10 Mob Movie Actors Who Were Actually There

A fellow Thief alumnus, Dennis Farina was one of the true great crime genre fixtures of the eighties and nineties, making his debut in Mann's movie before starring in films like Code of Silence, Manhunter, Midnight Run, and Out of Sight. The subject matter of these films wasn't far removed from Farina's pre-acting career either, as the actor served in the Chicago Police Department all the way up to his work on Code of Silence, which he completed between shifts as a detective.

Farina had initially signed on to Thief as one of the film's police consultants, but Mann ended up giving him a minor role as a mob gunman who gets taken out in its blisteringly good finale.

Farina's impact is minimal, but his striking facial features - including that iconic tache - made him a perfect fit for the big screen. Mann reunited with Farina on several productions, including the aforementioned Manhunter - where he played FBI director Jack Crawford - and on Miami Vice, where he made sporadic appearances as mobster Albert Lombard.

Mann's commitment to authenticity remains one of his best traits as a filmmaker, and we're all the more lucky that it brought someone like Farina - who sadly died at the age of 69 in 2013 - into the spotlight for as long as it did.