Gossip Around Town

[ryyannon]

I've nothing particular to contribute at the moment, other than this bit of gossip from an American writer I met last night, introduced by a mutual friend.

The three of us were sitting around over some glasses of wine, talking about about films and film-makers and he mentions that a friend of his is associated with Martin Scorcese. According to his friend the formula for turning out films for the Scorcese organization is "three for them (the Mob), one for us." Meaning that the money that Scorcese gets for producing his films comes from Mafia investments.

I have no idea of knowing whether this is true or not, but I thought I'd just pass it along.

Been stuck in my mind since yesterday evening....

[cornerstone]

I almost wish it was that exciting...

...however I fear that the biggest input into global cultural output actually comes from the lads at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, etc

Since when were writers kept in the loop anyway?

[ryyannon]

We're talking writers, not journalists, C-Stone.

And hell, in NYC, both are totally in the loop.

They ARE the loop.

[premiumdesigners]

so many things in NYC are mob funded, who can keep track?

[cornerstone]

in NYC, both are totally in the loop.

They ARE the loop.

Okay, fair enough. Loops occur in places where people gather - Washington and Canberra for politics, for example. I was meaning writers in general, who normally work on their own and the only loop they're in is between them and their dog! But in a place like NY I can see them escaping from behind the laptop. Clearly the writer you spoke with was credible.

But one of the problems with loops though is 'loops of what?' Unsubstantiated gossip?

What's interesting about this particular story is that it must be the product of someone somewhere wanting it to be true. Mob bragging? The possibilities are intriguing.

The sad fact though - and I feel slightly boring to say it - is that where the funding comes from is clear as day. The epicentre of film deal making is Los Angeles, not New York. Scorsese gets his funding from IEG, which is run by a Brit, and owned by a German company IM Internationalmedia. Previously, and I believe still, they have funded films through a revolving line of credit from JP Morgan (who provide 80% of this kind of funding to Hollywood).

[ryyannon]

Writers, whether in the loop or not, aren't exempt from shooting their mouths off like everyone else. It's true that the Scorcese-Mafia link sounds too believable to be true - an Urban Legend in the making with no way to confirm or infirm the information.

What is true is his preoccupation with Mob-related themes and his use of guys in second and third roles whose family names have a familiar and rather special ring to them. From there to say that he's being funded by the Mafia is anybody's crapshoot.

Like I say, it just stuck in my head and I thought I'd relay it here to be kicked around by anyone who was interested...(the idea, not my head, guys).

[robertk]

What a load of crap! He is funded like all other filmmakers. Mostly studios and foreign sales companies. If in fact, he was funded by Mafia, he couldn't keep it a secret in this country.....and besides the mafia can't afford his pictures.

[SubFrog]

I wish certain aspects of our city would be mafia run once again...at least we'd have some order about the place. Heck, if we've got to be corrupt (as it seems), we should at least have some reason. HA HA HA!

Regardless, Scorcese can write a good movie.

[ryyannon]

What a load of crap! He is funded like all other filmmakers. Mostly studios and foreign sales companies. If in fact, he was funded by Mafia, he couldn't keep it a secret in this country.....and besides the mafia can't afford his pictures.

robertk, do you have any idea of how many businesses are already either generating or laundering Mafia money? I'm no specialist, but I say lots. And you rarely ever hear about them.

As far as Scorcese, I'm not talking about guys in fedoras pulling up to his offices with grimy paper bags full of loot from the latest heist: if it's being done, the funds are virtual, transfered from one reputable merchant bank to another, and quite possibly passing through the Studios' financing structures as they go.

Again, as for the Mob not being able to afford to bankroll his films... :-)

Now that the debate is heating up a bit, I did a little very superficial Googling and came up with this very superficial description of how some of this works:

http://www.americanmafia.com/Feature_Articles_29.html

I wish certain aspects of our city would be mafia run once again...at least we'd have some order about the place. Heck, if we've got to be corrupt (as it seems), we should at least have some reason. HA HA HA!

Regardless, Scorcese can write a good movie.

Back in the days when Subfrog was just a gleam in his Daddyfrog's eye, I was living in a little place on Cornelia Street in the West Village. Besides being one of the shortest streets in New York, Cornelia was a haven of peace and tranquility: no break-ins, no mugging, no criminality whatsoever.

The only notable anomaly was that every Sunday, a big chauffer-driven limo would double-park on the narrow street for several hours. But no one ever complained, and it seemed invisible to the police. Intrigued by the phenomenon, I asked one of the shop-keepers about it.

His answer was that Mr. X's (an Italian crime-family name which I have since forgotten) mother lived on the street, and every Sunday, Mr. X had lunch with her. 'And that,' said the shopkeeper, 'is why nothing ever happens here. Anyone dumb enough to make trouble on Cornelia Street is a dead man.'

So yeah, I can relate to what you're saying, Subfrog.

Come to think of it, I was dumb enough to make trouble on Cornelia Street: I cheated on the girl I was living with and got found out. We broke up, and sure enough, I felt like a dead man for a long time after....

[ahchard]

Almost everything in the world is run by mafia... take football for example... run by Asian gambling syndicates...

then again... the mafia is connected with the politicians...

[cornerstone]

Of course criminals launder money - and if it's clean it can be invested in anything without the recipient being any the wiser. But there's a massive gap between that and "the formula for turning out films for the Scorcese organization is "three for them (the Mob), one for us."" Since the money for Scorcese films comes from the same pot as the majority of major Hollywood films (even the big studios borrow the money to make the films) you could say the same about just about any director. And it's a normal merchant bank arrangement - they earn interest.

I'm kicking the idea about, not your head you understand!

[ryyannon]

Almost everything in the world is run by mafia... take football for example... run bhonoy Asian gambling syndicates...

then again... the mafia is connected with the politicians...

Wait a minute here....Admin, Ken, Jjajh, Offshore, Nanuq, Willith, Thor!?

All honorable members of Chinese Triad?!

And Mama-san Understood? Yakuza Queen and Japanese Connection?

I'm beginning to see the Mafia EVERYWHERE!

[cornerstone]

Ken is definitely Melbourne Yakuza. At first glance, a normal upstanding citizen, but (I wager) take off the shirt and you'll find nothing but Rolex tattoos

[ekhunter]

Wait a minute here....Admin, Ken, Jjajh, Offshore, Nanuq, Willith, Thor!?

All honorable members of Chinese Triad?!

And Mama-san Understood? Yakuza Queen and Japanese Connection?

I'm beginning to see the Mafia EVERYWHERE!

Didn't you know that Shady was really Kizar Souza? Back to what Sub Frog said. When the Mob ran N.O., you had the obvious visible street crime, but the restaurants and businesses were off limits, mainly because the Marcello clan would get ya if you messed with their extortion racket!