Frank Nitti (The Untouchables)

NOTE: This is a fictionalized version of Frank Nitti, that is not entirely accurate to the historical gangster Frank Nitti. And thus, should be treated as a fictional character.

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Hate Sink
Full Name	Francesco Raffaele Nitto
Alias	Frank Nitti The Enforcer
Origin	The Untouchables (1987)
Allies	Al Capone (his Boss)
Powers/Skills	Contract Killing Gunmanship
Goals	Kill Jimmy Malone and Oscar Wallace
What Makes Them Despicable	Killing Jimmy Malone, mocking Elliot Ness. Being a smug snake in general
"Love to hate" factors	Billy Drago’s performance. His hilarious death scene
Type of Hate Sink	Murderous Gangster

“	I said that your friend died screaming like a stuck Irish pig. Now you think about that when I beat the rap.	„
	~ Nitti taunts Elliot Ness about the killing of his friend Jimmy Malone moments before his death.

Frank Nitti (born Francesco Raffaele Nitto) is the secondary antagonist of the 1987 crime film The Untouchables.

He is played by the late Billy Drago

What Makes him a Hate Sink?

• Nitti frequently shows he’s willing to follow orders without question, even when it requires moral compromise. He hides behind loyalty to Al Capone but lacks any personal courage or integrity.
• When Capone orders him to enforce his control over rival operations, Nitti carries out violent intimidation but never steps up with any initiative of his own. He’s clearly terrified of Capone and manipulates situations to avoid direct blame.
• In the scene where Capone humiliates him in front of others (for failing or questioning an order), Nitti immediately grovels and promises to fix the problem. His need for approval from a brutal criminal highlights his moral emptiness.
• Unlike Capone, who is charismatic and commanding, Nitti is morally hollow—he’s all about survival and power, with no personal honor.
• He murders Elliot Ness' best friend Jimmy Malone (one of the films most sympathetic characters) in cold blood
• Nitti often uses his position to humiliate or belittle others to assert dominance or maintain status.
• Overall, he’s a cowardly, sycophantic enabler—someone who amplifies the evil of others while contributing nothing heroic or redeeming. He’s the type of villain whose cruelty is amplified by weakness and moral cowardice, which makes him detestable even without being physically violent on-screen.

External Links

• Frank Nitti on the Pure Evil Wiki
• Frank Nitti on the Villains Wiki