A Bronx Tale

In 1960, nine-year-old Calogero lives in Belmont, a working-class Italian-American neighborhood in The Bronx with his father, Lorenzo, an MTA bus driver, and his mother, Rosina. Calogero becomes enamored with the Mafia presence in his neighborhood led by local boss Sonny. One day, Calogero witnesses Sonny shoot and kill a man assaulting his friend. Calogero keeps quiet when questioned by NYPD Detectives. Sonny's men offer Lorenzo a better paying job but, preferring a law-abiding life, he politely declines. Sonny befriends Calogero and gives him the nickname "C". Calogero earns tips working in Sonny's bar and throwing dice, and is admonished by Lorenzo when he discovers the cash. Lorenzo returns the money to Sonny and warns him to keep away from Calogero.

Eight years later, a 17-year-old Calogero has been visiting Sonny regularly without his father's knowledge. Calogero is part of a gang of local Italian-American boys, which concerns Sonny. Calogero meets an African-American girl, Jane, and they develop a tentative friendship. Despite the high level of racial tension between Italian-Americans and African-Americans in the area, Calogero arranges a date with Jane. He asks for advice from Sonny, who decides to lend Calogero his car. Later, Calogero's friends beat up a group of African-American cyclists riding through their neighborhood. One of the cyclists turns out to be Jane's brother, who accuses Calogero of beating him up when he and Jane meet for their date. Calogero loses his temper over the accusation, and calls him a nigger, which he instantly regrets. Jane leaves with her brother.

At home, Lorenzo confronts Calogero after seeing him driving Sonny's car. They argue and Calogero storms out. He runs into his friends, who tell him that some African-Americans egged their social club in retaliation to the earlier beating. Shortly thereafter, Sonny and his crew confront Calogero after finding a bomb on Sonny's car. Calogero tearfully pleads his unwavering dedication to Sonny, who recognizes Calogero's innocence and allows him to leave. Calogero meets up with friends, who plan revenge on the African-Americans using Molotov cocktails. They force Calogero to participate, but Sonny stops their car and orders Calogero out. Calogero catches up with Jane, who tells him that her brother admitted that Calogero was not his assailant. Jane and Calogero make amends, but he suddenly remembers his friends' plans to attack Jane's neighborhood, and the two rush to stop them. During the attack, an African-American shopkeeper throws an unbroken Molotov cocktail back at the boys' car which enters through the window and ignites the Molotov cocktails still in the vehicle, resulting in an explosion that kills everyone inside. When Calogero and Jane arrive, they find the car engulfed in flames and the boys' dead bodies burned.

Calogero leaves and rushes into Sonny's bar to thank him for saving his life, but an assassin shoots Sonny in the back of the head before Calogero can warn him. Calogero later learns that the killer was the son of the man he witnessed Sonny kill when he was nine. At Sonny's funeral, countless people come to pay their respects. When everyone but Calogero disperses, a lone man, Carmine, visits the funeral, claiming that Sonny once saved his life as well. Calogero does not recognize Carmine until he sees a scar on his forehead and realizes he was the man whom Sonny defended by shooting the other man eight years ago. Carmine tells Calogero that he is filling in for Sonny in the neighborhood for the time being and promises Calogero help should he ever need it. Carmine leaves just as Lorenzo unexpectedly arrives to pay his respects to Sonny. Lorenzo thanks him for saving his son's life and admits that he never hated him, but that he resented him for making Calogero grow up so quickly. Calogero bids Sonny goodbye and walks home with Lorenzo while narrating the lessons he learned from his two mentors.

• Robert De Niro as Lorenzo
• Chazz Palminteri as "Sonny"
• Lillo Brancato Jr. as Calogero (age 17)
  • Francis Capra as Calogero (age 9)
• Taral Hicks as Jane
• Kathrine Narducci as Rosina
• Clem Caserta as Jimmy "Whispers"
• Frank Pietrangolare as Danny "K.O."
• Joe Pesci as Carmine
• Alfred Sauchelli Jr. as Bobby "Bars"
• Robert D'Andrea as Tony "Toupee"
• Eddie Montanaro as Eddie "Mush"
• Fred Fischer as Joe "Jo Jo the Whale"
• Dave Salerno as Frankie "Coffeecake"
• Joe D'Onofrio as "Slick" (age 17)
• Louis Vanaria as Mario "Crazy Mario"
• Domenick Lombardozzi as Nicky "Zero"

The film is based on Chazz Palminteri's original play of the same name, which was performed as a one-man show, being largely based on his own childhood, specifically the shooting Calogero witnesses as a child, as well as the occupation and name of his father.[3]

In 1990, at a performance of A Bronx Tale, Robert De Niro met with Palminteri in his dressing room after having seen the show. De Niro told Palminteri, "This is one of the greatest one-man shows I've ever seen, if not the greatest ... This is a movie, this is an incredible movie."[4] After acquiring the rights to create the film, with De Niro claiming the deal was made solely with a gentlemen's agreement with Palminteri, the duo began crafting the screenplay.[4] Prior to partnering with De Niro, Palminteri rejected several offers for the film's rights, including some as high as $1 million, due to not being granted the roles of primary screenwriter and Sonny, the gangster Calogero meets.[4] De Niro met Palminteri's requirements on the condition that he be allowed to direct the film and play Lorenzo, Calogero's father, which Palminteri accepted.[4]

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