Abhiroop Das
The crime drama, ‘The Alto Knights,’ stars Robert de Niro in a double role as best friends to rivals: mob bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello. The Barry Levinson directorial explores the events leading to Vito ordering a hit on Frank, who survives and plans an elaborate retirement from the Mafia. The film seems to freeze time as it reconstructs the tension surrounding the nationwide mafia operation with New York as its hotspot. The US’s Prohibition era (1920-1933) defines the narrative’s tangents, with Vito establishing fear as a gangster while Frank chooses the path of diplomacy. As the events escalated, the rivalry between friends turned mob lords into a race to the top, razing New York.
Capturing 1950s New York is a tough job, given the responsibility of being true to its historical details and aesthetic palette. In particular, the biographical movie traverses the entire breadth of New York, from its narrow, cramped pubs in Little Italy to the high-rise, winding hotels such as the Park Central Sheraton and the sprawling country estates at Sand Points. These iconic locations have layers within their history as erstwhile mafia dens and thus had to be rendered to mimic the look and feel of the mob lifestyle.
The Alto Knights Filming Locations
While the narrative is set in New York, ‘The Alto Knights’ was primarily filmed in Ohio, especially in Greater Cincinnati and Greene County. Principal photography for the Robert De Niro starrer commenced in December 2022 under the working title ‘Wise Guys.’ However, it was reportedly halted for a while due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Post the break, filming likely resumed in January 2023 and went on for a few weeks, ultimately wrapping up in February of the same year. According to Kristen Schlotman, Film Cincinnati President & CEO, ‘The Alto Knights’ includes almost 50 unique locations, almost all of which are shot in and around the city.
Greater Cincinnati, Ohio
The titular Alto Knights Club was originally a real club in the Little Italy neighborhood of 1950s New York, used by Mafiosos for safe communication and leisure. For the movie, it is recreated by transforming Arnold’s Bar & Grill at 210 East 8th Street in Cincinnati. The bar, which was reportedly closed between January and February 2023 for decor and filming, was also used as the base for multiple other set pieces, such as the C. C. Bonito Bakery. Multiple storefronts in its vicinity and along the main street, such as Perkinson Legal, were all similarly transformed into Italian restaurants, bars, and clothing shops. Pivotal scenes from the movie were also lensed in iconic Cincinnati locations.
For instance, the sequence where Frank takes his dogs for a walk while simultaneously discussing crucial information about the future of his crime syndicate was shot at Eden Park over the Twin Lakes bridge. Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, a historic landmark at 35 West 5th Street, doubles as the New York Hotel Waldorf Astoria, where the entire initial sequence of the narrative takes place. Other such fixtures that make it into the movie include the Covenant-First Presbyterian Church at 717 Elm Street and Laurel Court Mansion at 5870 Belmont Avenue. Moreover, the cast and crew set up camp along the SR 123 highway to tape important exterior shots. With its abundance of World War 2 era monuments and lavish Italianate architecture, the city was also the perfect fit for this period drama.
Greene County, Ohio
The production of ‘The Alto Knights’ reportedly shut down parts of the National Highway US 35 in Greene County. A report by WHIOTV7 shows two onlookers who managed to click pictures of the set. These scenes, which were the first to be filmed, appear to be of the movie’s climax sequence, which involved multiple cars and a road blockade as part of the story. The decision to use a National Highway shows the movie’s sheer scope and its filmmakers’ commitment to the project’s vision. All these locations constituted the building blocks of the story, infusing its scenes and characters with life.
Read More: The Alto Knights Ending Explained: Does Frank Defeat Vito?
