ABSTRACT
The gangster, in the hands of the Italian American artist, becomes a telling figure in the tale of American race, gender, and ethnicity - a figure that reflects the autobiography of an immigrant group just as it reflects the fantasy of a native population.
From Wiseguys to Wise Men studies the figure of the gangster and explores its social function in the construction and projection of masculinity in the United States. By looking at the cultural icon of the gangster through the lens of gender, this book presents new insights into material that has been part of American culture for close to 100 years.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
chapter
Introduction
part |42 pages
Romancing the Gangster
chapter |18 pages
Origins of an Archetype
chapter |22 pages
The Gangster as Culture Hero: Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola
part |43 pages
Realizing the Gangster
chapter |22 pages
The Truth about Gangsters: Gay Talese and Ben Morreale
chapter |19 pages
Rough Boys: The Gangsters of Martin Scorsese and Michael Cimino
part |81 pages
Reinventing the Gangster
chapter |19 pages
Queering The Gangster: Giose Rimanelli and Frank Lentricchia
chapter |20 pages
Female Masculinity and the Gangster: Louisa Ermelino
chapter |20 pages
The Gangster as Public Intellectual: Anthony Valerio and Don Delillo
part |46 pages
Looking for a Few New Men