Steven Seagal’s tough-guy persona wasn’t just for the movies; he reportedly had real-life run-ins with the mob. Back in the day, the Under Siege star found himself tangled with the infamous Gambino crime family, and it wasn’t a friendly encounter.
Per reports, the mob used him for target practice, though not in the way you’d expect. Instead of dodging bullets, Seagal was allegedly forced to sit still while gangsters tested his nerves.
Steven Seagal vs. the mob: When Hollywood met the Gambino crime family
Steven Seagal has faced plenty of bad guys in Under Siege and Above the Law, but his scariest villains weren’t on a movie set; they were real. Back in the ‘90s, the action star got tangled with the Gambino crime family, and they weren’t exactly fans (via Looper).
It all started when Seagal’s partnership with producer Julius R. Nasso fell apart in 2000. Enter Anthony “Sonny” Ciccone, an alleged Gambino captain, who wasn’t happy about Seagal walking away.
One day, the actor found himself in a Brooklyn restaurant, staring down Ciccone. The mobster had a demand – Seagal needed to work with Nasso again and pay $150,000 per film. Refusing wasn’t an option.
Seagal, reportedly terrified, handed over $700,000. As he left, someone made things crystal clear: “If you would have said the wrong thing, they would have killed you.”
The whole mess unraveled in 2003 when the feds indicted crime boss Peter Gotti and 16 others. Wiretaps revealed Ciccone and Nasso laughing about how they had scared Seagal. Nasso defended himself, claiming the actor backed out of deals, costing him $500,000. That argument got him a year in federal prison.
But prison didn’t erase Nasso’s grudge. Once released, he sued Seagal for $60 million. The case never made it to trial – both sides settled for an undisclosed amount.
In the end, Seagal walked away, but not without paying the price for crossing the wrong people. Turns out, playing a tough guy in Hollywood doesn’t always prepare you for the real thing.
John Leguizamo turned his hatred for Steven Seagal into a movie character
John Leguizamo hated Steven Seagal. So much so that when crafting his character in The Menu, he used the action star as inspiration. Leguizamo said,
He beat me up once on a rehearsal; he’s a bully. So I was playing a washed-up action star, so I thought he was perfect for it.
His grudge ran deep. Back in the Executive Decision days, Seagal allegedly bullied and even roughed him up during rehearsal. That left a lasting impression.
By the time The Menu hit theaters in 2022, Seagal’s reputation had already crumbled, weighed down by assault allegations, bizarre career choices, and his cozy relationship with Vladimir Putin.
Seagal resurfaced at Putin’s 2024 re-inauguration. A fitting cameo for a fading star.
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