Tom Hardy stars as a lonely bartender in The Drop, which begins as a gritty crime drama surrounding illegal activities where he works, but becomes more mysterious through plot twists and character development. Thrilling and surprising with spiritual undertones amid the violence, this film presents one of James Gandolfini’s final performances, as “Cousin Marv,” the desperate former owner of the bar.

Trying to maintain a low-profile as the bar funnels money drops for local gangsters, yet still maintain his loyalty to his cousin, Bob (Hardy) tends bar, prays in church, and lives alone in his modest home. When the Chechen mafia-owned bar is robbed early in the film, it sets off a series of events that change Bob’s life as his quiet existence collides with various criminals. Marv’s shaky financial status becomes even shakier as he’s pressured by the Chechens to get the money back and by the police to tell them what he knows about the crime.

Rescuing a Dog From the Trash

As violence erupts at work, Bob’s home life becomes more peaceful. While walking through his neighborhood, he finds a severely beaten dog in a trash can and rescues it. Nadia (Noomi Rapace), the owner of the trash can (but not the dog), helps Bob care for its injuries and offers tips on how to care for the pit bull puppy he names Rocco. As a newbie dog owner, Bob fears the notoriously dangerous breed, but Nadia assures him it’s not the breed that makes dogs violent, but how they are raised that determines their character – a foreboding statement as dangerous breeds (of humans) surround them in their seedy Brooklyn confines.

Nadia offers to dog sit while Bob tends bar, and they become friends with the potential for more. She mends his broken angel figurine (another clear symbol) and they begin to help each other heal from earlier emotional damage. Lurking around the same neighborhood is crazed local thug, Eric (Matthias Schoenarerts), the animal abuser who demands $10,000 or the return of his dog so he can beat Rocco again. The bar robbery, Marv’s cash flow problem, the dog rescue, Eric’s threat, a snooping police detective (John Ortiz), and Bob’s budding relationship with Nadia build toward a stunning climactic turn of events.

Increasingly Unsettling

Although Hardy’s character goes by the simple name of Bob and claims he just tends bar, his complex character reveals much of himself through his dialogue with others, church visits, relationship with Nadia, and treatment of his puppy. He, like the dog and so many others in The Drop, needs rescue, if not redemption.

Terrific performances and an intelligent script highlight this thriller, which grows increasingly unsettling by the minute. Music by Marco Beltrami and Raf Keunen adds to the creepy ambiance, and tight cinematography by Nicolas Karakatsanis completes this dark, gritty cinematic package.

The Drop

• A lonely bartender becomes involved in the aftermath of a botched robbery at the Brooklyn bar where he works with his cousin.
• Starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, James Gandolfini, Matthias Schoenaerts, John Ortiz, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Michael Aronov, Morgan Spector
• Director: Michael R. Roskam
• Writer: Dennis Lehane (screenplay and short story “Animal Rescue”)
• Genre: Crime Drama
• Run Time: 106 minutes
• MPAA Rating: R (for some strong violence and pervasive language).

Michael Vaughn’s directorial debut Layer Cake is a very slick, well shot film, filled with twists, turns and flashbacks showing key scenes as the movie jumps forward. Film uses similar music to Scorsese, including Gimme Shelter, and features the now-obligatory face stamping scene, this time set to an evocative Ordinary World by Duran Duran. Daniel Craig is excellent as usual, playing a posh drug dealer who’s had it too good for too long. Suffice to say the plot is a little confusing and lost me at times.

Top (old) boys Kenneth Cranham and Michael Gambon (sporting a Costa del Sol inspired fake tan) use Craig to recover their money. Craig runs a tight crew and preferring to avoid violence in his line of work,but is gradually drawn into a game of stolen pills, murder, double-cross and a gangsters missing daughter. A professional with strict codes and routines, he struggles in the aftermath of committing his first murder. Great casting, particularly Jamie Foreman as unsteady boss The Duke. This is another good example of an author adapting his own book into a screenplay. The dialogue is spot on, never cheesy, a million miles from the pretentious posturing of Vaughn cohort Guy Ritchie’s efforts such as Snatch and Lock, Stock. You might be forgiven for thinking that a life of crime looks appealing, but here everyone pretty much gets their comeuppance and glamorisation is nonexistent.

Cranham and Gambon have real presence, both having a lot of fun with their respective roles. Craig owns the screen, effortless cool, how Bond would be if he distributed kilos of cocaine. Direction is so assured on Vaughn’s debut here that it’s not surprising he was offered Stardust as his next project. The guy can probably pick and choose now. If only he had stayed on board, X3 wouldn’t have been anything like the disappointment it was. Very stylish and brutal, Layer Cake is a joy to watch. Criminals are portrayed realistically, never over the top unless their characters demand it. Hilariously manic and well observed, each time the Duke and his bumbling crew were on screen I burst into laughter!

