Mob Movies: Chicago Style

Movie Producer and native Chicagoan J. Kenneth Ezra explains, Chicago still has the typical mobster types, you know like Johnny Garlic, Snake Man, and Bobby the Hitmen types. But the Chicago mob is different than other cities. First off, the mob in Chicago took on characteristics like the city itself. They worked hard. I mean, they wake up early and leave work very late. And seldom do they show off like their granddad Al Capone. Those days are long gone.

J. Kenneth Ezra is producing a package of 10 movies. In the remake of the independent "The Right thing" (see trailer at Razor Films ), his partnership with director and writer Vito Brancato gives us an authentic viewpoint in the Chicago mob scene. Tony Russo a low level street guy gets caught up in the power struggle between the Chicago Police Department, which is notorious for getting in the way of the mob, and a powerful mob boss, who if you didn't know any better you'd think was a retired electrician living in the posh Chicago suburban sprawl.

We have many stars interested in the roll of Tony Russo who plays the low level mob guy, who takes desperate measures when he's thrown in a desperate situation. "Russo really embodies Chicago mob characteristics in 70's and 80's." Ezra explains. "This guy is bitter about his roll in the stingy Chicago mob hierarchy, who moves like a big old money corporation, very slow to try new things. He hates that the tops guys. They don't get out sync and let some of the little guys in on bigger deals. Just like any Chicago entity, the Chicago mob has a notorious lack of funding for research and development.

They'd rather live on the power and royalties of the old proven products. Successful corporations keep solid growth and market share" In this truth life story you see when things get out of hand the Chicago mob handles the situation like IBM, they isolate the problem, come up with a solution and follow-through so the product and efficiency is not disrupted. In the end, they get up early, work hard, bear the freezing Windy City and keep collecting.

"I try to develop talent that is passionate and highly knowledgeable about their subject. A love for putting it on film is a must. Vito turns out to be just that. I was impressed by his original script "Blackstone" which aired on PBS. He took a well known Chicago street rumor. Kennedy was to be assassinated during his trip to Chicago before he moved on to Dallas." I loved that Vito took that rumor and filled in the blanks. Especially, when he did the hard work of actually interviewing people "supposedly close to the story". I don't think you find that kind of authenticity in filmmakers today. I want to produce and development people with that kind of talent, passion and knowledge about what they're filming. The rest will translate on the big screen and the funding and great audience reaction will follow.

A prominent Hollywood agent reports, "It's a pleasure to see someone for the last 7 years stay the course and rise up." Ken is so committed to authentic films he volunteered to work the craft-service table on the set of After Freedom, director Vahe Babian, a film about Armenians adjusting to life here in Los Angeles. "If it's true, real and authentic. I want to part of it. Even if I have to literally serve everyone on the set. Being part of his film continues my journey of authenticity. I think our film "The Right Thing" is the right thing for authenticity.

Thanks to J. Kenneth Ezra - Razor Films

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Shake-up at top of Chicago Crime Commission

There has been a shake-up at the top of Chicago's oldest citizen crimefighting organization. The ABC7 I-Team has learned Chicago Crime Commission President Tom Kirkpatrick is out after more than 10 years.

The Chicago Crime Commission is the oldest crimefighting force of its type in the nation. The organization of 200 business, civic and professional leaders from metro Chicago has been at the forefront of crime prevention in the city for 85 years. It is not unusual for such a group to make a change at the top. What is astounding is that the president of the crime commission resigned back in July and we have just now learned about it.

"When I first came there 10 years ago, it had sort of stalled in the water a little bit," said Thomas Kirkpatrick, former crime commission president. Tom Kirkpatrick's tenure at the Chicago Crime Commission was the longest of any president in decades. When Kirkpatrick submitted his resignation last summer, there was a mutual parting of the ways. "I'd say he did a pretty good job. Over the last 10 years the crime commission branched out into different areas," said Douglas Kramer, crime commission board chairman.

The crime commission first made its name in the roaring 20s, establishing a citizen's frontline against the Chicago mob. For decades, the commission focused on how to rid Chicago of the outfit, criminal rackets and the public corruption it takes to keep the mob in business. Under Kirkpatrick's reign, the crime commission widened its sights.

"You can't always rest on our past glories," said Kirkpatrick. "We have to focus on crime today, which turned out to be gangs, street crime. Remember when Chicago was murder capital? Now look at us, we've reduced murders by fantastic amounts through coordinated efforts."

In the well publicized safe neighborhoods project, the crime commission and the US attorney in Chicago alerted convicted felons that if they committed another crime with a gun, they would serve time in federal prison.

"In the last four years they have put into the federal penitentiary system about 800 former or convicted felons who were caught on the street with a firearm," Kramer said. "Don't you think that has had something to do with the reduction of murders in Chicago?

Kirkpatrick says that he is most proud of the crime commission's role in establishing multi-suburb task forces to investigate major crimes. The crime commission was highly critical of how local police bungled their investigation of the Brown's Chicken massacre in 1993.

Despite new criminal threats in Chicago, Kirkpatrick says the commission should still keep one eye on the outfit. "It's certainly not dead," he said. "There is certainly more money to be made. Gambling, sports betting, still controlled by an organization. You have to have an organization to cover those bets."

The fact that almost four months passed before anybody noticed that the crime commission had no president might be taken as a sign that the commission has lost its public edge. But commission board chairman Doug Kramer says they just wanted to mount a quiet search for Kirkpatrick's replacement.

The board has hired someone and wanted to name him Tuesday night at the crime commission's annual dinner. But the new president has outside commitments until next month and won't be named until then.

Thanks to Chuck Goudie ABC7Chicago

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Mobster's son can star in "House Arrest"

Friends of ours: Joseph Colombo

The son of an infamous Mafia don can remain under a lenient house arrest that allows him to do a reality TV show in which he visits a strip club and parties with poker pals, a federal judge ruled on Monday. Christopher Colombo, son of the assassinated mob chief Joseph Colombo, was indicted on racketeering charges in March 2004 and released on $1 million bail. His bail terms were eased for "family needs."

Prosecutors said the show "House Arrest" for the cable channel HBO "makes a mockery" of the house arrest set up initially to give Colombo more time to spend with his family. He used it "to generally gallivant around town with his associates" for the "docu-comedy," they said, and argued he should be barred from making more episodes of the show. But Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald disagreed, saying she would reconsider her ruling "if the government can produce evidence that Mr. Colombo has violated the terms of his bail."

The initial HBO episode, which is set to air November 24, purports to show a day in the life of Colombo, who wears an ankle bracelet that tracks his movements. The camera follows Colombo as he showers in the marbled bathroom of his plush home, spends time with his children and wanders his upstate New York county looking for a priest to hear his confession. When he does, the confession is largely done on camera.

Along the way he visits his Bronx tailor, a strip club, his favorite Chinese restaurant and sees a show by a Judy Garland impersonator. Then he races back to his country home to beat a court-imposed curfew. He ends up in a basement poker game with friends and two women guests who bare their breasts for the camera and promise a "happy ending" to his day.

Throughout the episode he jokes about his legal dilemma. When a stripper asks him whether he did something bad to get arrested, he says, "I don't know if I'm innocent. But I'm not guilty."

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