Mr. Untouchable (the documentary)
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| Mr. Untouchable | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Marc Levin |
| Produced by | Mary-Jane Robinson Alex Gibney Jason Kliot Joana Vincente Mark Cuban(executive) Todd Wagner(executive) Will Albright(associate) Emir Lewis(associate) |
| Starring | Nicky Barnes |
| Music by | Hi-Tek |
| Cinematography | Henry Adebanejo |
| Editing by | Emir Lewis Daniel Praid |
| Distributed by | Magnolia Pictures |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Official website | |
Mr. Untouchable is a documentary film for HDNet Films, directed by Marc Levin and produced by Mary-Jane Robinson. The film is about the rise and fall of Nicky Barnes, a young black kid from the streets of Harlem who went from being a teen-age heroin junkie to the most powerful black drug kingpin in New York City history [1]. With first-hand testimony from Nicky Barnes himself, Mr. Untouchable goes deep inside the New York City heroin game of the 1970's. It is an epic story of business, excess, greed, and revenge. The film is being produced by New York based Blowback Productions.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
From humble beginnings, playing street basketball on 116th St. and 8th Ave., Nicky Barnes grew up with one eye on the ball and one eye watching the hustlers and gangsters deal dope. Niccolo Machiavelli, the Italian political philosopher whose teachings influenced Barnes’ ambitions, wrote, “Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage… Never was anything great achieved without danger.” Barnes went from a kid playing ball on Harlem courts to a teen-age heroin addict, to a petty drug dealer, to a prisoner all before his 21st birthday. Eventually, he got off the junk and while in prison was schooled by the Mob. He left prison on a mission to dominate the heroin distribution business. His rise was meteoric and made himself and his partners multi-millionaires, rich beyond their wildest dreams. Trusted and trained by Italian mobsters, Joey Gallo and Matthew Madonna, Nicky Barnes set up his own black crime family-The Council-a feared and formidable drug collective.
By the late 70’s, Nicky Barnes had become infamous. He had beaten three state cases, making local headlines for his excessive lifestyle and uncanny ability to evade capture. In June 1977, Barnes went national when he posed for the cover of The New York Times Magazine, with the headline “Mister Untouchable". In a hand-tailored light denim suit, a brand new silk red, white, and blue striped tie, his style and posture was more Fortune 500 executive than heroin dealer. Nicky Barnes stared straight out the cover into the prospective reader’s eyes, complimented with the following sub-headline, "This is Nicky Barnes. New York police say he's the biggest drug dealer in Harlem. But can they prove it?" Months later, the federal government answered the question by convicting Barnes and sentencing him to life with no parole.
Almost thirty years later, in the summer of 2006, Nicky Barnes sat down with director Marc Levin and producer Mary-Jane Robinson, to discuss his life and legacy. Mr. Untouchable is the definitive gangster movie with a strong cast of characters from both sides of the law; including former members of the council and the DEA agents that worked hard to put Nicky and his gang away. With music and archival footage from the era, Mr. Untouchable is a cinematic retelling of this remarkable story.
[edit] Cast
| Nicky Barnes | The Godfather of Harlem |
| Thelma Grant | The former Mrs. Nicky Barnes |
| Frank James | Original Member of the 'Council' |
| Joseph 'Jazz' Hayden | Original Member of the 'Council' |
| Jackie Hayden | Jazz's wife |
| Leon 'Scrap' Batts | Lieutenant in Barnes Orginization |
| Carol Hawkins | Heroin Street Dealer for Barnes Orginization |
| David Breitbart | Nicky's Lawyer |
| Don Ferrarone | DEA Agent in charge of Nicky Barnes case |
| Louie Diaz | Undercover DEA Agent |
| Bobby Nieves | DEA Agent |
| Robert Geronimo | DEA Informant |
| Robert Fiske Jr. | US Attorney for Southern District of NY; prosecuted Barnes |
| Tom Sear | Ass. US Attorney |
| Benito Romano | Ass. US Attorney who flipped Barnes |
| Fred Ferretti | Reporter who wrote 1977 NY Times article, "Mr. Untouchable" |
| Louie Jones | Heroin Customer of Barnes' Enterprise |
[edit] References
- Roberts, Sam, "Crime's 'Mr. Untouchable' Emerges From Shadows", The New York Times, March 4, 2007.
- Machiavelli, Niccolo, The Prince, Written c. 1505, published 1515; Translated by W.K.Marriot, 1908.
