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Empire (2002 Film)
''Empire'' is a 2002 American gangster film written and directed by Franc. Reyes. It stars John Leguizamo, Peter Sarsgaard, Denise Richards, Sônia Braga, Isabella Rossellini, Fat Joe, and Treach. The film premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival and was given a theatrical release on December 6, 2002. Plot Victor "Vic" Rosa is a drug dealer in New York City who sells a specific brand of heroin called "Empire". His territory is located in the South Bronx, where he and his other rivals, Hector ("Exorcist"), Tito ("Severe"), and Negro ("Dancing Queen") all maintain an uneasy truce because they all purchase their drugs from the same supplier, drug lord Joanna "La Colombiana" Menendez. Victor's girlfriend Carmen invites him to a chic white-collar party being thrown by her friend Trish and her boyfriend Jack Wimmer, an investment banker. He then asks for and is given permission by La Colombiana's younger brother Rafael to assassinate local kingpin Tito. A shootout occurs, which ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Franc
The franc is any of various units of currency. One franc is typically divided into 100 centimes. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription ''francorum rex'' (King of the Franks) used on early French coins and until the 18th century, or from the French ''franc'', meaning "frank" (and "free" in certain contexts, such as ''coup franc'', "free kick"). The countries that use francs today include Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and most of Francophone Africa. The Swiss franc is a major world currency today due to the prominence of Swiss financial institutions. Before the introduction of the euro in 1999, francs were also used in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, while Andorra and Monaco accepted the French franc as legal tender ( Monégasque franc). The franc was also used in French colonies including Algeria and Cambodia. The franc is sometimes Italianised or Hispanicised as the ''franco'', for instance in Luccan franco. Origins The franc was originally a French gold coi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive with a respective county. The city is the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the United States by both population and urban area. New York is a global center of finance and commerce, culture, technology, entertainment and media, academics, and scientific output, the arts and fashion, and, as home to the headquarters of the United Nations, international diplomacy. With an estimated population in 2024 of 8,478,072 distributed over , the city is the most densely populated major city in the United States. New York City has more than double the population of Los Angeles, the nation's second-most populous city. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Variety (magazine)
''Variety'' is an American trade magazine owned by Penske Media Corporation. It was founded by Sime Silverman in New York City in 1905 as a weekly newspaper reporting on theater and vaudeville. In 1933, ''Daily Variety'' was launched, based in Los Angeles, to cover the film industry, motion-picture industry. ''Variety'' website features entertainment news, reviews, box office results, plus a credits database, production charts and film calendar. History Founding ''Variety'' has been published since December 16, 1905, when it was launched by Sime Silverman as a weekly periodical covering theater and vaudeville, with its headquarters in New York City. Silverman had been fired by ''The Morning Telegraph'' in 1905 for panning an act which had taken out an advert for $50. He subsequently decided to start his own publication that, he said, would "not be influenced by advertising." With a loan of $1,500 from his father-in-law, he launched ''Variety'' as publisher and editor. In additi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hispanic And Latino Americans
Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans who have a Spaniards, Spanish or Latin Americans, Latin American background, culture, or family origin. This demographic group includes all Americans who identify as Hispanic or Latino (demonym), Latino, regardless of Race and ethnicity in the United States census, race. According to the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau, an estimated 65,219,145 Hispanics and Latinos were living in the United States in 2023, representing approximately 19.5% of the total Demographics of the United States, U.S. population that year, making them the Race and ethnicity in the United States, second-largest group after the Non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic White population. "Origin" can be viewed as the ancestry, nationality group, lineage or country of birth of the person or the person's parents or ancestors before their arrival in the United States of America. People who identify as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race, because similarly ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blood In Blood Out
''Blood In Blood Out'' (also known as ''Bound by Honor'' and ''Blood In Blood Out: Bound By Honor'') is a 1993 American epic crime drama film directed by Taylor Hackford, from a screenplay co-written by Jimmy Santiago Baca and Floyd Mutrux. The film follows the intertwining lives of three Chicano relatives from 1972 to 1984. They start out as members of a street gang in East Los Angeles, and as dramatic incidents occur, their lives and friendships are forever changed. The film stars Jesse Borrego, Benjamin Bratt, Enrique Castillo, and Damian Chapa. The screenplay is partly autobiographical, drawn from Baca’s experiences in street gangs and imprisonment. The film's title refers to the initiation ritual of having to kill someone to enter a gang and, on the reverse end, not being able to leave the gang unless killed. The film was released by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution on April 30, 1993. Critical reviews were mixed to positive, and ''Blood In Blood Out'' was a box off ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scarface (1983 Film)
''Scarface'' is a 1983 American crime drama film directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone and starring Al Pacino. It is a remake of the 1932 film, in turn based on the novel first published in 1930 by Armitage Trail. It tells the story of Cuban refugee Tony Montana (Pacino), who arrives in Miami during the Mariel boatlift and becomes a powerful drug lord. The film co-stars Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Robert Loggia, Míriam Colón, F. Murray Abraham and Harris Yulin. Pacino became interested in a remake of the 1932 version after seeing it, and he and producer Martin Bregman began to develop the feature project. Sidney Lumet was initially hired to direct the film but was replaced by De Palma, who hired Stone to write the script. De Palma dedicated this version of ''Scarface'' to the memories of Howard Hawks and Ben Hecht, the director and screenwriter, respectively, of the original film. Filming took place from Novemb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crack Epidemic In The United States