For me, Layer Cake echoed the novels of Elmore Leonard in that the central characters become somewhat manipulated and end up playing off against each other. I was also reminded of The Long Good Friday – a confident British gangster movie in which the central character’s empire starts to crumble and he doesn’t know why. Another film that was more than worth the wait, again I had to ask myself why I didn’t watch this film when it was first released. Craig’s decline from in-control weight mover to manipulated pawn begins as soon as he gets involved with outsiders. Colm Meaney has never been better as a gangster middleman, more involved in the proceedings than initially suspected.

Watching a film like this with an ex City of London policeman was an interesting experience. I don’t remember many inconsistencies being pointed out to me, although realism was scrutinized and the film came off well. Sure it’s stylised but very enjoyable. Who cares when it looks this good? Events unfold and subsequent questions are all answered via flashbacks, so the film never loses pace. Gambon lights up every scene he’s in. Narratives seem to be popular with the crime movie but here it’s put to good use.

Just remember – this is not a business you can just walk away from. To quote Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic – “no one gets away clean.”

The American Mafia in the 1930s was in great difficulty. It was a time when Federal and state investigators launched a major crackdown on organized crime that resulted in one spectacular narcotics conviction. Thomas Dewey's in the year 1936 organized crime investigators indicted Luciano himself on sixty-two counts of forced prostitution. The Federal Bureau of Narcotics managed to gather enough evidence on Luciano's involvement in the drug traffic to indict him on a narcotics charge. Even then the bureau and Dewey's investigators felt that the forced prostitution charge would be more likely to offend public sensibilities and secure a conviction. They were absolutely right. While Luciano's modernization of the profession was quite beneficial, he had lost control over his employees, and three of his prostitutes testified against him and was awarded a thirty-to fifty-year jail term by The New York court.

The "Outfit" crime family in Chicago has an interesting and quite successful history. It has ruled organized crime in the city and its surrounding areas since the end of Prohibition. Before this there were different competing gangs or individuals involved in bootlegging and activities.

From early to mid mid-1930s the major gangland killings were at rise. The gangsters who refused to give up
ownership of their rackets while keeping a percentage of the action were eliminated while those who gave up became expendable. The name of Jack McGurn fell in the second category. The new arrangements broke him and he was killed in February 1936. A decrease was noticed in the number of mouths to be fed by the gangland pie.

After the death of six Moran men the Capone takeover of the North Side took place in 1931. Soon after this the Capone moved in on Moran's allies on the Northwest Side and in the Northern suburbs, including Roger Touhy. And, the gang wars finally ended!

The roaring 20's were a wild time. What better way to celebrate a special event than by having a 20's themed party? Make it a costume affair for even more fun and entertainment for the night. A 20's theme party can be used for corporate events, an anniversary party or to celebrate a birthday.

The flapper girls and the gangsters are the most famous from the 20's. Use party supplies copied after them such as fringe dresses, suits, roadsters or the number 20's itself. Specialty party stores will have items to match your theme including wall hangings, personalized items and decorations. If you are serving food, plates, cups, napkins and tablecloths can be found in many colors to match the theme.

Since dancing was so big in the 20's, try and rent a hall or make a large room seem like dance hall. Hold a dance-a-thon like they did back then and have real winners. Bring in a dance teacher and teach famous dances of the twenties like the Charleston, the Shimmy, the Fox Trot and the Black Bottom. Let them dance all night (they used to drop from exhaustion) or simply who has the best style. Personalized trophies can serve as favors for the winners.

Games to play with a 20's theme in mind include trivia. Name the inventions of the 20's, famous people, famous companies and events of the era. Set a time limit and the person with the most correct answers wins.

Have a menu true to the time period also. There were not many processed foods, so everything was close to homemade. Challenge each guest to bring an authentic dish from the era. Prohibition was in the early years, so try a homemade alcohol recipe too. Make it an adults only party first!

“I decided to get tattooed. I wanted to be independent and to take care of myself.”

Betty Broadbent, born 1909, was the most famous tattooed attraction of all time. Nicknamed the Tattooed Venus, in 1923 she moved from Orlando, Florida to Atlantic City to take on a baby-sitting job.

Her interest in tattoos piqued when she met a tattooed man being exhibited on the Broadwalk. During her era, tattoos were not popular at all among women but were more associated with sailors and gangsters.

