Carlito's Way: Rise to Power

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Carlito's Way: Rise to Power is a 2005 direct-to-video prequel to Brian DePalma's 1993 film Carlito's Way. Rise to Power is based on the novel Carlito's Way by Judge Edwin Torres (the 1993 Carlito's Way film was based on the sequel, After Hours, but used the title of the first novel to avoid being confused with Martin Scorsese's 1985 film After Hours). It stars Jay Hernandez as Carlito Brigante, the character played by Al Pacino in the first film. Along with Mario Van Peebles as Earl, Michael Kelly as Rocco, Luis Guzmán as Nacho Reyes, Jaclyn DeSantis as Leticia, Sean Combs as Hollywood Nicky, Burt Young as Artie Bottolota Sr, and Domenick Lombardozzi as Artie Bottolota Jr.

[edit] Plot outline

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The story probably takes place six years before its prequel (1969). It begins with three inmates in a New York prison, one Black (Earl), one Italian (Rocco), and one Puerto Rican (Carlito) room together controlling illegal activities within the prison walls and look to be business partners upon their release. Upon their release, they all three look to control the drug trade in Harlem, NY which is currently in a power dispute between the Italian Bottolota crime family and Black Gangsters led by Hollywood Nicky. Rocco takes them to Artie Bottolota, who at first is reluctant to work with Blacks and Puerto Ricans cuts a deal with them in the heroin distribution of Harlem. Throughout the rest of the film, the three maintain their alliance and friendship trying to take full control of the drug trade. The three through there must maintain peace with Hollywood Nicky, deal with Earl's troublesome younger brother Reggie, deal with the two most feared cops in Harlem Detectives Big and Little Jeff, and meet the demands of Bottolota. Throughout the film, they end up taking full control of the drug trade after paying the NYPD to raid and kill off the Bottolota mob leading to Earl's retirement and Brigante's establishment as the Puerto Rican ganglord of Harlem.