BELLA MAFIA: PART 1 (TV)
Summary
Part one in this two-part miniseries. This program is about five mafia wives who decide to avenge their family's deaths by rival mafioso. This episode begins in Palermo, Sicily, in 1977 as Michael Luciano promises to come back for his girlfriend Sophia after he completes his education at Harvard University. He gives her a locket, with the inscription "beloved." Later, as the Luciano clan gathers for Michael's going-away party, Graziella cries at the thought of sending her son off to college. Michael's father, Don Roberto, is then called away to meet with old enemy Pietro Carolla from New York. With Michael and his brothers Constantino, Frederico, and Alfredo hovering nearby, Roberto refuses to allow Pietro to sell drugs in Palermo. Luciano lawyer Mario Domino then brings the meeting to a close. Meanwhile, Pietro visits his ailing son Giorgio at the monastery where he lives. That night, Roberto warns Michael to take care of himself in America. Later that evening, Michael sneaks out to have one final rendezvous with Sophia. While on the street, Michael runs into Pietro, who offers him a lift home. The next morning, Roberto is shocked to find Michael missing. Meanwhile, a battered Michael is brought in front of Anthony Moreno and other mafioso. Anthony is unsure what to do with the youth, but eventually decides to send Pietro back to New York and "dispose" of Michael. Eventually, Michael is found dead in front of the Luciano estate, sending the family into crisis and mourning. Roberto and his sons swear to get revenge against Pietro. Doing some investigating, Roberto learns that the car that picked up Michael was rented to an American named Lennie Jackson, one of Pietro's workers.
Traveling to New York, Roberto has a sit-down with Pietro who insists that he wasn't in Palermo when Michael was murdered. Roberto is ordered by Anthony and his colleagues to stay out of New York and leave Pietro alone. Roberto vows to locate Lennie, but Pietro takes care of him first. Meanwhile, a now-pregnant Sophia gets work as a washer woman in a convent. Months later, Sophia learns that Michael is dead, sending her into labor. Now with a baby boy, Sophia goes to meet Roberto, hoping to tell him of his grandson. After nearly getting hit by a speeding car driven by Constantino, a bruised Sophia speaks with Graziella. Graziella invites Sophia to live with them, but Roberto hates the idea, disapproving of the illegitimate, lower-class woman. He is especially unhappy when Graziella says that Constantino should marry Sophia. Graziella thinks this will also make Pietro believe that the family vendetta toward him has ended. Calling the convent, Sophia is shocked to learn that her son was put out for adoption as she hadn't made contact with them in three months. Soon, Sophia and Constantino's wedding day has arrived, along with a downpour of rain. She tries to tell him about her relationship with Michael but is silenced. At the reception, Roberto asks his sons into his study while Sophia is introduced to American law student Teresa Scorpio. In the study, Roberto learns that he will be allowed to purchase an Atlantic City casino, after which he is offered a truce from Pietro. However, Roberto refuses the truce and still denies Pietro's drug trade in Palermo. Elsewhere, Sophia dissolves in tears after recalling her baby and is later comforted by the ditzy Moyra, the girlfriend of American gangster Nickie Diamond. Graziella tries to set Frederico up with Teresa, which he bucks as he's just had relations with Moyra. Constantino and Sophia depart for their honeymoon.
Frederico runs into Moyra, now a showgirl, in Atlantic City at the Luciano's casino. Frederico is still angry that Roberto wants him to marry Teresa Scorpio in order to get access to their family's docks. Frederico goes on a date with Moyra, while Alfredo is talked into going out with Teresa. On his date, Alfredo complains to Teresa that he will never be like Michael, as his father wishes him to be. Eventually, Alfredo and Teresa marry and Fredrico brings Moyra to the nuptials, infuriating Roberto. However, during a fight at the reception, it's revealed that Frederico and Moyra are married and that she's pregnant. The chaos causes Moyra to go into labor and she has a stillbirth. Trying to comfort Moyra, Sophia anguishes over her own inabilities to give birth again, nor to locate her missing son. Constantino cheers Sophia up by letting her know that Roberto has agreed to fund a boutique she wishes to open. Next, the narrative moves to Erice, Sicily and the monastery where Giorgio Carolla is living -- and where Sophia's "wild animal" son, Luka, has been sent. The monks believe he has been abused and will respond only to the locket bearing the word "beloved," a possession of his long-lost mother. Luka hides from the monks in Giorgio's room, quickly befriending the deformed boy. Meanwhile, Pietro is furious at how the Luciano family has taken over the Scorpio business and casinos in America, thinking he should be allowed to return to Palermo to conduct his own business. One day, Roberto and Graziella visit Sophia at her shop, a bit unsure about her whole operation. Sophia surprises them by revealing that she is now pregnant and eventually gives birth to twin sons.