Originally, she wanted to become a tattoo artist but decided to become a work of art instead because she needed money fast. With that in mind, she convinced herself to get tattooed. Riding on horses in the rodeo, she saved up enough money and ventured to New York for her tattoos.

Over a two-year period, Charlie Wagner and Joe Van Hart labored to pattern her body with an estimated 365 tattoos. At that time, they were among the first tattooists in the world to use electric tattooing machines.

Finally, in 1927, she joined the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus as the youngest tattooed woman in the world at just 18 years old.

For her performance, she would first appear on stage covered with a robe. Then the Master of Ceremony would announce,” And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, the lady’s who’s different!” I know, it sounds tacky.

She would then unzip her robe and underneath, she had a long bathing suit on that ended four inches above her knees. Unknown to many, Broadbent actually detested the “unethical” tactics her employers used to attract patrons as much as her nickname, the Tattoo Venus.

For those who are curious, Broadbent wore Pancho Villa on her left leg, Charles Lindbergh on her right leg, and had a Madonna and child portrait on her back. Despite her tattoos, she took pains to project a feminine and refined image of herself.

Broadbent was one of the last working tattooed ladies in the United States, retiring only in 1967 from the Clyde Beatty Circus after spending 40 years in show business. In 1981, she became the first person to be honored in the Tattoo Hall of Fame. Sadly, she died peacefully in her sleep in 1983.

This seemingly faceless and non-violent from of criminal activity has hit home for many of us in the community in recent months with the child pornography scandal. Many people have been taken into custody and many computers confiscated. Regardless of how people try and justify things, there is no excuse for either possessing images or participating in these vile acts. This is a disgusting element in our society that has grown into a worldwide industry with millions of dollars changing hands. The only real way to stop this perpetuating, is to stop the demand for it because, it is as always the most vulnerable that are being exploited. Additionally in countries with less stringent laws and policing systems it is harder to protect the kids. While we live in a country where dobbing or "whistle blowing" is never looked upon very favourably, I think all of us realize that we have a fundamental responsibility to protect those who cannot otherwise defend themselves.

With movies like Ocean's 11, the idea of ​​robbing a casino seems romantic and almost possible. Only now, rather than seeking control of real casinos, "gangsters" are extorting cash from virtual casinos which are the fastest growth sector of gambling. The first known wave of threats came last September, with cyber-mafia using massive spam attacks to slow betting sites. The major weapon of choice is Denial of Service (DOS) attacks as online betting sites are bombarded with requests rendering it to the point of collapse. Then a message is sent to the site demanding a sum of money in exchange for stopping the attack. Alarming one CEO has already stated, "I think everybody who has been attacked has paid."

However, it is not all bad news, as some technology is designed to catch the criminals instead of aid them. "I feel safer doing my killing in home state" was a quote from a US serial killer prior to his execution. Law enforcement officers now have a new computer tool at their disposal which tracks criminals based on geography with stunning results. Coming from Canada and the US in the last decade a software program has been developed which documents information like where bodies were discovered, last know sighting of victims, etc. and then using thousands of calculations and prior criminal cases produces a colored 3D map of where the perpetrator most likely resides. It one particular case not only did it pinpoint the murderer's house within a block, it predicted his race, employment and marital status. At worst it at least gives Police a good place to start door knocking.

TILL NEXT TIME …

THE HERO

Praise and worship of the hero in social order and mythologies are a key part of every society. Individuals and groups have been defined as heroes throughout civilizations years. Roles that have been cast through the life of the worlds heroes are; Prophets, Organization Leaders, Teachers, Farmers, Hunters, Librarians, Politicians, Law Enforcement, Gangsters, Cartoon Characters, Soldiers, Writers, Revolutionaries, Lovers, Thugs, etc., etc, and at times, the very organizations they represent are noted as the hero. A hero is typically identified as someone that has given his or her life to something bigger than self. The physical deed of sacrifice and/or the spiritual deed of learning to teach others are basic elements of heroes. Morality towards a basic set of principles is the general objective in most stories.

The act of saving a person, saving a people, holding an ideal, and sacrificing him/herself for something is the most important statement of a hero’s action. The Buddha, Muhammad, Jesus, Quetzalcoatl, Isis, Heru, Shaka, Brahman, and others, symbolize creation of a new and better state of consciousness. Each has legends of trials and revelations that brought greater wisdom to the native society, but not meant to be related towards dominance of other societies. Followers of the stories told of; and/or with them, are intended to tell a story of local, or personal revolution, starting with self, not to be misconstrued as notice to advance on other societies. Interpretation of the story must be understood for the time it was written, because such temporal stories can only be copied for there positive principles in the present.

