The Sicilian (film) howlingly grandiose manner that only a filmmaker with visions of epic greatness working on a large scale with a multinational cast can achieve." Leonard Maltin rated the film a "BOMB", calling it a "militantly lugubrious bio of Salvatore Giuliano". Producer McNall was personally disappointed by the film. "Given that "The Sicilian" was a descendant of Puzo's "The Godfather"," wrote McNall, "I had expected something with the same beauty, drama, and emotion. Cimino had shown with "The Deer Hunter" that he was capable of making such a movie. But he had failed." McNall even quoted Ebert's review in his appraisal of
Don Pendleton with the publisher, Pinnacle Books, over ownership of the series. Pinnacle had the next entry, "The Executioner #16: Sicilian Slaughter," written by William Crawford under the pseudonym "Jim Peterson." Pendleton ignored "Sicilian Slaughter" and wrote The Executioner #17: "Jersey Guns," as a sequel to #15, "Panic in Philly," under a new contract with New American Library, which was ultimately voided by the terms of his settlement with Pinnacle, and he returned to the Bolan character for 21 more novels. Since 1980, "The Executioner, Mack Bolan" books and spinoffs - Able Team, Phoenix Force, Stony Man, and Mack Bolan - have