Omerta television series
Encyclopedia
Omerta Disambiguation
Omertà or Omertà, The Code of Silence is a Quebec
television series of 11 forty-five minute episodes, created by Luc Dionne
and aired from January to April 1996 on Radio-Canada. In France
, the series aired on France 3
in 1998.
A second season, titled Omertà II – The Code of Silence, had 14 forty-five minute episodes and was broadcast between September and December 1997 on Radio-Canada.
A third season, titled Omerta, The Last Men of Honor, had 13 episodes and was broadcast from January to April 1999, on Radio-Canada.
) was a Canadian television drama series set in Montreal
that chronicles a battle between the police and the Mafia
. The police rely on inventive and unorthodox methods in their fight against the mobsters who follow their code loyally and cherish their family.
HBO series The Sopranos
which post dated and paralleled Omerta on many levels.
The National Security police squad hires investigator Pierre Gauthier (Michel Côté) and double agent François Pelletier (Luc Picard
) to conduct a comprehensive survey aimed at shuttering the alleged godfather of the Mafia in Montreal, Giuseppe Scarfo (Dino Tavarone). In a clandestine manner, the director of the squad Gilbert Tanguay (Michael Dumont) delivers a vendetta and cons Scarfo who was caught in a love triangle for years. Gauthier has a passionate affair with the daughter of Scarfo, Gabrielle Provost (Brigitte Paquette).
While investigating the murder of an undercover officer, National Security discovers the links between organized crime, high finance and the Canadian intelligence service.
An unprecedented internal war broke out in the Montreal Mafia, pitting Jimmy Vaccaro against Giuseppe Scarfo. The ambitious young gangster Nicky Balsamo (Orzari Romano) finds himself stuck between the two, as he tries to win back the heart of Vicky (Geneviève Rochette), the daughter of an Italian-Quebec politician.
Episodes 7-8
Having been forced into exile on the island of Caruba (imaginary country in the Caribbean, military dictatorship) following the murder of Jimmy Vaccaro, Nicky Balsamo began his own business while serving as an intermediary to the new Montreal godfather Gino Favara (Ron Lea ), which attempts to acquire a large shipment of gold from the Russian mafia. This plays an indirect role in events of the first two seasons that occur at the same time.
Episodes 9-13
Nicky Balsamo returned to Montreal for a position within the organization Gino while Pierre Gauthier (Michel Côte), being blackmailed, is forced to work for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
. Balsamo will be forced to make an alliance with Gauthier to protect Vicky.
Omerta (disambiguation)
Omertà is a code of behaviour usually associated with Italian Mafias.Omertà or Omerta may also refer to:* Omerta , an indie rock band from England* Omerta , a fictional character in Marvel Comics...
Omertà or Omertà, The Code of Silence is a Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
television series of 11 forty-five minute episodes, created by Luc Dionne
Luc Dionne
Luc Dionne is an award winning screenwriter and director born in Quebec in 1960. Luc's work is largely directed towards the French speaking market. However, many within the industry accredit Dionne's successful Omerta series as being an inspiration for David Chase's hit series The...
and aired from January to April 1996 on Radio-Canada. In France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the series aired on France 3
France 3
France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
in 1998.
A second season, titled Omertà II – The Code of Silence, had 14 forty-five minute episodes and was broadcast between September and December 1997 on Radio-Canada.
A third season, titled Omerta, The Last Men of Honor, had 13 episodes and was broadcast from January to April 1999, on Radio-Canada.
Synopsis
Omerta (which means code of honorOmertà
Omertà is a popular attitude and code of honour and a common definition is the "code of silence". It is common in areas of southern Italy, such as Sicily, Apulia, Calabria, and Campania, where criminal organizations defined as Mafia such as the Cosa Nostra, 'Ndrangheta, Sacra Corona Unita, and...
) was a Canadian television drama series set in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
that chronicles a battle between the police and the Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
. The police rely on inventive and unorthodox methods in their fight against the mobsters who follow their code loyally and cherish their family.
Commercial success
Omerta was the second most popular series in Quebec television history. Filmed in French it had a limited audience outside of French speaking markets. An English series was planned as a result of this success. These plans were shelved with the launch of David Chase'sDavid Chase
David Chase is an American writer, director, and producer of television series. Chase has worked in television for more than 30 years; he has produced and written for shows as The Rockford Files, I'll Fly Away, and Northern Exposure. He has created two original series; the first, Almost Grown,...
HBO series The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
which post dated and paralleled Omerta on many levels.