The crack epidemic was a surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across the United States throughout the entirety of the 1980s and the early 1990s. This resulted in several social consequences, such as increasing crime and violence in American inner city neighborhoods, a resulting backlash in the form of tough on crime policies, and a massive spike in incarceration rates. Crack cocaine In the early 1980s, the majority of cocaine, originating in Colombia and trafficked through The Bahamas, was being shipped to Miami." DEA History Book, 1876–1990" (drug usage & enforcement), US Department of Justice, 1991, USDoJ.gov webpageDoJ-DEA-History-1985-1990 Soon there was a huge glut of cocaine powder in these islands, which caused the price to drop by as much as 80 percent. Faced with dropping prices for their illegal product, drug dealers made a decision to convert the powder to "crack", a solid smokable form of cocaine, that could be sold in smaller quantities, to more people. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Bronx
The South Bronx is an area of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The area comprises neighborhoods in the southern part of the Bronx, such as Concourse, Bronx, Concourse, Mott Haven, Bronx, Mott Haven, Melrose, Bronx, Melrose, and Port Morris, Bronx, Port Morris. In the early 1900s, the South Bronx was originally known as the Manor of Morrisania, as it was the manor of Lewis Morris (governor), Lewis Morris. As the Morris family continued to expand on the land, an influx of German and Irish immigrants started to populate the area. By the 1930s, the Bronx was considered the "Jewish Borough", as nearly half the population was Jewish. This soon changed as World War II caused rent to increase in many apartments, pushing people out. By the end of the 1950s, the South Bronx was two-thirds African American or Hispanic (of any race). The South Bronx is known for its hip-hop culture and Tag (graffiti), graffiti. Graffiti became popular in the Bronx in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sam Coppola
Sam Coppola (July 31, 1932 – February 5, 2012) was an American character actor of stage, film, and television, appearing in more than 35 films and nearly 40 television shows, since 1968. Education Coppola was an alumnus of the Lee Strasberg acting studio. Career Coppola's film roles include, a Cop (uncredited) in '' Serpico'' (1973), Dan Fusco, owner of the hardware and paint store who gave John Travolta's character Tony Manero advice in ''Saturday Night Fever'' (1977), and Fuselli in ''Fatal Attraction'' (1987). On television, Coppola's appearances include roles in the series ''Ryan's Hope'' (1975-76), '' The Equalizer'' (1986), ''The Practice'' (1997), ''The Wire'' (2006), ''The Good Wife'' (2011), and on shows in the ''Law & Order'' franchise. On ''The Sopranos'' (1999), Coppola made a brief appearance as the idiosyncratic family therapist of Jennifer Melfi. In the 2001 A&E television movie '' The Big Heist'', Coppola portrayed mob boss Paul Castellano. Coppola pla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Granville Adams
Granville Adams (October 8, 1963 – October 10, 2021) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Zahir Arif on the HBO television series '' Oz''. He also had a recurring role on the NBC series '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' as Officer Jeff Westby. Arrest On February 4, 2007, Adams was arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide for the death of a man in a nightclub. According to police reports, Adams got into an altercation with Orlando Valle at BED New York, a Manhattan nightclub of which Adams was a manager. He was accused of pushing Valle against the elevator doors of the sixth floor club, causing the doors to become unhinged and Valle to fall down the shaft to his death. According to Adams' attorneys, Adams was trying to break up an altercation between a patron and an employee when Valle attacked Adams from behind and Adams acted in self-defense by throwing Valle off of his back. Adams was released on $5,000 bail and faced up to four years in p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nestor Serrano
Nestor Serrano (born November 5, 1955) is an American film and television actor. He is known for playing Navi Araz in the fourth season of ''24 (TV series), 24''. He also appeared as Emilio Loera in the fourth season of the Cinemax series ''Banshee (TV series), Banshee''. Early life Serrano studied at Queens College and the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, both in New York City. Career Serrano began his acting career in off-Broadway plays in the late 1970s. He often portrays authority figures on both sides of the law. His first film was the 1986 Tom Hanks comedy ''The Money Pit''. Since then, he has appeared in supporting roles in films such as ''Lethal Weapon 2'', ''Bad Boys (1995 film), Bad Boys'', ''The Negotiator'', ''Empire (2002 film), Empire'', ''Secretariat (2010 film), Secretariat'', ''The Insider (film), The Insider'', ''Runaway Jury'' and ''The Day After Tomorrow''. He has an extensive television résumé, with appearances in shows such as ''Burn Notice'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vincent Laresca
Vincent Laresca (born January 21, 1974) is an American actor. Laresca is of Panamanian and Italian descent. He first appeared in film in the 1992 movie ''Juice,'' as Radames. Since then, he has appeared in many popular films, including '' The Devil's Advocate'', '' The Aviator'', ''Empire'', ''Coach Carter'', '' The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'' and Baz Luhrmann's ''William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet''. In 1997, he had a supporting role in the short-lived Fox ensemble drama '' 413 Hope St.'' He has also had major supporting roles on '' 24'', '' CSI: Miami'' and ''Weeds''. In 2013 Laresca took on a role as a Mexican federale and the hit man Jangles in the show ''Graceland''. In 2016, Laresca had a main role in NBC's ''Shades of Blue'' as NYPD Detective Carlos Espada. Filmography * 1992 ''Juice'' as Radames * 1992 '' Bad Lieutenant'' as J.C. * 1994 '' I Like It Like That'' as Angel * 1995 ''Money Train'' as Subway Robber #1 * 1996 ''The Substitute'' as Rodriguez * 1996 ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
