Carlito Brigante his way up to being the heroin kingpin of the neighborhood. Around 1970, Brigante (at the age of 40) is arrested during a drug bust and is sentenced to 30 years in prison. This marks the end of the novel, "Carlito's Way". "After Hours", which is the source for the film version of "Carlito's Way", begins with Brigante beating his prison sentence thanks to his lawyer David Kleinfeld. During "After Hours", Carlito tries to leave his life of crime behind and retire in the Bahamas with his girlfriend Gail. Circumstances conspire against him when Carlito innocuously accompanies his young cousin
Carlito's Way: Rise to Power released by police and returns to his family. The Bottolotta Family blames Carlito, Rocco, and Earl, who left with his girlfriend to get married, for assisting Reggie in the kidnapping. Artie Sr. puts out a contract on Carlito, Rocco and Earl until Reggie and his men are dead. The hitman contracted to kill them, Nacho Reyes (Luis Guzmán), Carlito's accomplice, Colorado, and Hollywood Nicky's driver, Tiny, help them find the two hoodlums who were with Reggie. Nacho tortures the two men to death and they give their dismembered body parts to Artie Sr. Carlito and Nacho find Reggie in an