So, the movie was only loosely based on the real story. But I do not care, it is still a good picture.

well the wikipedia entry is pretty grim:
Joey LaMarca will probably never get out of a hospital or jail. His older brother by four years, John Angelo, married Margaret Anne Trudeau in summer 1997.
It says that when he murdered the dealer it was "cold-blooded" ie nothing to do with self-defence. It also says he suffered abuse as a child from a neighbour. Franco's father, meanwhile, did not kill the child he kidnapped "by accident" - he left him to die in woods.
And with Joey's brother also an apparent murder, what a grim story the REAL story is

Joey is out now. And he is seeking violent revenge on the people who so brutally butchered his story. WORST MOVIE EVER!

I recently took a bunch of my students to a prison upstate for the YAP program where inmates talk to them about the realities of prison. I met Joey there and he told us his story which was pretty close to the movie. He was great with the kids and is due to be released any day now. He has learned a lot from his mistakes and seems to be on the right track.

http://movies.ign.com/articles/370/370079p1.html

wow thats sad the ending brought some hope to end that way. the real story is even more sad.

Found this on About.com.
http://actionadventure.about.com/library/weekly/2002/aa090602.htm
It's an interview with the real Vincent LaMarca. He says Joey will be out when he is in his early 40's.

The link doesn't work anymore. Well it does, but you have to subscribe to Esquire or pay like $3 to read it. Can anyone tell me the what happened to these characters in real life?
Thanks
What is your damage little boy?

The article is currently available here:
http://www.maryellenmark.com/text/magazines/esquire/911E-000-012.html
They seem to have made major changes; the murder was not at all self-defense (which is why the real Joey got 15 years), the father was not on the force at the time, there is no grandson, etc. About the only thing that was the same was the the father was an officer, and the grandfather had been executed for death in a kidnapping.

Yes thank you! It's been quite a while since I checked back here to see if anyone responded. It's interesting to finally know the real story!

Thanks for that link!

You can read the article this movie was based upon on the following link:
http://www.esquire.com/features/articles/2002/020806_mfe_lamarca_1.html
arnemann.