The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight

The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight
First edition cover
Author(s)	Jimmy Breslin
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	Novel
Publisher	Viking Press
Publication date	1969
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	249 pp
ISBN	0-09-102080-8

The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight
Directed by	James Goldstone
Produced by	Robert Chartoff Irwin Winkler
Written by	Jimmy Breslin Waldo Salt
Starring	Jerry Orbach Leigh Taylor-Young Jo Van Fleet Lionel Stander Roz Kelly Robert De Niro
Music by	Dave Grusin
Cinematography	Owen Roizman
Editing by	Edward A. Biery
Release date(s)	1971
Running time	96 minutes
Language	English

The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight is a 1969 novel written by Jimmy Breslin, and a film of the same name based on the book and released in 1971. The novel is a roman à clef based on the life of Joey Gallo.

In the film, Kid Sally Palumbo – the character based on Joe Gallo, also known as "Crazy Joey" – is played by Jerry Orbach. The Mafia comedy features a young Robert De Niro as a member of an Italian cycling team who stays behind illegally in America after the cancellation of the race, for which he had come to the country. For money, he is an adept thief who masquerades as a priest to con Mafia bosses into giving donations to a nonexistent charity.

This film is one of De Niro's earliest. Originally, Al Pacino signed up to play the part of Mario Trantino, but the role was given to De Niro when Pacino was cast as Michael Corleone in The Godfather.

Cast

• Jerry Orbach as Sally
• Leigh Taylor-Young as Angela
• Jo Van Fleet as Big Momma
• Lionel Stander as Baccala
• Robert De Niro as Mario
• Herve Villechaize as Beppo
• Carmine Caridi as Tony the Indian
• Joe Santos as Exmo

External links

• The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight at the Internet Movie Database
• The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight: A Novel at Amazon.com
• Reviw on Rotten Tomatoes