You ever want to strive to be more than you are? You ever feel the pressure of your current situation to do something rotton?  Our three main protagonists in these films all have this in common in our growing up gangster episode. We are joined by Dave Zendano of Bananalaser, The Skeleton Crew, Exploding Heads and ABCs of Hidden Horror Podcasts. We are also joined by Cort Psyops of Cinema Psyops and Geek Chat Army Podcasts.

First up, when a local boy’s mother’s illnesses become too much for her to handle, he begins his life of crime with a local mob with hilarious results in Johnny Dangerously from 1985.

Next, when a local mutt starts to work for some of the neighborhood’s connected guys, he moves up the ranks fast with dangerous results. All this and the art of prison cooking in Goodfellas from 1991.

Finally, when a young boy idolizes a local “hero”, he wants so much to be like him much to the objection of his father. All this and a whole lot of degenerates in the much loved A Bronx Tale from 1993.