The True Story Inspiration Behind Tulsa King

The highest Tulsa King is about the exiled New York mobster Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone), an entirely fictional character whose life is loosely based on the dark history of the mafia. Since it started in 2022, Tulsa King has quickly become one of the most popular and best shows on Paramount+. The show was so popular that Tulsa King Season 3 was confirmed even before season 2 was finished airing. Part of the reason for its popularity is its novel premise, of a New York gangster taking control of an Oklahoma town, but it’s actually more rooted in reality than it seems.

There have been many gangster movies that were inspired by true stories, from The God to Goodfellas. Most gangster stories are quite loosely based on reality, and it turns out that Tulsa King is no different. Although it wasn’t really a New York mafia capo who traveled to and took over the city of Tulsa, the idea of ​​Dwight comes from real-life mobster history. Tulsa Kings real-life inspirations evoke one of the bloodiest eras and gang wars in the history of the Sicilian mafia.

Tulsa King is not a true story, but the show is based on a real mob family

Dwight’s banishment seems to have been inspired by the Inzerillo crime family

much of Tulsa King is based on the idea of ​​Dwight being a representative of the “old” ways of the mafia. The more traditional view of the mafia and how his silence should be rewarded, put him in conflict with Cheeky Invernizi, the soon-to-be don of the New York mob. Cheeky’s contentions surrounding Dwight ultimately led to him banishing the capo to Tulsa to start a new operation in the West. Dwight is not based on one person, but his banishment to Tulsa is very reminiscent of what happened to the Inzerillo crime family of Palermo, Italy.

The Inzerillo crime family explained

The Incerillos were banished from Sicily in the 1980s

The Inzerillo crime family has been described as “The Mafia aristocracy of Palermo“But they are mostly known for their fall from grace (by La Repubblica). In the 1980s, while the Gambino crime family ruled New York, the city of Palermo was ruled by the ruthless Salvatore Reina, also known as the “Boss of Bosses” and “The Beast.” Authorities held Reina responsible for thousands of murders. In a successful bid to assume leadership of the Sicilian Mafia, Salvatore Riina and the Corleonesi faction of the Mafia nearly exterminated the Inzerillo family and their other rivals throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.

Salvatore Riina allowed the Inzerillos to escape his reprisal of the Sicilian underworld after the Inzerillos’ American allies – including the Gambinos – intervened on the family’s behalf. While he let them live, Reina also demanded that they leave and never set foot on Sicilian soil again. The exiled Inzerillos lived their lives in exile in New York, mostly content to stay under the radar and the protection of the powerful New York Mafia.At least, until the Gambino crime family, the real-life inspiration behind GoodfellasFell from power in the mid-80s.

More recently, the Inzerillos have made a new play for power in New York and Sicily. In the 2000s, several surviving Inzerillos and Gambinos, most notably Tommaso and Francesco Inzerillo, returned to Palermo (via. CBS News). In 2019, however, 15 members of the Inzerillo and Gambino families were arrested as part of a joint raid carried out simultaneously by American and Italian law enforcement. It is unknown what the Inzerillo family has done since then, how many members remain active, or how involved they are with the New York or Italian mafia.

How much of the Inzerillo crime family has adapted to Tulsa King

Tulsa King is only loosely inspired by the Inzerillo crime family

Although Dwight’s story and the premise of Tulsa King Reminiscent of the story of the Inzerillo crime family, the show also deviated from it significantly. The biggest part of the story that Tulsa King The idea of ​​expulsion was appropriate. Dwight’s drive to Tulsa, however, was little more than an ineffective move by Cheeky, and Dwight could very easily have become a real king. In contrast, the Inzerillo family was banished as a form of mercy after the head of the family was murdered, and they never rose to the same prominence in New York that Dwight had in Oklahoma.

In addition, the banishment of the Inzerillo came with a very literal threat: a return to Sicily while Salvatore Riina was still in power would mean certain death. Dwight, on the other hand, returned to New York several times in Tulsa King Season 1, though Chicky eventually tries to have Dwight killed. Chickie is also only loosely based on Rayna, as he has yet to become a real threat to anyone but his own father. in short, Tulsa King Just following the story of ​​the Inzerillo family in a premise alone, and has since become a completely fictional story.

However, there is a chance that history could play a bigger role in future episodes of Tulsa King. After the end of Tulsa King Season 2, episode 4, it seems that there may be a shake-up of power in the New York mafia families, which would be similar to Reina’s takeover of Sicily. It’s even possible that Dwight could follow in the footsteps of the Inzerillo family and eventually return to New York, trying to take the Invernesses down. Whatever future fictional storylines are in store for Tulsa KingHowever, there will always be real inspiration for the show.

Sources: La Repubblica, CBS News