Mr. Untouchable
| Mr. Untouchable | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Marc Levin |
| Produced by | Mary-Jane Robinson Alex Gibney Will Albright(associate) Emir Lewis(associate) Mark Cuban(executive) |
| Starring | Nicky Barnes |
| Cinematography | Henry Adebanejo |
| Edited by | Emir Lewis Daniel Praid |
| Music by | Hi-Tek |
| Distributed by | Magnolia Pictures |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Mr. Untouchable is a documentary film by Marc Levin about the rise and fall of Nicky Barnes, a young black kid from the streets of Harlem who went on to become the economy of his community as the biggest heroin distributor in the country [1]. The film is being produced by New York based Blowback Productions.
Synopsis
In 1977, Nicky Barnes landed on the cover of The New York Times Magazine, introduced to the American public as "Mr. Untouchable" [2]. In a hand-tailored light blue suit, sporting a red, white, and blue striped tie, Nicky Barnes postured upright, stared straight out the cover into the reader's eyes, and posed next to the following quote, "This is Nicky Barnes. New York police say he's the biggest drug dealer in the city. But can they prove it?" [3] Thirty years later, in 2007, Nicky Barnes again enters the American spotlight, when he sat down with director Marc Levin, and tells his story of how he landed on the cover of The New York Times Magazine. With the use of archival footage of 1970's Harlem, personal photos of Nicky and his inner-circle, and interviews with Nicky, Nicky's drug-trafficking partners, DEA agents, and the US attorneys who put Nicky in jail, "Mr. Untouchable" becomes a gangster movie where the real historical criminals and law enforcement officals tell the story. "Mr. Untouchable" is a blend of Horatio Alger symbolism and William Shakespeare tragedy. Nicky Barnes not only became the rags-to-riches story of ex-street junkie to notorious crime boss, but became the first US citizen to be convicted by an anonymous jury [4]. In the end, Nicky Barnes would become the biggest DEA informant in US history [5], and his legacy today exists in two forms: as a street legend [6] glorified in rap lyrics, and a snitch, the focus of great debate for people who knew him, and people who know his story. "Mr. Untouchable" is a film that goes deep into Nicky's world and tries to dissect the legacy of a Harlem street legend.
Cast
| Nicky Barnes | The Godfather of Harlem |
| Thelma Grant | The former Mrs. Nicky Barnes |
| Frank James | Original Member of the 'Council' |
| Joseph 'Jazz' Hayden | Original Member of the 'Council' |
| Jackie Hayden | Jazz's wife |
| Leon 'Scrap' Batts | Lieutenant in Barnes Orginization |
| Carol Hawkins | Heroin Street Dealer for Barnes Orginization |
| David Breitbart | Nicky's Lawyer |
| Don Ferrarone | DEA Agent in charge of Nicky Barnes case |
| Louie Diaz | Undercover DEA Agent |
| Bobby Nieves | DEA Agent |
| Robert Geronimo | DEA Informant |
| Robert Fiske Jr. | US Attorney for Southern District of NY; prosecuted Barnes |
| Tom Sear | Ass. US Attorney |
| Benito Romano | Ass. US Attorney who flipped Barnes |
| Fred Ferretti | Reporter who wrote 1977 NY Times article, "Mr. Untouchable" |
| Louie Jones | Heroin Customer of Barnes' Enterprise |
References
External Links
- ^ http://hdnetfilms.com/mruntouchable/index.html
- ^ New York Times Magazine, June 5, 1977
- ^ New York Times Magazine, June 5, 1977
- ^ http://www.ganglandnews.com/column118.htm
- ^ http://www.ganglandnews.com/column118.htm
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicky_Barnes#_ref-time18940130_1