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The ‘Tulsa King‘ production could be considered pure fiction, but its basis is firmly anchored in one of the darkest Mafia episodes: the exile of the Inzerillo family.
The story of Dwight “The General” Manfredi in Tulsa King sounds like pure fiction – a New York mobster who becomes king in remote Tulsa. But the series has more connections to reality than it seems at first glance. Who Tulsa King If you think it’s a Hollywood fantasy, you miss the exciting parallel to the real mafia: The Inzerillo family was once banished from Italy – and experienced an equally exciting story full of blood, power and intrigue as well as a bitter end.
From Sicilian to series hero: The real inspiration for Dwight in Tulsa King?
The real role model: In the series, Dwight Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone) is “exiled” to Tulsa – a kind of mafia exile. This story is very reminiscent of the fate of the real Inzerillo family. This division of Cosa Nostra was expelled from Italy in the 1980s by Salvatore “The Beast” Riina and the Sicilian Mafia. The so-called “Pizza Connection” of the mafia, which controlled the heroin trade, is also known from this time. Although the series takes artistic liberties, Dwight’s exile partly reflects the real exile of the Inzerillos:
Salvatore Inzerillo was a high-ranking member of the “Pizza Connection” and was murdered in 1981. © Salvatore Inzerillo, archive, Wikipedia
End of the Inzerillos? In the 2000s, some members of the family attempted to regain their power in both New York and Palermo. However, in 2019, 15 members of the Inzerillo and Gambino families were arrested in a large-scale raid by American and Italian law enforcement. Today, the current status of the Inzerillo family is unclear, but there are indications that they may remain active. Will the real ending still have an impact on the third season of Tulsa King?
Tulsa King and Other Mafia Stories That Inspired Hollywood
Next to Tulsa King On Paramount+, many more mafia stories are based on real families and events. Here are some examples:
- The Godfather: Inspired by the Genovese family and Frank Costello.
- Goodfellas: Directly based on Henry Hill and the Lucchese family.
- Donnie Brasco: Based on FBI agent Joseph Pistone’s undercover operation in the Bonanno family.
- Discover the Paramount+ offer now (affiliate link*)
Why the Mafia in Oklahoma? The choice of Tulsa as the setting may seem unusual to many – what’s a New York mafioso doing in a city of just 400,000 people in the heart of Oklahoma? The series deliberately uses this contrast: the idyllic small-town atmosphere of Tulsa meets the brutal world of the mafia and the size of New York (8 million inhabitants). But in real life, mafia families were always looking for new territories and resources – be it New York, Las Vegas or Chicago. Tulsa offers the perfect canvas for this unusual power struggle.
Sylvester Stallone (r.) and his new Don in Tulsa King Paramount+ © ylvester Stallone (r.) as Tulsa King (c) Paramount+
Sylvester Stallone and the Mafia?
Sylvester Stallone, the main protagonist of Tulsa Kinghas Italian roots but no known real-world ties to the mafia. He was born to an Italian father and an American mother and grew up in an Italian-American family. While his roles in films like Rocky and Rambo made him famous, he is not connected to organized crime. However, his portrayal in Tulsa King his connection to the fictional mafia world, which many Italian-born actors embody in Hollywood cinema.
Tulsa King While it’s not an exact depiction of the Inzerillo family, the series does incorporate several elements of real-life mafia history. Montana is even further away than Tulsa – and the finale of the 5th season of Yellowstone will soon start with another old warhorse: Kevin Costner.
