Carlito's Way: Rise to Power stars Jay Hernandez as Carlito Brigante, and chronicles Brigante's rise as a heroin drug czar in 1960s Harlem, New York. The film also features Mario Van Peebles, Michael Joseph Kelly, Luis Guzmán, Jaclyn DeSantis, Sean Combs, Burt Young, and Domenick Lombardozzi. Critically panned, the film nevertheless received Torres's as an accurate adaptation of the first half of his novel. The story begins in the 1960s with three inmates in a New York prison — Earl (Van Peebles), Rocco (Kelly), and Carlito (Hernandez) — controlling their criminal empire within their cell. Upon their release, they all look to control the drug
Carlito's Way: Rise to Power the entire Bottolotta Family. Carlito, Rocco and Earl fly to the islands with Earl for his wedding. Earl retires, and Carlito reunites with Leticia, retiring temporarily. The character of Hollywood Nicky played by Sean Combs is based on real New York City drug lord Nicky Barnes. In the film, the character Earl played by Mario Van Peebles makes a reference to Governor Rockefeller setting some new drug laws into effect. This is in reference to the Rockefeller drug laws which are tough mandatory sentencing laws for drug dealers. Three actors appear in both Carlito's Way films: Luis Guzmán plays Pachanga