***SPOILER*** Charles Bronson as transplanted to L.A NYPD detective Lou Torry gets the lowdown from burnt out and drug addicted ex hit-man Armitrage, Eddie Firestone,that a big hit is to take place back in New York City on April 10, 1973. Returning Armitrage to NYC to face drug charges he's killed in a drive-by shooting just as he stepped off the plane returning him in the presence of Det.Torry! Torry who didn't for once believe a thing that Armitrage told him now feels that there's something in his far out and off the wall story. And is now determined to do everything he can, even brake the law, to stop the impending bloodbath from happening!
It's old time Mafia Don Al Vescari, Martin Balsam, who's behind this massive hit job in that he's been planning it for over 40 years. It was on April 10,1931 or really in real history September 10, 1931, the years must have clouded Vescari's memory, that over 40 of his fellow Sicilian Mafia cohorts were massacred by the Luciano/Lanskey mob. That was to clear the way for a major restructure, in accepting Jews Irish and non Sicilians, into the mob as full time blood members. Like back in 1931 when Luciano used non Italians, the Jewish members of Lanskey's Murder inc, who couldn't be traced to the killings Vescari plans to use faceless and traceless ex-Vietnam vets, many with both mental and drug problems, to do his dirty work for him!
The movie slowly builds up to its blood soaked conclusion as Let. Torry despite all the evidence,like in the newspapers books and even movies and TV specials, available to him in the history of the Mafia doesn't get it, the significance of the April 10 date in Mafia history, until the film is almost over. By then it's already too late with all the mob non Sicilian chieftains are by then assembled at a midtown Manhattan hotel where their killers, the ex Vietnam GI's, lead by super patriot Lawrence, Stuart Margolis, are waiting to ambush them.
***SPOILERS** Typicel Bronson action flick with Bronson as Det. Torry saving the day but not the mob higher up whom Lawrence & co. end up doing in before they themselves are iced by Torry and members of the NYPD as well as Government SWAT teams and a company of NY National Guard. Det. Torry still couldn't really get the job done by him not being able to stop the massacre but with all those killed being criminals anyway no one watching the movie seemed to really care. In the end it was non other then the man who engineered this whole sale slaughter Don Vescari, in him feeling guilty about what he did, who went to confession to have his soul cleansed of the some dozen or so murders that he was responsible for.
It's old time Mafia Don Al Vescari, Martin Balsam, who's behind this massive hit job in that he's been planning it for over 40 years. It was on April 10,1931 or really in real history September 10, 1931, the years must have clouded Vescari's memory, that over 40 of his fellow Sicilian Mafia cohorts were massacred by the Luciano/Lanskey mob. That was to clear the way for a major restructure, in accepting Jews Irish and non Sicilians, into the mob as full time blood members. Like back in 1931 when Luciano used non Italians, the Jewish members of Lanskey's Murder inc, who couldn't be traced to the killings Vescari plans to use faceless and traceless ex-Vietnam vets, many with both mental and drug problems, to do his dirty work for him!
The movie slowly builds up to its blood soaked conclusion as Let. Torry despite all the evidence,like in the newspapers books and even movies and TV specials, available to him in the history of the Mafia doesn't get it, the significance of the April 10 date in Mafia history, until the film is almost over. By then it's already too late with all the mob non Sicilian chieftains are by then assembled at a midtown Manhattan hotel where their killers, the ex Vietnam GI's, lead by super patriot Lawrence, Stuart Margolis, are waiting to ambush them.
***SPOILERS** Typicel Bronson action flick with Bronson as Det. Torry saving the day but not the mob higher up whom Lawrence & co. end up doing in before they themselves are iced by Torry and members of the NYPD as well as Government SWAT teams and a company of NY National Guard. Det. Torry still couldn't really get the job done by him not being able to stop the massacre but with all those killed being criminals anyway no one watching the movie seemed to really care. In the end it was non other then the man who engineered this whole sale slaughter Don Vescari, in him feeling guilty about what he did, who went to confession to have his soul cleansed of the some dozen or so murders that he was responsible for.