Trivia

James Russo turned down the part Jimmy Jump. Laurence Fishburne, who had already been cast as Thomas Flanigan, persistently begged director Abel Ferrara for an audition for the part. He got the part just by coming in looking exactly as he does in the film and did not have to audition.

Italian political magnate Silvio Berlusconi, the richest man in Italy, financed the film through NY-based producer Jay Julien and Italian intermediaries.

New York rapper The Notorious B.I.G. used the moniker "Frank White" in many of his songs.

Abel Ferrara claims Wesley Snipes was living in his car during production of this film.

The first cut of the film originally ran for almost two hours and had to be edited down to 106 minutes to avoid an X rating.