Believing that the film would portray Italian-Americans in a negative light, various protests occurred, with the Italian-American Civil Rights League sending letters to representatives in Congress. Evans was staying at a hotel with his wife and son when he received a phone call. The voice on the other end said, "We don't want to break your pretty face, hurt your newborn.... Don't shoot no more about the family here, got it?" (Producer Al Ruddy later had the windows of his car broken by a blast from a gun.)
