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Siamo agli inizi del secolo a Little Italy di New York. L’organizzazione mafiosa detta “La mano nera” detta legge su tutto e tutti taglieggiando i negozianti esasperando la povera gente. A combattere i malviventi viene chiamato il tenente di polizia Joseph Petrosino che presto scopre i capi dell’organizzazione criminosa: il banchiere Zarillo e l’avvocato Di Sarno. Petrosino così si imbarca per l'Italia.
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Pay or Die! (1960)
111 min
A beautifully rendered, fact-based crime film about a crusading Italian policeman battling Black Hand extortionists in New York’s Little Italy is back on the big screen. In addition to Ernest Borgnine’s brilliantly sensitive portrayal as Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino, this engrossing picture is deftly photographed by Lucien Ballard, beautifully scored by David Raksin with a stellar supporting cast including Zohra Lampert and Alan Austin. Literate, suspenseful and emotionally moving, this memorable film remains the definitive depiction about the emergence of the Mafia in America.