Pay or Die! *** (1960, Ernest Borgnine, Alan Austin, Zohra Lampert, Robert F Simon, Renata Vanni, John Marley) – Classic Movie Review 13,360

Richard Wilson’s 1960 crime film Pay or Die! tells the real-life story of Mafia families as they set up shop in New York just before World War One. Ernest Borgnine stars as the NYPD Lieutenant whose ‘Italian Squad’ takes on the Black Hand.

Producer/ director Richard Wilson’s 1960 American biographical crime film Pay or Die! tells the real-life story of the violent machinations of Mafia families as they set up shop in New York just before World War One.

It is a downbeat and realistic telling of a powerful tale about NYPD Lieutenant Joe Petrosino (Ernest Borgnine), the policeman who led the special team who took the Mafia on, made all the more so for being true. The film centres on the operation of Petrosino and his ‘Italian Squad’ against the extortion rackets of the Black Hand in lower Manhattan’s Little Italy between 1906 and 1909.

Ernest Borgnine is on fire, and the acting by an interesting cast, Lucien Ballard’s black and white cinematography, Fernando Carrere’s art direction, and a diligent production all combine to help to capture the feel of New York crime in the early part of the last century.

Howard Caine plays opera singer Enrico Caruso, saved from a killing by Petrosino.

The cast

The cast are Ernest Borgnine as Police Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino, Zohra Lampert as Adelina Saulino, Alan Austin as Johnny Viscardi, Renata Vanni as Mama Saulino, Bruno Della Santina as Papa Saulino, Robert F Simon as Police Commissioner, Robert Ellenstein as Luigi Di Sarno, Howard Caine as Enrico Caruso, Barry Russo (billed as John Duke) as Lupo Miano, Vito Scotti as Officer Simonetti, John Marley as D Caputo, and Delia Nora Salvi as Miss Salvi,

Pay or Die! is directed by Richard Wilson, runs 109 minutes, is made and released by Allied Artists, is written by Richard Collins and Bertram Millhauser, is shot in black and white by Lucien Ballard, is produced by Richard Wilson, and is scored by David Raksin, with Production Design by Fernando Carrere.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,360

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