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 A. Lanada, Sr. trained many Americans and other foreigners, as well to many Filipinos who migrated to other countries. These Kuntawista’s went to countries such as America, Saudi Arabia, Japan, England, Canada, United Arab Emirates, and others to establish schools of their own. In 1979, he held the inauguration of the International Kuntaw Federation (I.K.F.), thereby uniting all members of Kuntaw worldwide. To date, the Kuntaw Temple in Olongapo City is being cared for and run by his eldest son, Grandmaster Carlito G. Lanada Jr. The Great Grandmaster Carlito A. Lanada Sr. has moved to the United States with most of his family.