Borsalino and Co. (1974) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Volpone orders Capella's murder to establish dominance in Marseille's underworld and eliminate Siffredi's closest ally. Capella was Siffredi's most trusted confidant, so removing him weakens Siffredi's position and sends a clear message that Volpone intends to take control of the city. This calculated strike is the opening move in Volpone's power grab.

• volpone
• capella murder
• marseille underworld
• gangster power

Siffredi kills Volpone's brother as direct retaliation for Capella's murder. This brutal act of revenge, throwing the brother from a moving train, is Siffredi's way of showing Volpone that attacking his inner circle will have consequences. The murder escalates the conflict into an all-out gang war, permanently shattering whatever fragile peace existed in Marseille.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Siffredi vows revenge after learning Capella was killed on Volpone's orders.

• siffredi
• volpone brother
• murder
• revenge
• train

After losing the gang war against Volpone, Siffredi is captured and humiliated by his enemies. The combination of defeat, loss of his empire, and the trauma of being overthrown drives him to alcoholism. He becomes a wreck, and his enemies commit him to a psychiatric hospital, effectively removing him from the picture while Volpone consolidates power over Marseille.

• siffredi
• psychiatric hospital
• humiliation
• defeat

Volpone forces Lola into a brothel as a form of punishment and psychological warfare against Siffredi. By seizing the woman Siffredi loves and reducing her to a commodity, Volpone demonstrates his total dominance over Siffredi's life and territory. This act also serves as a public symbol of Siffredi's defeat.

• lola
• brothel
• volpone
• punishment
• siffredi

Siffredi is rescued by the only surviving member of his original gang, who helps him escape by boat from Marseille to Italy. This escape marks the turning point where Siffredi transforms from a broken prisoner into a survivor planning his comeback. In Italy, he regains his health and rebuilds his strength for the eventual return.

• siffredi
• escape
• italy
• boat
• marseille

Volpone aligns with Nazi Germany to solidify his grip on Marseille during World War II. The Nazi backing provides him with political protection and military support, making his regime nearly untouchable. This alliance transforms his criminal enterprise into a tool of political power, allowing him to control the city through fear and foreign occupation forces.

• volpone
• nazis
• marseille
• occupation
• power

The new police commissioner decides to let Siffredi eliminate Volpone because he recognizes that Volpone's regime has become too corrupt and politically dangerous. By allowing Siffredi to do the dirty work, the commissioner removes both criminal threats without risking police casualties. This calculated political move gives Siffredi the green light for the final confrontation.

• police commissioner
• siffredi
• volpone
• final confrontation

Siffredi chooses to leave for the United States because his victory is hollow, built on massacre, betrayal, and the destruction of everything he once knew. Having achieved revenge, he realizes Marseille offers no future but more violence. Leaving with Lola represents his attempt at a fresh start, seeking a life beyond the endless cycle of crime and retaliation that defined his years in Marseille.

• siffredi
• lola
• united states
• escape
• new life

When Volpone attempts to flee to Germany, Siffredi pursues and corners him on a moving train. In the climactic confrontation, Siffredi traps Volpone inside the locomotive's firebox, burning him alive. This brutal method of execution mirrors the earlier murder of Volpone's brother and represents the ultimate payback for all the violence Volpone inflicted on Siffredi and his circle.

Foreshadowing: Siffredi previously killed Volpone's brother by throwing him from a moving train, establishing the train as a place of reckoning.

• volpone
• death
• firebox
• train
• execution
• revenge

Siffredi stages a public spectacle by getting Volpone's right-hand man and the corrupt police commissioner drunk and exposing them to journalists. This deliberate act is designed to destroy Volpone's legitimacy and public standing. By exposing the corruption that protected Volpone, Siffredi turns public opinion against the regime and weakens Volpone's political armor before the final assault.

• siffredi
• humiliation
• public
• corruption
• journalists