supporting actors all are infected by it and make it fun to watch. I don't want to oversell it, but it's done really well.
The story is supposedly true based on the exploits of Giuseppe Navarra that he himself told various sources. The parts of the story that include his son are likely made up to add some drama to the story. It seems that in reality Navarra had a son who was killed in a bombardment.
If you want to see a great farce and are willing to overlook the awkward sections of forced drama made up about his son, then this is a great choice.