Season I
11 EpisodesThe National Security police squad hires investigator Pierre Gauthier (Michel Côté) and double agent François Pelletier (Luc Picard
Luc Picard
Luc Picard is a French Canadian actor and comedian. He was born on September 24, 1961 in Lachine, Quebec, Canada. He has played numerous characters in diverse roles....
) to conduct a comprehensive survey aimed at shuttering the alleged godfather of the Mafia in Montreal, Giuseppe Scarfo (Dino Tavarone). In a clandestine manner, the director of the squad Gilbert Tanguay (Michael Dumont) delivers a vendetta and cons Scarfo who was caught in a love triangle for years. Gauthier has a passionate affair with the daughter of Scarfo, Gabrielle Provost (Brigitte Paquette).
Season II
14 episodesWhile investigating the murder of an undercover officer, National Security discovers the links between organized crime, high finance and the Canadian intelligence service.
Season III
Episodes 1-6An unprecedented internal war broke out in the Montreal Mafia, pitting Jimmy Vaccaro against Giuseppe Scarfo. The ambitious young gangster Nicky Balsamo (Orzari Romano) finds himself stuck between the two, as he tries to win back the heart of Vicky (Geneviève Rochette), the daughter of an Italian-Quebec politician.
Episodes 7-8
Having been forced into exile on the island of Caruba (imaginary country in the Caribbean, military dictatorship) following the murder of Jimmy Vaccaro, Nicky Balsamo began his own business while serving as an intermediary to the new Montreal godfather Gino Favara (Ron Lea ), which attempts to acquire a large shipment of gold from the Russian mafia. This plays an indirect role in events of the first two seasons that occur at the same time.
Episodes 9-13
Nicky Balsamo returned to Montreal for a position within the organization Gino while Pierre Gauthier (Michel Côte), being blackmailed, is forced to work for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is Canada's national intelligence service. It is responsible for collecting, analyzing, reporting and disseminating intelligence on threats to Canada's national security, and conducting operations, covert and overt, within Canada and abroad.Its...
. Balsamo will be forced to make an alliance with Gauthier to protect Vicky.
Season I
|
Ron Lea Ron Lea is a Canadian actor.Lea was born in Montreal and attended Concordia University before moving on to take acting training at the National Theatre School. His career took off after appearing in various local theatre productions. Lea can be seen in many movies on television, but may be most... : Gino Favara Claude Lemieux Claude Percy Lemieux is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He last played for the San Jose Sharks before announcing his retirement on July 8, 2009. He is one of only ten players in Stanley Cup history to win the Cup with three different teams. His 80 career playoff goals are the... : Bertrand Fournel |
Season II
- Michel CôtéMichel CôtéMichel Côté, PC is businessman and former Canadian politician.Côté was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1984 election that brought Brian Mulroney to power in a landslide...
: Pierre Gauthier - Luc PicardLuc PicardLuc Picard is a French Canadian actor and comedian. He was born on September 24, 1961 in Lachine, Quebec, Canada. He has played numerous characters in diverse roles....
: François Pelletier - Ron LeaRon LeaRon Lea is a Canadian actor.Lea was born in Montreal and attended Concordia University before moving on to take acting training at the National Theatre School. His career took off after appearing in various local theatre productions. Lea can be seen in many movies on television, but may be most...
: Gino Favara - Michel Dumont : Gilbert Tanguay
- Brigitte Paquette : Gabrielle Provost
- Sophie LorainSophie LorainSophie Lorain is a French Canadian actress and producer. She is known for having played "Anne Fortier" in the highly-rated television series Fortier that first aired in Quebec, Canada...
: Denise Deslongchamps - David Lahaye : Rick Bonnard
- Marc MessierMarc MessierMarc Messier is a Canadian actor and filmmaker.-Background:Messier's 30-year acting career included the participation in several well-known films and television series....
: Paul Spencer - Claude Michaud : Georges Lemire
- Sylvie Legault : Michèle Vallières
- Vittorio RossiVittorio RossiVittorio Luciano Rossi is a playwright, actor and screenwriter born in Montréal, Canada. He grew up in the district of Ville Emard. Graduating from Concordia University in 1985 with a B.F.A. specializing in theatre performance, Rossi has earned the respect of the national theatre community with...
: Tom Celano - Claude Maher : Guy Lalonde
- Sylvain Massé : Gilles Boisclair
- Germain HoudeGermain HoudeGermain Houde is a Quebec Genie Award-winning actor. He has won two Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his roles in Les bons débarras and Un Zoo la Nuit.- External links :...
