I went to the Times Cinema on Saturday to see Alberto Lattuada’s 1962 film “Mafioso,” which is as unlike any Hollywood mob flick you’ve ever seen. Sadly, I was one of seven people who made that choice for the 9:15 p.m. showing. Hey, your loss. But you've still got four opportunities to see the film this week.
The great Alberto Sordi plays Antonio, a Sicilian working in industrial Milan (as many did in the 1950s and ‘60s). Fastidious and conscientious while on the job in the car factory, Antonio adores his family -- his wife Marta (Norma Bengell) and two daughters -- and loves a good time at home.
Antonio takes his family back to his native Sicily and is thrilled to breathe the sun-drenched, sea-laced air and to see his old friends and family and the familiar sights of his youth.
When he goes to pay his respects to the town’s padrone Don Vincenzo (Ugo Attanasio), we begin to realize that the almost bumbling family man landed his good job up north thanks to Don Vincenzo, in reality the local mafia boss, who saw Antonio’s potential when the latter was a youthful “man of honor.”
Antonio's relaxing vacation back home has turned anything but mellow. Now, the time comes to repay old debts. But will Antonio, who lives a different life far, far away, be able to bring himself to do what he has to do?
The first hour – at least – of the film sets the scene in Milan, on the journey south and in Sicily, yet all the major action is crammed toward the back of this film, which starts off almost light-hearted and whimsical before turning tense and darker.
The acting is solid all around, the black and white photography lovely and the script builds tension beautifully, seamlesslessly moving from light to dark in the space of just under two hours.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
