The Best Mob Movies Ever Made

For some reason, Americans are fascinated by gangsters. A large number of movies depicting crime families have been made over the years. Some of the finest movies ever made were gangster movies. Also, many famous actors have made a living by playing mob figures. Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, James Cagney, Joe Pesci and Marlon Brando all played many roles as mob leaders. What are the top five mob movies ever made?

5: “Scarface” (1983). Al Pacino plays Tony Montana, a low level criminal from Cuba. This bloody movie details his rise to power in the Florida drug underworld. He is hired by a powerful local drug dealer to do lower level duties such as a driver or body guard. Quickly, Montana gains strength within the drug organization and eventually rises to power over the entire syndicate. The movie shows his rapid rise and even more rapid fall.

4: “Once Upon a Time in America” (1984). Robert DeNiro, James Woods and Joe Pesci star in this epic mob movie. The story centers around four friends who begin a life of crime as young kids. The story chronicles the life of crime by the four as they grow up. The movie starts in the mid 1920’s and ends with the sole survivor of the group in 1968.

3: “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967). Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway star as the infamous crime couple, Bonnie and Clyde. During the depression years, the two, along with their small gang roam the countryside robbing banks. All the while, they are pursued by law enforcement. The final, bloody scene in which the two main characters are finally killed by the law has become one of the classic scenes in film history.

2: “Goodfellas” (1990). Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta star as three mid level hoods in the 1950’s. Liotta is recruited into the mob as a youngster and he, along with his two friends perform various criminal tasks for the local mob and for themselves. The movie portrays their criminal lives over a 25 year period. Eventually, the whole enterprise falls apart as the gang starts to turn on each other.

1: “Godfather” and “Godfather 2″ (1972 and 1974). Commonly referred to as the best mafia movies of all time, some have ranked these movies as the best overall movies of all time. The two movies depict the criminal enterprise known as the Corleone family over a 65 year period. The first move tells the story of the family led by Vito Corleone and his eventual successor, Michael. This movie spans a 10 year period between 1945 and 1955. Godfather 2 details the events all the way into the 1960’s, but through a series of flashbacks, also tells the story of the beginnings of the family, from 1901until the 1930’s.

Other famous mafia movies not on this list include “Pulp Fiction”, “On the Waterfront” and “Chinatown”. All are worth seeing over and over again.


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