Though he continued to guest star in single episodes of a number of television series, including "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Burn Notice," and "White Collar," Turturro remained on the big screen throughout the early 2000s, returning to his "The World Trade Center" biopic roots with 2008's "Phantom Punch" and 2009's "Street Boss."
Director Robert Townsend's "Phantom Punch" tells the story of legendarily controversial heavyweight boxer, Sonny Liston, portrayed in the film by Ving Rhames. In the film, Turturro stars as gym owner and operator Ceasar Novak, who ultimately becomes Liston's manager. A contemporary review of "Phantom Punch" asserted that, on the whole, it was "never quite as dark as its subject might require" (via The Hollywood Reporter), but its lukewarm reception doesn't appear to have negatively impacted Turturro's film career. The following year, he was once again cast in a leading role in director Lance Kawas' "Street Boss."
Inspired by former FBI Agent Phil Kerby's non-fiction book, "With Honor and Purpose," (via Michigan Live) the film told the story of the FBI's take-down of one of Detroit's most infamous mobsters, Tony Jack (aka Tony Giacalone, portrayed in the film by Robert Gallo). Turturro tackled the role of consiglieri Jimmy Calone, and though the film wasn't exactly a well-known mega hit, it did allow the actor to flex his dramatic muscles.
