Sit Down with Michael Franzese12 Sep 2025

Greatest Mob Actors Of All Time Ranked by Ex-Mobster

I’m ranking the 20 greatest mob actors of all time—and some of my picks might surprise you.” I break them down into five categories: The GOAT (Greatest of All Time), Legendary, Memorable, Average, and Forgettable. These aren’t just movie reviews from some critic. I lived this life for 20 years and knew real mobsters like Joe Colombo, Fat Tony Salerno, and Chin Giganti personally. I can tell you who got it right and who was just acting. From iconic performances in classic films to recent portrayals that missed the mark completely, I’m covering actors who’ve taken on these roles over the decades. Some brought authentic energy and nailed the mannerisms. Others? Well, let’s just say they should have stuck to different genres. I’ll tell you which performances reminded me of the real guys I knew, and which ones made me cringe. Some of my choices will surprise you. Others will make perfect sense. But every ranking comes from someone who’s been there and knows the difference between authentic acting and completely faking it. Let me know where you think I got it right—and where you think I’m completely wrong. Greatest Mob Actors Of All Time Ranked by Ex-Mobster 0:00 - Introduction 1:05 - The Greatest Mob Actor Ranking Categories 5:24 - Tony Sirico (Paulie Walnuts) 6:19 - Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders) 8:07 - Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire) 8:54 - Al Pacino (Multiple Roles) 11:38 - Michael Shannon (The Iceman) 12:36 - Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) 14:02 - Sylvester Stallone (Tulsa King) 15:43 - Robert De Niro (Multiple Roles) 19:02 - Jack Nicholson (The Departed) 19:54 - Joe Pesci (Multiple Roles) 22:13 - Chazz Palminteri (A Bronx Tale) 24:40 - Tom Hardy (Multiple Roles) 26:51 - Ray Liotta (Goodfellas) 28:31 - James Gandolfini (The Sopranos) 30:03 - Johnny Depp (Multiple Roles) 31:44 - Marlon Brando (The Godfather) 32:48 - Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas) 33:49 - Denzel Washington (American Gangster) 35:03 - John Travolta (Gotti) 35:48 - Armand Assante (HBO's Gotti) 38:47 - Final Rankings Recap Backbone Media Group Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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