On paper, The Alto Knights looked like a certified mob movie banger. Robert De Niro in two roles? Check. Legendary director Barry Levinson at the helm? Check. Real-life mob drama set in gritty New York? Double check. It had all the makings of a gangster epic that could walk into theaters, collect its box office cash, and strut out like a made man. But instead, it tripped over its own loafers.

Robert De Niro in The Alto Knights (Credits- Warner Bros)

The film barely made a dent in its opening weekend, grossing just $3 million against a whopping $50 million budget. And while Snow White tiptoed in with a soft debut, it still managed to leave The Alto Knights sleeping with the fishes in sixth place. Yikes. So what happened? How did a film with this much pedigree end up getting iced at the box office? Let’s just say there were...