: Carol Léveillé - Claude Blanchard : Roger Perreault
- — : Ronny Dante
- — : Roberto Panzonni
- Manuel Tadros : Frank Vastelli
- Louis Di Bianco : Carlo Lombardo
- Aubert PallascioAubert PallascioAubert Pallascio is a Canadian actor. He is best known for having portrayed Pierre Trudeau in the 1980 film The Kidnapping of the President. He was nominated in 1996 for a Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in Liste noire .- External links :...
: John Slayton - Jean-Pierre Bergeron : Marc-André Théoret
- Daniel Gadouas : Laurent Daignault
- Éric Hoziel : Gaétan Laflèche
- Richard Lemire : Yvon «le Pic» Cossette
- Claudia Ferri : Christina Panzonni
- — : Robert Sauvageau
- Claude LemieuxClaude LemieuxClaude Percy Lemieux is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He last played for the San Jose Sharks before announcing his retirement on July 8, 2009. He is one of only ten players in Stanley Cup history to win the Cup with three different teams. His 80 career playoff goals are the...
: Bertrand Fournel - Bruno PelletierBruno PelletierBruno Pelletier , is a francophone Quebecer singer.-Life:Pelletier was born in Charlesbourg, a suburb of Quebec City. In 1983 Pelletier performed in the bands Amanite and Sneak Preview, which sang in English. He later started a group called Pëll, singing in French. At 23 years old, he moved to...
: Michel Bergevin
Season III
- Romano OrzariRomano OrzariRomano Orzari is a Canadian actor. He has appeared in TV shows such as Bugs, Mutant X, Durham County, and Banshee and has appeared in films such as Punisher: War Zone, Immortals, The Last Hit Man, and One Way Out....
: Nicola «Nicky» Balsamo - Geneviève Rochette : Victoria «Vicky» Sogliuzzo
- Ron Lea : Gino Favara
- Paolo Noël : Tony Potenzza
- Michel Côté : Pierre Gauthier
- Tony De Santis : Jimmy Vaccaro
- Dino Tavarone : Giuseppe Scarfo
- Vittorio Rossi : Tom Celano
- Richard Robitaille : Blackburn, alias «Linda Monette»
- Claude Blanchard : Roger Perreault
- — : Ronny Dante
- Germain Houde : Carol Léveillé
- Roberto Medile : Agostino Sogliuzzo
- — : Pierre Lavoie
- — : Jeremy
- — : Normand, amant de Vicky
- Tony Conte : Vincenzo Spadollini
- Emidio Michetti : Andrea Balsamo
- Dennis O'ConnorDennis O'ConnorDennis O'Connor may refer to:* Dennis O'Connor * J. Dennis O'Connor, Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh* Dennis O'Connor * Dennis O'Connor in The Park Is Mine -See also:...
: «Fatso» Montemilio - — : Gerry Assete
- Claudia Ferri : Christina Panzonni
- Louis Di Bianco : Carlo Lombardo
- — : Tony Barbella
- — : Général Mandèz
- Tony Calabretta : Louis Russo
- Deano Clavet : Angelo «Angy» Bogliozzi
- John Dunn-Hill : Marco D'Ascola
- Éric Hoziel : Gaétan Laflèche
- Bruno Diquinzio : Tony «two»
- — : Pasquale
- — : Mme Sogliuzzo
- Andrée ChampagneAndrée ChampagneAndrée Champagne, PC is an actress, pianist and Canadian politician.Born in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Champagne was an accomplished performer and personality in her home province. In the 1960s, she became well known on television playing "Donalda" in Claude-Henri Grignon's series Les Belles...
: Juge - — : Avocat de Jimmy
- Jean-Guy Moreau : Réal Vincent
- — : Alain Valois
- Roger LégerRoger LegerRoger Leger was a professional ice hockey player who played 187 games in the National Hockey League. He was born in L'Annonciation, Quebec. He played with the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers.- References :...
: Corto - — : Procureur de la couronne
- Claude LemieuxClaude LemieuxClaude Percy Lemieux is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He last played for the San Jose Sharks before announcing his retirement on July 8, 2009. He is one of only ten players in Stanley Cup history to win the Cup with three different teams. His 80 career playoff goals are the...
: Bertrand Fournel
Awards
- Gemini: Best Drama Series 1996
- Gemini: Best Drama Series 1998
- Gemini: Best Drama Series 1999