Pay or Die! (1960)
1h 51m
Running Time
July 27, 1960Release Date
Plot.
A beautifully rendered, fact-based crime film about a crusading Italian policeman battling Black Hand extortionists in New York’s Little Italy is back on the big screen. In addition to Ernest Borgnine’s brilliantly sensitive portrayal as Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino, this engrossing picture is deftly photographed by Lucien Ballard, beautifully scored by David Raksin with a stellar supporting cast including Zohra Lampert and Alan Austin. Literate, suspenseful and emotionally moving, this memorable film remains the definitive depiction about the emergence of the Mafia in America.
Where to Watch.
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This Movie Is About.
Cast & Crew.
Ernest Borgnine
Police Lt. Joseph Petrosino
Zohra Lampert
Adelina Saulino
Bruno Della Santina
Papa Saulino
Alan Austin
Johnny Viscardi
Franco Corsaro
Vito Zarillo
Renata Vanni
Mama Saulino
Robert F. Simon
Police Commissioner
Richard Wilson
Director
Media.
Details.
Wiki.
Pay or Die is a 1960 American biographical and crime film directed by Richard Wilson and starring Ernest Borgnine, Zohra Lampert, Howard Caine, Alan Austin, and Robert F. Simon.
The film is a dramatization of the career of New York City police officer Joseph Petrosino, a pioneer in the fight against organized crime in America. The film deals primarily with Petrosino and his Italian Squad's opposition to the extortion rackets of the Black Hand in lower Manhattan's Little Italy.