The Last Don, originally aired as a landmark television miniseries on May 11-14, 1997, stands as a sweeping adaptation of Mario Puzo’s final great Mafia epic. Directed by Graeme Clifford, the production serves as a bridge between the operatic tragedy of The Godfather and the modern, cynical grit of later crime dramas.
It is a story of transition, exploring the Clericuzio family’s desperate attempt to move from the shadows of organized crime into the “legitimate” glare of the film industry and high-stakes gambling.
With its lush production design and a sprawling narrative that spans decades, the film captures the seductive lure of the American Dream and the inescapable gravity of a violent past.
The narrative is anchored by Don Domenico Clericuzio (Danny Aiello), the aging patriarch of the most powerful Mafia family in the country.
Following a brutal war with the rival Santadio clan—a conflict that left deep, hidden scars within his own bloodline—the Don decides that his grandchildren must enter the world of legal business.
Central to this transition are two young men: Croccifixio “Cross” De Lena (Jason Gedrick), a thoughtful and skilled operative who manages the family’s interests in Las Vegas, and Dante Clericuzio (Rory Cochrane), the Don’s volatile and sadistic grandson.
As the family expands into Hollywood, Cross falls deeply in love with Athena Aquitane (Daryl Hannah), a beautiful film star living in terror of her abusive ex-husband.
Their romance is complicated by the machinations of Joseph “Pippi” De Lena (Joe Mantegna), Cross’s father and the family’s legendary “Hammer,” and the ambitious studio executive Bobby Bantz (Robert Wuhl).
Meanwhile, the family’s legal facade is maintained by the sharp-witted Nalene (Penelope Ann Miller).
However, the ghosts of the Santadio massacre refuse to stay buried.
Dante’s growing insanity and a secret betrayal involving Rose Marie Clericuzio (Kirstie Alley) threaten to ignite a fratricidal war.
The story weaves through the glitz of Nevada and the backlots of California, building to a violent reckoning where the Don’s vision of a clean future is tested by the blood-soaked traditions of the old world.
Christopher Meloni, k.d. lang, Seymour Cassel, Burt Young, Cliff DeYoung, Mike Starr, Vincent Pastore, and Lark Voorhies round out the supporting cast.
Jason Gedrick and Daryl Hannah in The Last Don (Photo/CBS)
Reception for The Last Don
The Last Don received three nominations at the 49th Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Miniseries, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special for Joe Mantegna as Pippi De Lena and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special Kirstie Alley as Rose Marie.
Legacy
The Last Don is one of the last great “event” miniseries of the 1990s, arriving just as the landscape of prestige television was beginning to shift.
It is remembered for Aiello’s commanding performance, which added a layer of weary humanity to the archetype of the Mafia Don, and for Mantegna’s definitive portrayal of a weary professional killer.
While often compared to its more famous predecessor, The Godfather, it has earned a reputation as a distinct and ambitious work that successfully modernized Puzo’s themes of family and fate.
