East Side/West Side (TV Series) It's War, Man (1964) User Reviews

They called him "Little Angelo"! He weight only 5 pounds when he was born!!

[kapelusznik18 · 6/10 · 10 November 2015]

***SPOILERS*** The feeling as well as bleeding heart social worker Neil Brock, Geroge C. Scott, who was about to leave for his new job downtown as city administrated is forced or volunteers to stay on his old job in helping out 15 year old "L'il Angelo" Lopez, Alberto Castagma, from ending up in the Sing Sing electric chair. That's for stabbing his neighbor grocery store owner Old Man Chris Lombardi to death as well as leaving the scene of the crime. That happened when old Man Lombardi dissed L'il Angelo by refusing to serve him a cup of coffee and tried to kick him out of his store! As L'il Angelo was soon to find out being dissed is one thing but killing someone in cold blood is quite another!

With Brock taking on the defense of L'il Angelo who seems to not give a flying sh*t about the mess he now finds himself in it's up to his mom Lucia Lopez,Joanna Merlin, to come to his defense who has long since disowned him and more then anyone, even the Lombardi family members, else wants to see him fry. Brock uses his knowledge of the mean streets of NYC as well as feelings for all those who live there to get Mrs. Lopez to finally change her mind and come to her rotten son L'il Angelo's defense. That's before he's sentenced of death in handed down by the judge if he's convicted of 1st degree murder.

***SPOILERS*** It took some time for Brock to get Mrs. Lopez to understand that her son L'il Angelo wasn't all that bad even if he killed someone for the unforgivable , on the streets, crime of dissing him and not showing him respect. Since he knows nothing better in the life that he lived, as a street gang leader, on the mean streets of New York City but showing deadly violence when he's disrespected. As for the the judge on the case Judge Morrison, Torin Thatcher, he was convinced that L'il Angelo who by now feels what he did was wrong and is willing to pay for it with his life will learn his lesson after spending six years behind bars in juvenile detention. Then, what at first he was really looking for, instead of him ending up getting zapped, with 2,000 volts of electricity, in the New York state electric chair, grow up and become a law abiding and productive citizen.

Anger, fear, and bigotry in a changing neighborhood

[Paularoc · 6/10 · 17 July 2013]

The episode starts with a older boy and an elderly man arguing in a candy store; then the boy viciously stabs the man to death. The boy, Angelo Lopez is a 15 year old Puerto Rican gang member of the Saints but is also a participant in one of the programs sponsored by the Community Welfare Services. As the police are arresting Angelo, his mother's parting words are "I hope they kill you." Before the indictment hearing, the judge asks Social Worker Neil Brock to look into the matter before he makes a judgment as to whether or not the boy is to be tried in Family Court or to be tried as an adult. The stakes are huge for if he is tried in Family Court he will go to an institution where he will be released when he is 21; if he's tried as an adult, he could get the death penalty. Brock finds that the neighborhood where the boy is living is a neighborhood in transition. Traditionally an Italian neighborhood, it is now becoming increasingly Puerto Rican. The Italians hate the Puerto Ricans and the Puerto Ricans hate the Italians. Brock has a difficult time getting Angelo to cooperate. At one point Angelo lashes out at Brock telling him that "I killed that wop," and spits on Brock. With the exception of the local priest, the community including the police investigator are convinced that the boy is thoroughly bad and will kill again. In Brock's view he can be rehabilitated. As to be expected in this series, the story is grim and sad but also thought provoking. At the end, Angelo is to be tried in Family Court but we are not completely sure that Angelo will be able to turn his life around.