The 20th century of the United States history is riddled with infamous mobsters and their endeavors of breaking and evading the law. However, probably the most famous of them all was Charlie ‘Lucky’ Luciano. The story of his life from being a poor kid from the ghetto to one of the most feared gangsters – and richest people – in the US is unprecedented.
That’s exactly why stories about his life – and the life of his associates and rivals – are very well-documented and turned into live-action cinema numerous times. Without further ado, let’s dive right into the list of the five best movies about Lucky Luciano and his fellow gangsters and why you should definitely watch them if you’re interested in this genre and piece of history.
The list is ranked solely based on IMDb score. Enjoy!
Honorable mention: ‘Gangster Wars’ (1981)
IMDb score: 6.5/10
What it’s about: In the early 20th century, several poor young boys lived in the ghetto of New York City. Little did anyone know that they would soon become the most feared mobsters and gangsters in the entire world, let alone the United States.
Why you should watch it: I wanted to include ‘Gangster Wars’ on the list because I remember enjoying the film when I was a kid despite it not being the biggest-budget production.
Michael Nouri portrayed Lucky Luciano, but you get other big names and characters in the film as well, like Michael Lasker, Bugsy Siegel, Joe Masseria, Al Capone, Arnold Rothstein, Salvatore Maranzano, Dutch Schultz… you name it. It’s a great entry film for those who don’t know a lot about the topic but would love to learn more, from the gangsters’ early lives to their deaths.
Other honorable mentions I’d like to include are 1975’s ‘Lepke’, a story about Louis Buchalter where Vic Tayback portrays Lucky Luciano, and 1972’s ‘The Valachi Papers’ – a story of Joe Valachi, a gangster who was forced to cooperate with the DA for his protection while in the same prison as Don Vito Genovese, one of the biggest mob bosses of the time. Here, Angelo Infanti played Lucky. Now, let’s finally get to our top five!
5. ‘Mobsters’ (1991)
IMDb score: 5.9/10
What it’s about: Follow the story of the four NYC ghetto kids who rose to power as mobsters in the early 20th century – Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel, and Frank Castello. Using violence as their modus operandi, they trust no one – but they trust each other, despite their disagreements on how to run their criminal empire…
Why you should watch it: I absolutely loved the dynamic between the main characters and actors in the film, and I still believe that Christian Slater absolutely nailed the role of Lucky Luciano. You’ll get to witness the kinship between the gangsters despite their differences, from their very starts to their bitter ends.
Though the film may lack the substance that the biggest mafia flicks carry, it’s still worth a watch as a guilty-pleasure movie, and in my opinion, it deserves a higher score than 5.9/10.
4. ‘Lansky’ (2021)
IMDb score: 6.2/10
What it’s about: Follows the story of an aging Meyer Lansky, a gangster who is suspected and investigated by the FBI for allegedly stashing millions of illegally obtained dollars. Now retired, Lansky reveals the secrets many wanted to know for decades – the secrets he held about his life and the lives of his peers as the crime boss of the National Crime Syndicate.
Why you should watch it: I loved the approach that ‘Lansky’ took, as we take a look at the lives of the mobsters in retrospect. Although the film focuses on an older Meyer Lansky, it also includes a ton of flashbacks involving Frank Rivers, Bugsy Siegel – and, of course, Charlie ‘Lucky’ Luciano, portrayed by Shane McRae.
If you want to watch something else about Lansky – the lesser-known of the well-known mobsters – you can give the 1999 TV movie ‘Lansky’ a shot too. Richard Dreyfuss portrayed Lansky while Paul Sincoff portrayed a young Lucky Luciano. It wasn’t as good of a movie as the 2021 flick, but still worth a mention and a watch.
3. ‘Hoodlum’ (1997)
IMDb score: 6.3/10
What it’s about: Bumpy Johnson was a Black gangster living in New York’s Harlem in the 1930s. He rose to power and infamy after fighting Dutch Schultz for control of the illegal gambling game. Lucky Luciano proposes peaceful negotiations, but blood is split before they can even begin.
Why you should watch it: I consider ‘Hoodlum’ to be one of the classics of the genre, especially when it comes to this particular era of the dominion of Dutch Schultz, Lucky Luciano, and others in the crime business at the turn of the century. Laurence Fishburne dominates as Bumpy, and Andy Garcia does a great job as Lucky Luciano.
The movie does a great job depicting Bumpy’s rise, fall, and another rise, but if you want to get deeper into the subject and get a more elaborate story about Johnson, I highly recommend the MGM+ original series ‘Godfather of Harlem’ starring Forest Whitaker as Bumpy Johnson, and a star-studded cast including Giancarlo Esposito, Vincent D’Onofrio, Paul Sorvino, and others.
2. ‘Lucky Luciano’ (1973)
IMDb score: 6.4/10
What it’s about: This biopic focuses on the life of Lucky Luciano after he was pardoned from jail in 1946 and deported back to Sicily, Italy. Luciano kept building his mob empire there, becoming one of the Mafia bosses once again as flashbacks take us back to his days in the US, where he ordered the slaughter of 40 other mobsters who challenged his rule…
Why you should watch it: Despite Lucky Luciano having an important role in every movie on this list, the movie we’re talking about here is the only one that focuses primarily on his life – both privately and as a Mafia boss. The movie focuses on the latter years of his career between 1946 and 1962, but flashbacks take you back to his younger days, too.
Gian Maria Volonte does a great job of portraying Lucky, but what I love the most about the film is that it never loses its focus on Luciano himself while keeping his associates and business affairs as important but not overwhelming plot points.
1. ‘Bugsy’ (1991)
IMDb score: 6.8/10
What it’s about: Ben ‘Bugsy’ Siegel was a New York gangster, and the story of this movie focuses on his brief business trip to Los Angeles that eventually inspired his greatest idea – the biggest gambling mecca in the world, now known as Las Vegas, Nevada.
Why you should watch it: Finally, this movie focuses on Bugsy Siegel, one of Lucky Luciano’s greatest associates. However, Lucky does appear in the film as well, portrayed by Bill Graham. It’s an awesome film that depicts how Las Vegas came to be what it is today, including the construction of the famous Flamingo.Interestingly, a full-sized replica of the Flamingo was built for this very movie.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!
Liked this article? Join us on Reddit for the latest Marvel & DC news!
