"[Do you know how to make sauce] was like a special line and there had to be something sweet about it. Because it’s like almost saying - I may wanna marry you one day. I’m not gonna ask you this question if I didn’t see a future. So really, that line says a lot. I’m not only asking if you know how to make sauce, I’m also asking you if there’s maybe a potential future between us.“ - Lillo Brancato, “Back Together After 28 Years: A Bronx Tale | Sit Down with Michael Franzese.”
In A Bronx Tale Musical, Calogero and Jane’s relationship doesn’t last and I have every reason to take it as being true because of how De Niro and Palminteri were still heavily and directly involved with this version. However, in a recent interview with Jane and Calogero’s theatrical actors, they talked about their character’s ending in such an optimistic way that it made feel that the depth of the character’s relationship depends on who’s portraying them.
When it comes to writing Calogero, I depict Jane as being very significant to him. On this blog, their relationship matters. But, the backlash against interracial relationships was so bad back then - and after the death of Calogero’s friends in an all-black neighborhood, I feel that as a Italian boy, it would be some time before he was welcomed into her community. During the final scene he has with Jane, local men were growing increasingly angry by his presence. I really feel like they would assume he had something to do with the attempted destruction in their neighborhood. Racial tensions were already bad, but they definitely had to get worse.
My portrayal of C after the immediate events of A Bronx Tale depicts him severely depressed. And, I want to believe Jane provided good support for him, because if the car door scene is any indication for how she is as a person, it’s that she’s giving. Still, despite her support, the relationship just couldn’t last on a long distance level.
Because of his love for Jane, it’s not a stretch for me to say that maybe, after graduating high school, Calogero asked her to leave with him. However Jane’s mom was like
‘FUCK NO, you’re not running away with some white boy! You’ll get killed!’
Therefore, the long distance relationship they attempted fizzled out and died. They just went into new directions.
But when it comes to older Calogero, I’m not against the idea of him meeting Jane again and falling in love with her once more. Because really, who doesn’t want to see that happen? Especially given his own actor’s recent comment about how serious this dynamic is.