The current created heroes of society are collectively the same as many mentioned in ancient stories. It is the role in a society, and identity of the character, that continually changes. Myths deal with transformation of consciousness, within them, heroes deal with benefit of social order. As stated earlier, “Roles that have been cast through the life of the worlds heroes are; Prophets, Organization Leaders, Teachers, Farmers, Hunters, Librarians, Politicians, Law Enforcement, Gangsters, Cartoon Characters, Soldiers, Writers, Revolutionaries, Lovers, etc., etc, and at times, the very organizations they represent are noted as the hero.”

Humans generally have the same natural instincts as many other forms of life, but more cognitively realized needs for ideals, characters, materials, and faith. From the 17th century to today, the industrializing societies have gradually shifted the role of hero from the sustainer’s of existence; such as, the farmer, the hunter, and the traveler; to the gangster, the thug, the corrupt law enforcer, the ignorant entertainment artist, and to various types of cartoon characters. One should understand the hero role of these particular characters, as the spiritual/ religious leaders of social law, in comparison to the stories of their counterparts did in the past. Even more important are the actions, and rites of passage each role is given respect for.

For example; “how and why is a gangster in the year 1971, 2005, 2011, etc., seen as a hero to youth in current society?” The answers are the absence of correct historical knowledge, tainted aspirations towards becoming successful, and an opportunity to join an organization with relevant guidelines of faith. Youth naturally strive to learn about life through observations, lessons, and active experimentation. I mentioned earlier that the concept of a “Hero” is a paramount figure in the stability, transformation, and story of a society.

The image of the hero has been the image of the foreign individual; or foreign religious example, for several centuries. Indemnity or identification to being Asiatic, Hispanic, or any of the other alien identification tags enforced by foreign faiths are self-denigrating, and genocidal. Emulation of others is a natural action in play, and some celebrations, but becomes negative when used in disrespect to self and/or others.

The answers are in the expressions of the children, especially since true innocence, and aspirations for playing are inappropriately weaned out as people gain in age. Full disclosure of ancient and modern heritage from each family of people involved is extremely essential towards the recreation of justice, peace, and equality.

Johnny Spanish, whose real name was John Weyer, was one of the most feared gangsters in the early part of the 20th century. He took the name Johnny Spanish because he was half Jewish and half Spanish, but on the Spanish side he claimed to be a descendant of Butcher Weyer, the last Governor of Cuba. So he figured Johnny Spanish had much more cache in it than plain old John Weyer.

Spanish was born on the Lower East side of Manhattan, and he quickly immersed himself in various street crimes. The short, frail and morose Spanish was a loner, whose specialty was robbing saloons. Yet he liked to throw in the twist of sending a message to the saloon owner first, telling them of his imminent arrival. His legend grew immensely when he performed that feat at a dive on Norfolk Street, owned by Mersher the Strong Arm. Spanish gave Mersher notice that he would arrive at a certain time, and that he did, armed with his usual four guns, and an accomplice lurking behind him. He threw a couple of shots through the mirror behind the bar, then emptied the till. Then to add insult to injury, he lined 10 customers against the wall and relived them of all their cash and jewelry. Spanish’s notoriety grew, and soon he was accepted into Paul Kelly’s Five Points Gang, where he continued his shenanigans.

Spanish found it profitable to steal the proceeds of the very lucrative suss gambling games, which was a variation of the popular faro. He had his eye on one such game, operated by Kid Jigger on Forsyth Street. One day he approached Jigger, who was known to be a fierce gunfighter, and demanded half the take from his game, from that point on.

“And why should I give you half my stuss graft?” Jigger inquired.

“Because I’ll knock you off if you don’t,” Spanish said.

Jigger laughed. Spanish took offense and told him, “Alright then, I’ll knock you off tomorrow night.”

Sure enough, being a man of his word, on the following night as Jigger strode from his suss game on Forsyth Street, Spanish opened fire with two guns. Jigger ran back into the building to safely, but the bullets struck an eight-year-old girl, who was innocently playing in the streets, killing her on the spot. This necessitated Spanish leaving the city for several months, and when he returned, he was alarmed to find out that his girlfriend (who happened to be pregnant by who knows who), had been stolen by fellow thug Kid Dropper, real named Nathan Kaplan. Spanish figured he’d settle with his ex-girlfriend first. He grabbed her off the streets, threw her in a taxicab, the headed out to the marshes of Maspeth, Long Island. There he tied her to a tree, then emptied five shots into her pregnant belly. He left her there to die, but miraculously the woman survived and her baby was subsequently born with three missing fingers.

