1984 film by Amos Poe
Alphabet City is a 1984 American crime-drama film directed by Amos Poe. The story follows a young New York City gangster of Italian descent named Johnny, who has been given control over his own neighborhood by the Mafia. Then unknown actors Vincent Spano (as Johnny), Jami Gertz, and Michael Winslow are featured in this low-budget thriller. Acclaimed film and stage actress Zohra Lampert plays Johnny's mother. The film is set in Alphabet City, a part of the East Village in New York City.[2][3][4]
Plot
The film takes place entirely in one evening, with the time being indicated chronologically on the clock in Johnny's Trans Am. Johnny, a working-class Italian-American from Alphabet City, works for the New York Italian-American Mafia, which has placed him in charge of running organized crime operations and rackets in his neighborhood, including drug-dealing operations and the collection of protection money, debts, and street taxes and kick-ups from other local gangsters.
Early in the evening, Johnny meets with his friend Lippy, an eccentric cocaine dealer. They discuss the planned arson of an Alphabet City tenement building as ordered by the Mafia. As their discussion progresses, it becomes clear that it is Johnny who must carry out the burning of the building before the night is over and that his impoverished mother and sister live in the targeted building. This request pushes Johnny to plan a split from the Mob, which proves difficult. By the end of the night, Johnny must save his sister and mother from the burning of their building as well as rescue his girlfriend and their newborn child from the clutches of the Mob.
Music
The music was composed by the prolific producer Nile Rodgers, notable for his work with acts such as Chic, Sister Sledge, and Madonna.
Vehicle
The vehicle Vincent Spano drives in the film is a 1983 Pontiac Trans Am 25th Anniversary Daytona 500 Edition. Only 2,500 of the cars were built.
