Tony Palazzo Movies

Director Stefano Incerti draws inspiration from the true life tale of Sicilian mob whistleblower Leonardo Vitale for this tale of a man consumed by guild and determined to reveal the inner workings of the world's most powerful organized crime network. Soon after Vitale (David Coco) is muscled into lending a group of thugs his car, he is arrested on suspicion of taking part in a kidnapping plot. Though he attempts to tell the authorities what really happened, it quickly becomes obvious what a mistake he's made when he receives a dire warning from the inside to stop talking. While Vitale's well connected Uncle Titta (Tony Sperandeo) does his best to protect his frightened nephew, Vitale remains convinced that the only way to clear his name is to come clean to the authorities about his shady past. While the public at large thinks Vitale's bizarre claims are nothing more than the ravings of a madman, the mob knows the truth and views his reckless chatter as a direct threat. In a desperate bid to make it appear that Vitale is indeed insane, Uncle Titta and Vitale's mother Rosalia (Anna Bonaiuto) have him locked away in a mental institution. At first it seems as if their plan was a success, but when Vitale later emerges and runs directly to magistrate Angelo Saitta (Tony Palazzo) it quickly becomes apparent that all will not end well for the man struggling to clear his clouded conscience. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Although they are not shipwrecked like the ancient Phoenicians and Greeks who have left their artifacts scattered across this Sicilian island and under the ocean offshore, all the characters in this tragic drama find themselves in strange and unwelcoming territory. In the story, Iano runs the little museum where tourists may view the various Classical and pre-Classical objects turned up by archaeologists on or near the island of Mozia, off the coast of Sicily. Iano also keeps careful watch over his much-too-sexy daughter Iole, with a view to keeping her from harm. However, he must work sometime, and that is precisely when the sneaky girl arranges her trysts with Ioio, a mainlander whose slightly criminal bent leads him to seek out undiscovered antiquities on the island and sell them to an even more unscrupulous aristocrat, who dotes on old stuff. When the aristocrat ropes Ioio into a scheme to steal the museum's star attraction and sell it in order to pay off the older man's gambling debts, tragedy results. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Set during the Mussolini years, Open Doors stars Gian Maria Volonte as an old-line judge. Volonte tries to remain faithful to the letter of the law, despite the "improvements" made by the Fascists. His insistence upon justice over dogma results in government reprimands, and ultimately poses a threat to Volonte's well-being. The honesty vs. corruption theme transcends the film's period settings, resulting in an allegorical masterpiece that has significance in any country, any time. Open Doors was a nominee for the "best foreign picture" Academy Award. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide