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 apartment, along with Earl who flew back to New York due to the situation. The four men draw guns, Nacho holding two revolvers and Carlito holding a revolver and Reggie threatens Carlito, preparing to fire on him. Earl chooses Carlito over Reggie, and murders his brother, sobbing over his body afterwards. Nacho leaves and Carlito, Earl and Rocco work for the Bottolotta Family, dealing heroin. The Bottolottas have them deal heroin for them, and then dismiss the three. Carlito and Earl pay off the N.Y.P.D., the team led by the most corrupt, feared cops in Harlem to raid and kill