10 Best Italian Mob Movies

When you ask about the 10 best Italian mob movies, naturally the "Godfather" trilogy comes to mind. While the chronicles of the Corleone crime family seem to top every list of mob movies, there are certainly others worthy of mention. Ironically, names like Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, seem to crop up in a lot of them. No matter the prevalence of Brando et al, if you love tommy guns, wise guys and antipasto, you’re going to love our picks for the best Italian mob movies of all time! Here they are, in order of their release.

1. "On the Waterfront," 1954 This is an Oscar award-winning Marlon Brando classic. A washed up prize fighter, dock racketeers and union bosses in one of the best Italian mob movies, this one’s got it all.
2. "The Godfather," 1972 When it comes to the best of the best Italian mob movies, Brando made us an offer we just couldn’t refuse. In this classic “family” movie, Don, Michael and Sonny Corleone became the Mafioso by which all others are measured.
3. "The Untouchables," 1987 Who doesn’t know the stories of Al Capone and his do-gooder nemesis, Elliot Ness? Aside from winning an Oscar and boasting an all-star cast including Kevin Costner, Sean Connery and Robert De Niro, this true crime account is simply one of the all-time best Italian mob movies.
4. "Goodfellas," 1990 With heavy-hitters Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci, not only is "Goodfellas" one of the best Italian mob movies, it’s darn close to one of the best movies ever. It’s the classic tale of wise guys clawing and shooting their way to the top, with plenty of drama, gun play and mayhem.
5. "Mobsters," 1991 Picture turn of the century New York, a group of small-time wannabe gangsters go from street thugs to some of the most powerful men in organized crime. Based loosely on the lives of real life mobsters, there’s loyalty, violence and power struggles, all at the end of a tommy gun.
6. "A Bronx Tale," 1993 When it stars Robert De Niro, you know it’s probably one of the best Italian mob movies around. In this corner, the local crime boss. In that corner, a concerned father. Stuck in the middle, a boy torn between two very different worlds. Heists, guns, girls and gangsters, "A Bronx Tale" has everything that makes a great mob movie.
7. "Casino," 1995 The mob built Las Vegas, but couldn’t contain it. Before the original Sin City gave way to family vacations and theme park casinos, the mob ruled it all. What better place and time to set one of the best Italian mob movies of the '90s?
8. "Gotti," 1996 Armand Assante plays America’s Teflon Don, John Gotti in this made-for-TV biography. The Dapper Don changed the rules, but his high-profile life became his own downfall. Originally slated for the silver screen, this entry into our list of the best Italian mob movies found a home with HBO after funding problems cut it from the big leagues. If your tastes lean towards true crime mob movies, this one tells the tale of one of America’s most famous dons.
9. "Donnie Brasco," 1997 Who could go wrong when you pair Johnny Depp and Al Pacino in a true FBI vs. the Mafia story? As one of the best Italian mob movies, this one has all the action and complication a modern mob movie needs. An undercover FBI agent in too deep, for too long, makes for a great story!
10. "A History of Violence," 2005 Is he a hero mistaken for someone else? This Oscar-nominated tale starring Viggo Mortensen begins in a small, non-descript Midwestern diner, but ends with an explosive revelation. Sometimes the best Italian mob movies are the ones you never see coming.