The imagery of rageful, dangerous killers was more than just a political specter used to scare up votes; it swiftly crossed over into the iconography of popular culture. Soon the young movie star Al Pacino—already known for such seminal roles as an idealistic cop, a brooding mob boss, and a rookie bank robber—added a new character to his résumé: Tony Montana, in Scarface, a snarling Cuban delinquent with a cocaine addiction and a murderous temper, who comes to Florida during the Mariel boatlift.
