James Biberi Movies
A wise guy turns his own trial upside down by serving as his own lawyer in this comedy drama based on a true story. In 1987, an extensive investigation into the activities of the Lucchese crime family led to charges being filed against most of the key members of the gang, leading to the prosecution of 20 different men, each represented by their own council. That is, except for Giacomo DiNorscio, aka Jackie Dee (Vin Diesel), a longtime Lucchese family "mechanic" implicated in everything from kidnapping to drug dealing. While Jackie Dee is obviously a common criminal and guilty of all he's charged with, he also has a fierce sense of loyalty to his colleagues, despite the fact his cousin Tony Companga (Raul Esparza) previously tried to kill him out of fear he might talk. Sean Kierney (Linus Roache), the prosecutor tackling the Lucchese Family case, tries repeatedly to persuade Jackie Dee to testify against his partners in exchange for leniency, but he stubbornly refuses. Tired of the way things are being handled, Jackie Dee informs family attorney Ben Klandis (Peter Dinklage) that he intends to represent himself in court; this seemingly suicidal move turns into an unexpected success as Jackie Dee's sense of humor and streetwise charm has a remarkable impact on the judge and jury. Find Me Guilty also stars Ron Silver, Alex Rocco, and Annabella Sciorra. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vin Diesel, Peter Dinklage, (more)
- 2001
Two people are found dead, and the subsequent investigation quickly segues from murder to drugs. At the center of the drama is Caryn Wyman (Charlotte D'amboise), the wife of a U.S. Army major heavily committed to an anti-drug campaign in Colombia. But Caryn refuses to cooperate with the D.A.'s office until McCoy (Sam Waterston) backs her into a potentially fatal corner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
A group of party cruisers is besieged by a gunman, resulting in several fatalities. The subsequent investigation leads to a man who is leading a double life. When D.A. Adam Schiff (Steven Hill) refuses to seek the death penalty, he is removed from the case, leading to a tense judicial showdown between Schiff and the Governor of New York. This final episode of Law & Order's seventh season culminates in a devastating personal tragedy for the beleaguered Adam Schiff. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Don Close made his feature directorial debut with this drama about a trio of working-class Italian-Americans in Queens. The tale begins with childhood misadventures and then leaps ahead to show their adult lives two decades later -- with one unemployed (Andy Fiscella), another (Close) driving an ice cream truck, and the third (James Biberi) involved in criminal activities with a local don (Frank Vincent) that lead to violence. Shown at the 1997 Mill Valley Film Festival. This film is not to be confused with the other Made Men, a 1999 studio actioner starring James Belushi and Michael Beach and produced by the team of Joel Silver and Richard Donner. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Close, James Biberi, (more)
