Find Me Guilty

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Find Me Guilty
Find Me Guilty film poster
Directed by	Sidney Lumet
Produced by	Vin Diesel
Written by	Sidney Lumet T.J. Mancini
Starring	Vin Diesel Peter Dinklage Linus Roache Aleksa Palladino
Distributed by	Freestyle Releasing
Release date(s)	17 March 2006 (USA)
Running time	125 min.
Language	English
Budget	US$13,000,000
IMDb profile

Find Me Guilty is a 2006 comedy-drama based on the longest Mafia trial in American history. Mobster Giacomo DiNorscio, also known as "Fat Jack" (played by Vin Diesel), faces a series of charges (even though he has a previous 30 year conviction) but decides to stand trial instead of ratting out his family and associates. A wrench is thrown into the system when DiNorscio attempts to defend himself and act as his own lawyer at trial. It is directed by Sidney Lumet, and also stars Peter Dinklage and Linus Roache.

[edit] Trivia

Giacomo DiNorscio died during the filming of this movie.
Vin Diesel had to gain 30 pounds and spend hours in makeup to resemble DiNorscio. According to Diesel, Lumet had him eating a quart of ice cream a day to bulk up for the part.
Is based on a trial that was, in its day, the longest criminal trial in American history, U.S. v. Accetturo.
Much of the dialogue in the film came from the court transcripts of the actual trial.

[edit] Actual Events

In August 1985, using the famous RICO statute as a hammer, authorities in New Jersey attempted to nail down and destroy Anthony Accetturo, Taccetta and eighteen of the men who ran the Lucchese crime family in the Garden State. It was the first time in New Jersey history that an entire organized crime family had been indicted in one prosecution.

In November 1986, based on a 65-page indictment, the case went to trial. It started in March 1987 at the federal courthouse in Newark. It ended on August 26th, 1988. The U.S. Clerk’s Office in Newark confirmed that officially The U.S. v Anthony Accetturo et al was the longest criminal case on record in the federal courts of the nation.

The jury found a verdict of not guilty in favor of all the defendants. A trial that had followed a ten year investigation, designed to take everyone from boss to street soldier out of action for ever, that had generated 240 volumes and 850 exhibits of evidence, and cost the taxpayer millions of dollars, became not only the longest in history but possibly the most embarrassing in history to those that tried it, and failed.

Years later, Judge Harold Ackerman, the presiding judge said: “Too much was charged against too many, which took too long and resulted in jury nullification.”