Written by Joseph Merhi & Sean Dash Directed by Joseph Merhi Cast WILLIAM SMITH as Fitz ALEX D'ANDREA as Tony CHARLIE GANIS as George ADRIAN DRAKE as Roman ANTHONY GIOIA as Falco LEISHA SUKARY as Sandy ROBBIN HARVEY as Carla BOB GALLO as Mike RAYMOND MARTINO as Tibbs R. J. WALKER as Milo LEE CANALITO as Tony's Father DELORES  NASCAR as Madama CHARLA DRIVER as Jan [also the associate producer] PERRY GENOVESE as Flint BETH TOOMEY as N.Y. Hooker RON PRESTON as Billy & American Dreamer Club Band

WILLIAM  SMITH Emperor of the Bronx

Up and coming young delinquents Tony and Georgie (think Scott Baio and Howie Mandel as sweathogs) [NiteOwls thought real sweathog - Horshack - when we saw Georgie] schmooze their way through the exotic Bronx, offering precious little exposition while showcasing the neon signs on Broadway in stock footage. The laddies philosophize about the nature of credibility and morals while harassing traumatized vets, threatening pimps, shoplifting, buying sex (but drawing the line at a crack whore), picking pockets and robbing stores.  Their idyllic life is disrupted when Tony decides their first big score will be stealing money indirectly from his sister’s abusive lover Falco, a notorious Bronx drug lord.  Retribution is swift and nearly instantaneous -- Georgie is killed, and Tony’s ring finger is forcibly removed.
 

Georgie & Tony

Falco & Sis

Tony & bruised sister The perfect excuse to rob Falco

The offending digit is removed

Tony flees to Uncle Roman’s L.A. nightclub, whose house band inexplicably presents a musical salute to Florida.  Uncle Roman puts Tony on the payroll and his ex-con muscle man Fitz on Tony’s back. As Fitz, Bill Smith backs Tony in a fight against a lackadaisical LA gang selling crack on Tony’s street.  Tony is well matched with the short, skinny thugs, but Smith looks like a black-clad refrigerator being attacked by monkeys in a minimally choreographed fight scene.  Fitz shows Tony tough love by throwing him out of his car when Tony “jokingly” pulls a gun on him, later warning him with incredible compassion and deep regret about what killing does to a man with a conscience -- this film’s Bill Smith Oscar Moment. Tony falls hard for club singer Sandy, who’s unimpressed by Tony’s lack-of-work ethic.  Fitz tries to impart his hard-won street wisdom to Tony, but Tony continues to blunder his way through his new West Coast life. He approaches the head of a car theft ring for a hot car in the $300 bracket, steals jewelry Sandy rejected from one of her connected suitors and offers it back to her, and has a near-death experience during a bungled burglary.
 

Uncle Roman's Club

Fitz' Unworthy Opponents

Pulling a gun on Fitz Bad idea

Sandy the Singer

When Falco chases Tony’s sister to LA accusing her of stealing $10,000 from him, Fitz advises Tony to make good on it by borrowing the money from Romano, but admits that’s not how he’d handle it if their places were switched.  Tony hands the $10K over to Falco, but when Falco takes this as proof of the theft, he demands more money. Tony executes Falco and his gang at their coffee shop meeting without the slightest  concern that a 4-fingered hitman might stick in a witness’s memory.  Somehow this highly public execution earns the respect of Uncle Romano and Sandy.  Fitz exclaims proudly how much growing up Tony has done (?) heartily suggesting that Tony takes over his position in Uncle Roman’s business.  As Fitz gratefully looks forward to his retirement, he wryly observes that despite his earlier warning about killing people, Tony’s conscience shouldn’t bother him too badly after all as Falco was a scumbag.
 

Falco

Getting rid of Falco

Atta Boy from Fitz

Atta Boy from Sandy