Trivia / Godfather of Harlem

• The Danza: Vincent D'Onofrio as Vincent "The Chin" Gigante.
• Fake American: The Italian-American Stella Gigante is portrayed by the Australian Lucy Fry.
• In Memoriam: The Season 3 premiere is dedicated to Frank Costello's actor Paul Sorvino, who passed away in July 2022.
• Irony as She Is Cast: Giancarlo Esposito, whose father is Italian, plays congressman Adam Clayton Powell, who constantly uses ethnic slurs against the very Italian gangsters he is investigating.
• The Other Darrin: Having originally played by Nigel Thatch in seasons one and two, Malcolm X was recast with Jason Alan Carvell for season three (the last season X appears in).
• Playing Against Type:
  • Giancarlo Esposito is typically associated with playing stoic criminal masterminds and/or ruthless dictators who are treated with the utmost seriousness. Certainly a far cry from the sleazy Corrupt Politician and Anti-Hero with shades of Plucky Comic Relief that is Adam Clayton Powell.
  • Justin Bartha is primarily known for being in comedies and action-adventure movies. In this show, he plays Robert Morgenthau, a stoic, straight-laced FBI Agent who is treated with the utmost seriousness as he attempting to take down Bumpy Johnson and the Mafia.
• Role Reprise: Nigel Thatch had previously portrayed Malcolm X in Selma.
• What Could Have Been: Nigel Thatch was originally going to reprise his role as Malcolm X in Season 3, but was ultimately unable to do so due to scheduling conflicts. He was replaced with Jason Alan Carvell as a result.

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