The Valachi Papers is an Italian-produced 1972 crime film featuring Charles Bronson as real-life Mafia soldier Joe Valachi who became one of the first Mafia informants when he turned state's evidence in 1963. The film chronicles his rise within the mob, beginning from the 1930s with his boss Salvatore Maranzano (Joseph Wiseman, best known to James Bond fans as the titular villian in Dr. No) to the 1950s where he begins dealing drugs under his boss Vito Genovese (Lino Ventura).
WARNING! This article contains several spoilers.
The following firearms were used in the film The Valachi Papers:
During a nighttime street robbery in 1930, one of the Irish thugs hired by Valachi uses a Luger P08 while mugging an older couple. Many other mobsters throughout the film, such as Tony Bender (Guido Leontini) and Buster (Franco Borelli) use Lugers.
After Maranzano's men rent out an apartment to ambush Steve Ferrigno in November 1930, Valachi watches Buster (Franco Borelli) construct a Thompson M1921, which he then uses in the murder. Several other mobsters, including Tony Bender (Guido Leontini) and Luciano's men, use Thompsons.
One of the most common weapons seen in the film is the Colt Detective Special, used primarily by Gap (Walter Chiari) throughout the film. After Gap is castrated by Bender, Joe Valachi (Charles Bronson) takes Gap's Detective Special and shoots him three times in a "mercy killing". During the Masseria hit in April 1931, Albert Anastasia (Fausto Tozzi) and several other mob hitmen fire Detective Specials at Masseria. Anastasia's two killers use Detective Specials sixteen years later to kill him in a barbershop.
After Ferrigno is murdered, one of Masseria's bodyguards checks outside with a 3"-barreled Smith & Wesson Model 10. Several other of Masseria's men carry Model 10s.
While dressed as policemen to infiltrate Maranzano's office in September 1931, Luciano's men (described as "the Bugsy Siegel guys" by Valachi) carry older Smith & Wesson Model M&P revolvers.
