Capisce?

Have you seen these 10 incredible Mafia films?

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Mafia movies and TV shows have always been extremely popular, and for good reason: they expose the seedy underbelly of society, which is definitively a fascinating subject for us regular folks on this side of the law. With that in mind, we have selected some of our favorite Mafia and crime films to pay tribute to these 10 fictional criminal masterminds. Without further ado, here’s our list!

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We’ll start with what many consider the quintessential Mafia movie. Inspired by Mario Puzo’s 1969 bestseller, The Godfather is widely regarded as a masterpiece. From its superb acting to its equally stunning cinematography, few films have amassed a cult following quite like The Godfather.

The film explores the history of the Corleone family, focusing on patriarch Vito Corleone and his son and successor, Michael. The Godfather was revolutionary in its portrayal of the Mafia, depicting it as a sophisticated network with its own set of rules and traditions.

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Few people realize that Brian De Palma’s iconic 1983 film Scarface is actually a remake of an older movie. De Palma’s version, starring the legendary Al Pacino, was based on a 1932 film starring Paul Muni, which itself was adapted from a 1930 novel.

While the original was groundbreaking for its time, De Palma’s version remains the most well-known—and for good reason. Pacino delivers a riveting performance as the power-hungry Tony Montana, charting his meteoric rise and dramatic fall in the Miami underworld.

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Martin Scorsese is no stranger to Mafia films, having directed blockbusters like The Departed and The Irishman. However, his most iconic contribution to the genre is arguably his 1990 classic Goodfellas, considered by many to be an absolute masterpiece.

Based on Nicholas Pileggi’s nonfiction book Wiseguy, the film follows the true story of mobster Henry Hill. Goodfellas boasts an outstanding cast, including Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Lorraine Bracco, and Joe Pesci, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his unforgettable performance.

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Quentin Tarantino’s debut film showcased the brilliance of this then-young promise. Made on a minimal budget, Reservoir Dogs is set primarily in an abandoned warehouse, where a group of bank robbers grapples with the fallout of a botched heist.

Much of what makes this film so memorable is its deep dive into the inner workings of organized crime—from the color-coded aliases adopted by the thieves (like "Mr. Orange" and "Mr. Blonde") to the growing unease and distrust among them.

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Is there a better antagonist for a Mafia movie than the most infamous gangster of all time? The Untouchables follows Prohibition agent Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner) as he fights to take down criminal kingpin Al Capone, masterfully portrayed by Robert De Niro.

Loosely based on Ness’s real-life battle against Capone’s criminal empire in 1930s Chicago, this 1987 film received four Oscar nominations, with Sean Connery winning Best Supporting Actor.

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Michael Mann’s 1995 film Heat holds the distinction of featuring two of the crime genre’s most iconic actors: Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. The film pits their characters against each other, with Pacino playing a seasoned detective reluctantly hunting a professional thief portrayed by De Niro.

One of Heat’s greatest strengths is its compelling characters. Though clear rivals, Pacino and De Niro’s characters share a deep, mutual respect, adding layers of complexity to their conflict.

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While Denzel Washington is best known for his role as the corrupt detective Alonzo Harris in the 2001 crime thriller Training Day, his outstanding performance in the 2007 film American Gangster shouldn’t be overlooked.

Loosely based on the life of gangster Frank Lucas, portrayed by Washington, American Gangster follows Lucas’s rise to power and his battle against detective Richie Roberts, played by Russell Crowe.

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If Goodfellas has taught us anything, it’s that a Scorsese film starring Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro is a guaranteed blockbuster. The 1995 film Casino follows a gambling expert (De Niro) tasked with overseeing a Chicago casino run by a Mafia "made man" (Pesci).

Like The Godfather, one of this film’s greatest strengths is its detailed portrayal of the Mafia’s inner workings, from daily operations to internal struggles. Sharon Stone’s performance as hustler Ginger McKenna earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

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A Bronx Tale (1993) marks Robert De Niro’s directorial debut and is based on a play by actor Chazz Palminteri. The film follows Calogero, an Italian-American boy fascinated by the Mafia who idolizes a local crime boss, played by Palminteri himself.

A Bronx Tale does a fantastic job of showing Calogero’s internal struggle between the allure of wealth and power offered by the Mafia and the hardworking, honest life his father (De Niro) tries to instill in him.

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We’ll end this article with a film many believe to be solely responsible for completely revolutionizing the crime genre. Starring Hollywood legend James Cagney, The Public Enemy (1931) follows Tom Powers, a young man rising through Chicago’s criminal underbelly during Prohibition.

Loosely based on Al Capone’s life, the film was groundbreaking for its time. In 1998, The Public Enemy was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress.

Big names ahead

Once you see it, you’ll never unsee it: 12 brand logos’ hidden messages

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A good logo has to communicate what the brand it represents is all about. It should do so in the simplest and most elegant way possible, conveying the brand’s spirit and core concept. The following 12 famous brands have managed to create iconic logos that not only represent them successfully but also include a subtle, partially hidden message. Did you know about any of these?

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The name of the French supermarket chain means "intersection" in its native language. This meaning is clearly reflected in its logo, with its two arrows pointing in opposite directions. Additionally, hidden in the space between the arrows you can see the shape of the letter "C."

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Amazon’s logo has a ubiquitous online presence. It’s simple, and it has been streamlined over the years. If you’ve ever wondered what the arrow beneath the logo means, take a look at its starting and ending points: it goes from A to Z.

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The name Cisco comes from the common abbreviation of San Francisco, its hometown. The logo portrays the two towers of the Golden Gate Bridge, arranged in a shape that also suggests a sound wave.

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Why does Apple’s logo have a bite mark on it? The reason is practical: if there was no bite mark, the smaller versions of the logo—used on a variety of gadgets including the iPhone—might look like a cherry.

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The FedEx logo looks quite normal, but it hides a small detail, overlooked by most: between the second "E" and the "x," the negative space forms a small arrow pointing forward, symbolizing speed and precision.

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The triangular Swiss chocolate Toblerone uses the Matterhorn—one of Switzerland’s most iconic mountains—as its logo. But, if you look closely, inside the mountain you can spot the shape of a bear, which is the official symbol of the Swiss town of Bern, the original home of Toblerone.

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If you’ve ever wondered what the red logo of the Levi’s brand means, then you should take a look at the stitching on the back pocket of any pair of their jeans—the shape matches perfectly.

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If you take a closer look at the neckline of the redheaded girl in the Wendy’s logo, you’ll notice that her shirt collar subtly spells out the word "mom." This detail is meant to evoke the feeling of home-cooked meals, just like something made by your mom.

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The NBC logo is formed by the colors of the rainbow, which represent the colors of modern television. But at the center, you can see the shape of a peacock, with its beak pointing to the right. The colorful shapes around it represent the bird’s spread feathers.

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While some people suggest that the two-colored BMB circle represents a propeller, based on the airplane manufacturing history of the brand, the truth points elsewhere. The blue and white segments actually represent the flag of Bavaria, the region where the company originated.

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The world’s largest chain of ice cream shops, Baskin-Robbins, is best known for offering 31 flavors of ice cream. Its logo cleverly features the number "31" highlighted in pink, hidden within the center of the design.

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The stylized logo and lettermark of the electric car brand Tesla is designed to resemble the cross-section of an electric motor. Or, at least, a meaningful part of it.