The storyline resumes in 1995, with a young adult Luka still living at the monastery, best friends with Giorgio and serving as the invalid's "body." Luka now owns a gun and is fascinated with a potential life in crime. One day, Pietro pays a visit to see Giorgio at the monastery, where the dying boy instructs his father to take care of Luka. Before he dies, he orders Luka to "live" for him. Afterward, Pietro takes Luka back to America, now calling him his son. Two years later, in Palermo, Pietro is arrested at the Luciano docks. Luka wants the job of eliminating any witnesses against his adopted father as he is not averse to killing. Roberto is excited to see Pietro behind bars, thinking he should go forth as a witness. However, Mario warns him of impending danger to the family. Soon, Luka is told that Roberto is the surprise witness and that he must be killed. On the day of the wedding of Teresa's daughter, Rosa to distant cousin Enzo, the Luciano compound is closely guarded. However, that doesn't prevent Luka from sneaking into the house and killing Sophia's twins. At the same time, Roberto, his three sons, and Enzo all die after drinking poisoned wine at a restaurant, courtesy of Luka. Only the Luciano women are left standing, with Graziella declaring that it's her time for revenge. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: November 16, 1997 Sunday 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:27:16
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:83848
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: She Made It Collection (Lynda La Plante)
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV, 1997
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Frank Konigsberg … Executive Producer
- Jack Clements … Producer
- Alfred Haber … Co-Producer
- Michael Elias … Associate Producer
- Andre Hecht-Endewardt … Associate Producer
- David Greene … Director
- La Plante, Lynda … Writer, Based on the novel by
- Joseph Vitarelli … Music by
- Vanessa Redgrave … Cast, Graziella Luciano
- Dennis Farina … Cast, Don Roberto Luciano
- Nastassja Kinski … Cast, Sophia Luciano
- Jennifer Tilly … Cast, Moyra Luciano
- Illeana Douglas … Cast, Teresa Scorpio Luciano
- James Marsden … Cast, Luka
- Gina Philips … Cast, Rosa Luciano
- Richard Portnow … Cast, Anthony Moreno
- Franco Nero … Cast, Mario Domino
- Peter Bogdanovich … Cast, Vito Giancamo
- Carmen Argenziano … Cast, Castellano
- Michael Hayden … Cast, Michael Luciano
- Richard Joseph Paul … Cast, Constantino Luciano
- W. Earl Brown … Cast, Frederico Luciano
- Tony Maggio … Cast, Alfredo Luciano
- Tomas Arana … Cast, Pirelli
- Christopher Shaw … Cast, Giorgio Carolla
- Michael Raynor … Cast, Nickie Diamond
- Dimitra Arlys … Cast, Anna Maria Scorpio
- Paul Eckstein … Cast, Tom
- Lo Bianco, Tony … Cast, Pietro Carolla
- Todd Tesen … Cast, Lennie Jackson
- Michael Kagen … Cast, Victor Muzetti
- Michael Gregory … Cast, Michael Barzini
- David O'Donnell … Cast, Michael Giancamo
- Dominick Morra … Cast, Father Antonio
- Sam Adamo … Cast, Elderly Father
- Rita Zohar … Cast, Sister Giuliana
- Michael Clark Elias … Cast, Casino Cashier
- Nick Vallenlonga … Cast, Gate Guard
- Alec Plummer … Cast, Luka - Age 10
- Scott Layne … Cast, Casino Security