The character of Joey Zasa was based on two mob kingpins of the 1960s and early 1970s. One was Joe Columbo, who organized the Italian-American Civil Rights League, which was supposedly a civil rights organization, but was actually intended to stop FBI investigations into mob activities. Colombo embarrassed others in the Cosa Nostra by keeping a high public profile, and enraged Mafia bigwigs when they discovered he was making a fortune from the organization, and not sharing any of the money with them. He was shot in New York City's Columbus Circle (though he didn't die until several years later) during a rally by his organization. The hitman, a black gangster, was immediately shot and killed by "person or persons unknown", according to police reports. The other is Joe Gallo, who organized the hit on Colombo, was known (and reviled by other mobsters) for recruiting blacks and Hispanics into his crew, and hung out with several Hollywood and Broadway celebrities, including Jerry Orbach.

Film

Nessun dato in archivio