A Hollywood biopic about Carlo Gambino is being developed with an unusual behind-the-scenes detail: the project’s technical advisor initially thought the job offer was a prank. James Gladwish, a Mafia historian known for his organized crime YouTube channel, received an email from director George Gallo asking him to work on a new film about the Gambino crime family boss. Gladwish said he suspected the message might be a hoax before confirming Gallo’s identity and agreeing to a call. Gallo, known for films such as Bad Boys and The Comeback Trail, is co-writing the screenplay with Nick Vallelonga, who won an Academy Award for co-writing Green Book.
Vallelonga’s father, Tony Lip, was the real-life driver and bodyguard featured in that film and later portrayed a mob boss in The Sopranos. The project, announced at Cannes, is being produced by Julius R. Nasso, a veteran producer formerly partnered with actor Steven Seagal. The film is based on the novel Gambino: The Rise by James Pierre, which traces Carlo Gambino’s path from Sicily to becoming head of the Cosa Nostra family that still bears his name.
Gambino led the family from 1957 until his death in 1976 at his Long Island home. Gallo told Variety that the film would differ sharply from The Sopranos, describing Gambino as a quiet, educated man with a courtly manner. “He was a businessman in a darker universe,” Gallo said. “A tremendous Machiavellian money maker.
That’s why he got to the top and stayed there for decades. ”
Vallelonga said the team intended to elevate the genre beyond a standard mob movie. “We’ve seen a lot of that,” he said. “This is Shakespearean.
It’s on that level. ”
Gladwish said he was paid to compile detailed historical documents on Gambino’s life, focusing on lesser-known facts as well as the major events that shaped his rise. He said he wanted to help the filmmakers avoid the historical inaccuracies common in the mob film genre. One key correction Gladwish raised involved the 1957 murder of Gambino’s predecessor, Albert Anastasia.
Popular accounts hold that Gambino ordered the hit so he could take control of the family. But Gladwish said FBI files based on informant statements suggest Anastasia was killed because he planned to murder three of his own crime family members, and that another figure, Joseph Riccobono, was the driving force behind the plot. Gladwish also noted that the source novel includes a scene of Gambino personally taking part in the 1922 murder of mobster Umberto Valenti alongside Vito Genovese and Albert Anastasia—a scene for which he said there is no historical evidence. After reviewing the screenplay, Gladwish said Gallo acknowledged that some of the provided material was used, but the writers had intentionally based the screenplay on the myths around Gambino for a more cinematic result.
Gladwish said he understood the decision, noting that movies require exciting elements and that “don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story” is an old Hollywood principle. His involvement continued as he reviewed the scene-by-scene production document to ensure the timeline was accurate. The production has since stalled, a development Gallo attributed to the slow pace of Hollywood development.