For this atrocity, Spanish was arrested and sentenced to seven years in Sing Sing Prison. Upon his release in 1917, Paul Kelly’s Five Points Gang was no more, and Spanish figured he could take over Kelly’s former rackets. Only Kid Dropper had the same idea. The two old foes battled over the union protection racket for more than two years. One day in early 1919, the bulkier Dropper cornered Spanish on the street and carved him up bad with a knife. Spanish survived, but not for long.

On July 29, 1919, Spanish was entering a restaurant at 19 Second Avenue, when Dropper and two accomplices opened fire, hitting Spanish several times in the chest. Bullets being better than blades, Spanish died a few days later in Bellevue Hospital.

Set among dapper gangsters and Irish cops in Chicago during the days of the St. Valentine Day Massacre, Bruce Barsanti wrote a fast moving, action packed, entertaining suspense thriller filled with plot twists and turns in his novel, "A Civil Man." He starts with a law graduate, Cris, the son of a cop falling for a beautiful mob princess only to find their lives begin to spiral out of control; what's left of it, that is. The line in the sand is drawn as the characters posture their machismo, the "mob daddy" and the "good son of a cop" willing to duel to the death over the beautiful woman they both love – in different ways. The plot mechanisms takes unexpected turns, analogous to the impact level of a modern day soap opera, like Days of Our Lives meeting The Untouchables, when death begins to chip away at the cast.

The story moves at lightning speed through the written voice of a tough, confident man that knows how the world turns, understands people, has his destiny predetermined and nobody is going to stop him from getting there. "A Civil Man" has a bit of a Mickey Spillane attitude with some of the Humphrey Bogart tough one-liners. It is a book appropriately embellished in dialogue down to the gangster's accents. The text, in the electronic version I read, was large with roomy spacing, so I had my finger on the scroll button continuously while my eyes were viewing the action unfolding. In fact, with the adrenaline stirred up inside during some scenes, I found myself scrolling so quickly I thought to myself it reminded me of those old time Flicker Movies having cards flashing sequentially within a viewer showing a black & white silent movie. What fun!

A roller coaster of easily believable characters, where bad things happen to good people, Bruce Barsanti sparks a fire kindled in the reader's mind. The book is unique in its style yet written within the boundaries of many similar period pieces, popular TV and movie themes. In all fairness, Bruce Barsanti did a marvelous job differentiating his character Crispin from many of the stereotypical heroes of other Chicago early 20th century cops. In essence he brings enjoyable originality to what may be an over-exploited period piece backdrop.

"A Civil Man" is an ideal companion book for a trip where you want to have a good story with fast moving, interesting characters, good dialogue, and lots of sensuality, greed and violence. A story with a dame and a gun, "Here's looking at you," said the man in the Fedora.

Did you know that LED flashlights are the best eco friendly alternative available today for lessening your carbon footprint? If you cannot really install solar panels above your home and meet all your energy needs through solar energy, you can at least reduce your carbon footprint with the help of LED lights.

How can owning one help?

Owning one can be of great use for any individual. It’s bright, it’s nice and it lasts amazingly long. There is no mercury involved in the manufacturing of LED lights. In fact, it is estimated that if the Christmas bulbs are replaced, it can save the world more than $20 billion annually. If you are still thinking of whether to buy one, we give you 5 reasons to buy one of these today.

· LED flashlights are of great help when the lights go off or there is a blackout all of a sudden. Whether you are at home or office or walking on the road, if you find yourself in complete darkness, all you have to do is switch on your flashlight and be able to see things around you clearly again.

· LED flashlights are available in a variety of sizes wherein one can buy a small one and attach it to his or her keychain and carry it wherever they go. It also helps your keychain look stylish and trendy while solving your purpose of never being in darkness.

· LED flashlights can prove to be a safety device for you at night. If you are travelling alone and are attacked by thugs, goons or gangsters then all you need to do is flash the LED flashlight right into their eyes and blind them temporarily, giving you enough time to escape.

· If you are a person who works at night, then a LED flashlight is sure to come handy as many times the bulb fuses when working or the lights go off all of a sudden. At night one is unable to see anything because of the darkness and having a flashlight by your side can allow you to get yourself organized quickly.

· These flashlights last for many hundreds of hours and are not expensive at all. This is the reason why they prove to be cheaper than other flashlights and also run for a much longer time. You need to buy one flashlight and be worry-free for many years to come.

LED flashlights last nearly as double a conventional light. Consider this, you really do not have to buy a new flashlight for at least ten years once you buy one. In fact, chances are if you have bought a LED light and placed it in a newborns room, you might not have to change it till he goes to college!