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Working Titles: A Bronx Tale

A truly underrated mob flick, A Bronx Tale delivers hard-hitting drama, addresses some real issues, and exhibits sturdy 60s NYC style.

William Reynolds

I wasn’t ready for A Bronx Tale. I feel like I had several recurring epiphanies throughout. I wasn’t prepared. I went into it all dewy-eyed and emerged on the other side a Limoncello-sippin’, toothpick-suckin’ mobster with some tears along the way. Man o’ man, what a film. 

Directed by Robert De Niro, A Bronx Tale is a coming-of-age drama set in the streets of an Italian-American Bronx neighborhood in the socially turbulent ‘60s. Based on the Chazz Palminteri play, the story follows Calogero (played first by Francis Capra as a young boy, then by Lillo Brancato as a teenager), a kid who’s quickly taken under the wing of local mob boss Sonny (Chazz Palminteri) after witnessing a murder right on his doorstep. As he becomes immersed in mob life, a mental game of tug of war ensues as he battles to stay on the straight and narrow like his father, Lorenzo (Robert De Niro), or to embrace the mobster life of Sonny. But when Calogero falls for his African-American classmate, Jane (Taral Hicks), repercussions threaten the entire neighborhood. 

If I had to lump the style in this movie into a bucket, it would be ‘mob-core’. Does mob-core even exist? Probably not, and I don’t expect to be writing a Style Starter piece on it any time soon. You can certainly see how these 60s wardrobes persevered into later mob culture when you consider some of the fits on, say, The Sopranos. 

Calogero

A Bronx Tale opens with a classic bit of narration, with Calogero’s thick Italian-American accent setting the scene. Have you heard about the concept of an internal narrative or monologue? In short, our inner narrative is the story we tell ourselves. It’s the thoughts that pop into our heads, our core beliefs, our internal dialogue. Some people have them, some people don’t. Personally, I don’t, but if I did, I’d want it narrated by Calogero. 

Calogero quickly does the rounds and gets us acquainted with the characters in the movie, from his father Lorenzo to his best bud Slick. This is where we get our first glimpse of life on the block. In some respects, the kids dress better than the adults: open camp-collar shirts and crisp white tanks tucked into some straight-cut work pants, rounded off with some classic pumps or tennis shoes. Cementing the locale of  New York is the fitted Yankees cap and badged varsity jacket that young Calogero rocks on the bus with his father. It’s what Aime Leon Dore Fanboys wish they looked like. 

The Young Calogero Look:

Bridge & Burn Collins Slim Shirt $118 at REVOLVR.

New York Yankees New Era 59FIFTY Fitted Cap $49.99 at MLB.

MAPLE Figaro Chain 14K Gold, $389 at MAPLE.

NEAT Chino Grey, $307 at Lost & Found.

WTAPS Skivvies Tank (pack of 3), $55 at HAVEN.

Veja V-90 Sneaker, $190 st Huckberry.

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Sonny

Enter Sonny, stage right. Previously, when I’ve visualized mob bosses in my head, I’ve had varying images, from Al Capone to Bugsy Siegel. However, for me, Sonny is the apex of mob bosses; from the way he speaks and the clothes he wears to how he conducts himself and interacts with peers. Sonny’s dress is very formal, mirroring his embodied demands of respect. I can’t remember him not wearing a full suit throughout the entire movie – he even wears one playing ‘stickball’ in the street (minus the tie and jacket, of course). 

A lot of classic mob bosses are depicted as being quite ostentatious. Sonny is not. His suiting style is clean, leaning more towards the slimmer side, a sharp contrast to the billowy tailoring preferred in preceding decades. His fingers aren’t littered with brash gold sovereign rings, although there are a couple, and he hasn’t got cigars hanging out of his mouth. His look is unassuming, which I think directly contributes to how believable his character is. 

What I like most about Sonny, aside from sartorial choices and a keen eye for a tie, is his wisdom. Throughout the film, Sonny is forever dropping knowledge bombs or hurling wisdom grenades. A lot of the time, when people do this, it often comes across as quite contrived. You know when people utter platitudes like it’s profound literature? ‘Live, laugh, love’ – ring any bells? Sonny is the opposite, and he manages to deliver these words of wisdom in a very relatable way, making it all the better. 

The Sonny Look:

BKT50 Tailored Jacket in Super 130s Twill – Marled Midnight, $975 at Brooklyn Tailors.

BKT50 Tailored Trousers in Super 130s Twill – Marled Midnight, $475 at Brooklyn Tailors.

BKT20 Slim Dress Shirt in Pinpoint Oxford – White, $215 at Brooklyn Tailors.

Made-in-UK Solid Brown Grenadine Tie, $125 at J. Press.

Plain Derby, $308 at BRIDLEN.

Lorenzo

Lorenzo is Sonny’s father. A local bus driver, he is a proud, hard-working man who is not ashamed of his everyman vocation. He is desperate for Calogero to steer clear of Sonny’s mob and is not afraid to tell Calogero and Sonny exactly what he thinks. This dynamic makes for some compelling scenes, and De Niro is brilliant as always.

Lorenzo’s wardrobe is classic 60s. Most of the movie, he is simply in his bus driving uniform, or just the slacks and a plain white tee. In a later scene at the movies, we do see Lorenzo in his Sunday best, rocking a drizzler jacket and knitted polo with his slacks.

The Lorenzo Look

The Real McCoy’s All Weather Swing Jacket Beige, $615 at Clutch Cafe.

Beams Plus Cable Knit Polo, $198 at STAG.

Brooklyn Tailors x Saddler’s 30mm Belt in Smooth Leather – Black, $120 at Brooklyn Tailors.

BKT36 Straight Leg Pant in Cotton Twill – Charcoal, $475 at Brooklyn Tailors.

3sixteen Lug Sole Derby, $460 at 3sixteen.

Learning the Ropes

Throughout the film, Sonny and Calogero become very close. I don’t want to spoil the plot, so I’ll leave out how and why. However, as the relationship between Sonny and Calogero (affectionately known by Sonny and his peers as “C”) blossoms and Calogero gets older, his style starts to develop that mob-esque patina, too. Lots of leather, slimmer dress pants, black derbies, and some pretty unique pique polo shirts. The suiting, by the way, is wild. I’m talking heavily pronounced open collars, fedoras, the works. Hard to get behind nowadays, but definitely a look. 

Calogero develops a signature look throughout the remainder of the movie. One piece that sticks out more than anything (in a good way) is his mid-length black leather black jacket. It’s like a car coat but slightly longer — a style that has come back into focus in recent years in mainstream fashion. To name a couple that are more relevant in our niche, Second/Layer and Our Legacy have produced coats like this.   

The second half of the movie is where things go downhill real fast. I’m not talking about the quality of the movie, but more about what happens within it. While uncomfortable at times, this is where I think A Bronx Tale sets itself apart from your typical mobster movie. It touches on a number of very important themes, many of which are still relevant today. Themes like racism, social inequality, fatherhood, and love. And as these themes unravel in what feels like a relentless onslaught of emotional twists and turns, the movie draws to a cathartic close, one that I wish didn’t come so soon. 

The Teen Calogero Look:

Y’2 Leather EC-77 Eco Horse Car Coat Black, $2,000 at Clutch Cafe.

Knit Polo Vintage Black Boxweave, $245 at 3sixteen.

BKT50 Tailored Trousers in Super 130s Nailhead – Black Oxide, $475 at Brooklyn Tailors.