The movie is full of guys holding Tommy guns with drums blazing away one handed. Pick up a Thompson Sub Machine empty. It was made out of steel and wood. When you add the fifty round drum it is almost fifteen pounds. They have a forward grip because when fired it begins to climb.
Hollywood loves Mickey Cohen! He was the only Gangster in Los Angeles. Wrong!
Micky was a Gangster with ties to Chicago and New York. He had no rank because he was Jewish. He never muscled anyone from Chicago. La Cosa Nostra was the strongest during these years. The Chicago Outfit was an organization with so much power that Micky Cohen could not even look at them wrong. The Outfit was extorting movie studio's during the 1930's.
There were two much more powerful groups in Los Angeles at this time. Hollywood chooses to ignore the facts. Los Angeles La Cosa Nostra Family then under the Boss Jack Dragna. Jack Dragna was tough and he was a cousin of Tommy Lucchese one of the heads of the Five Families in New York. So powerful was Tommy Lucchese that the family still bears his name today. Jack Dragna had over sixty made men at that time and many more associates. The LA Family decided they wanted what Micky Cohen had in terms of rackets. They killed his men who were out on bail and made some disappear so Micky was on the hook for the bond. They blew up his house. They shot him, they even shot a policeman that was protecting him. Some of the best accounts can be found in Jimmy Frattiano's book "The Last Mafioso" Jimmy Frattiano along with Charles "Charley Bats" Battaglia are the one's that really killed the Two Tonys aka Tony Brancato and Tony Trombino. Micky Cohen had nothing to do with it. Jack Dragna died of a heart attack long after Micky Cohen was locked up, Cohen never took shots at him or killed him as the movie portrayed. Micky Cohen never made him bark like a dog and never spoke bad to him. The way they had Sean Penn snarling and cussing was a joke. Lets use logic. Micky Cohen was a Gangster surrounded by guys who were muscle for hire. they have no blood bond, no oath, they were just paid. How could a man slap, talk down to or even kill these outlaws? Come on! Louis Tom Dragna the former boss of the Los Angeles Family is alive today at 92.
The other group that Hollywood ignores was the Sica Brothers. They lived in the valley and they controlled vast amounts of rackets in California. Joe Sica was their leader and he would never take any nonsense from Micky Cohen. They were tough and smart. They flew under the radar.
Micky Cohen was like John Gotti, all media! He was like a reality star today.
There were two race wires for book makers in the 1940's. One was run by Chicago and the other by New York.
Jack "The Enforcer" Whalen was a tough Irish Hood who was liked by the Gangster Squad because he was Irish and he took no shit from the Italians. Jack met his end not being shot by Micky Cohen in his apartment building. Jack went to Rondelli’s restaurant in the Valley to confront Micky Cohen over a debt. Jack was unarmed and he was killed by someone hired by Micky. Micky was there but did not kill him. In the movie, the grand ending is Micky being arrested for killing Jack, and the star witness is what sent him to Alcatraz. This is far from the truth, as he didn't kill Jack, and he was sent to jail for tax evasion ten years after the movie portrayed his arrest.
Jack Whalen beat up Los Angeles Capo Mike Rizzi.
Anyone who wants to know what these people were really like should read my friend Anthony Fiato's book and his Blog. Anthony knew all these men and he can tell you what it was really like.
All truth aside, the movie was an enjoyable one. Acting was great (minus Sean Penn's overacting), time period portrayal was awesome, costumes and scenery all done well.
Anthony Fiato
@LAmobslugger
kickass blogger - hollywood goodfella
There are a few guys left from that time. So find out the truth now!
KENJI OC
fiato has a great blog by the way.
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