Nico: Above the Law (1988)

A slam-bang action film with 6′ 4″ martial arts hero Steven Seagal (in his film debut) as Nico Toscani – a karate-chopping cop out to mop up some Chicago drug dealers.

Seagal developed, co-wrote, co-produced, choreographed, and debuted in this cop film with more attitude, and more plot, than its star had duties on the set.

Toscani is an Italian immigrant, Vietnam vet, American patriot, ex-CIA agent, aikido specialist, and unorthodox Chicago policeman. He is as committed to his job as he is to his personalised brand of justice: expert and thorough bone-crushing.

When the FBI orders his squad to ignore the mysterious shipment of military explosives they seized from a notorious narcotics dealer, Nico defiantly pursues his own investigation.

With the help of his partner “Jax” (Pam Grier), he sifts through a tangled web of Catholic priests, illegal immigrants, and trained assassins to uncover a drug cartel run directly out of the CIA by a slimy official named Zagon (Henry Silva).

Nico remembers the man from his CIA days in Vietnam when Zagon used the agency – and the war – as a front for smuggling opium (and used heroin to torture people).

At the time, Nico was too outranked to thwart him, but he will no longer let Zagon abuse his position to remain immune from prosecution – especially now that the official has plans to murder a Senator.

Zagon may be above the law of most men, but he is certainly not above Nico’s.

Nico Toscani
Steven Seagal
Delores “Jax” Jackson
Pam Grier
Sara Toscani
Sharon Stone
Salvano
Daniel Faraldo
Zagon
Henry Silva
Lukich
Ron Dean
Agent Neeley
Nick Kusenko
Father Gennaro
Joe V. Greco
Nelson Fox
Chelcie Ross
Senator Harrison
Joe D. Lauck
Chi Chi
Miguel Nino
Luigi
Alex Ross
Uncle Branca
Jack Wallace
Rosa Toscani
Metta Davis
Detective Henderson
Gene Barge
Agent Halloran
Gregory Alan Williams
Lt. Strozah
Joseph Kosala
Grandma Zingaro
Toni Fleming
Father Tomasino
Henry Godinez
Abandano
Rafael Gonzalez

Director
Andrew Davis