Mean Streets: De Niro’s Plaid Jacket and Dobbs Hat as Johnny Boy

Robert De Niro in Mean Streets (1973) Vitals Robert De Niro as Johnny Boy Civello, irresponsible mob associate New York, Fall 1972 Film: Mean Streets Release Date: October 14, 1973 Director: Martin Scorsese Wardrobe Credit: Norman Salling WARNING! Spoilers ahead! Background “You’ve blogged about this movie, right?” my wife asked me during her first-ever viewing of Mean Streets this weekend. When I responded that of course I have, she nodded and pointed to Robert De Niro swinging a broken pool cue in a bar full of angry mooks, adding “I can tell. This outfit is very you.” And that’s when I realized I needed to quickly rectify my BAMF Style blind spot that had so far overlooked Robert De Niro’s style as the reckless Johnny Boy in director Martin Scorsese’s breakthrough feature. Heeding his pal John Cassavetes’ advice to make something more personal than his last film (Boxcar Bertha), Scorsese crafted Mean Streets as his own spin on I Vitelloni (1953), drawing on experiences and…