I've heard numerous interviews with Chazz Palminteri over the years where he states the movie A Bronx Tale is not only based on his childhood, but that he was actually friends with a mobster from his neighborhood. This relationship is portrayed in the movie with Sonny and Calogero, but in real life it was an unknown wise guy and Chazz. But who was the wise guy?

Chazz has never said before and I honestly have no clue. Chazz grew up in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx during the 1960s. Does anyone have any inkling of who this mobster could've been? The guy is likely long dead by now but Palminteri has never once named names.

My best friend Walter grew up in the Belmont section in the '50s and '60s. He's big into local theater and he met Palminteri a few times. I gotta ask him if Chazz ever mentioned who the neighborhood boss was then.

I remember reading here that there was no single person Sonny was based on, and that Chaz may have gotten a lot of inspiration from Sonny from a roommate he had from Boston's North End.

Also remember PB saying that one of the heavier guys in the neighborhood back then was Larry "Black" Centore.

I remember reading Sonny being based on Gigi the whale.

Didn't Chazz Palminteri get sued by someone from Boston who claims he wrote the original screenplay? I'd have to guess a lot of Sonny's dialogue is inspired by some Patriarca skipper.

Who would argue with PizzaBoy regarding the Bronx in the '60s? I was going to guess that most of the Bronx in those days was either Genovese or Lucchese.

Bronx Tale is a great movie. The father/son story line with the mobster-as-mentor is timeless. And the music. My goodness.