This episode, along with "Black Tie (1993)," are the only episodes that do not have the following statement appearing at the beginning of each episode: "In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories."
This episode appears to be based on several different cases/incidents:
- The life and crimes of John Gotti and his crime syndicate (who were responsible for Paul Castellano's assassination). John Gotti and five of his brothers all joined the Mafia at early ages, and Gotti soon became boss of the well known Gambino crime family, one of the Five Families in New York City. He became widely known for his outspoken personality and flamboyant style, which were factors leading to his downfall. In 1992, Gotti was convicted of racketeering, thirteen murders, obstruction of justice, truck hijacking, conspiracy to commit murder, illegal gambling, extortion, tax evasion, loansharking, and other crimes. He was sentenced to life in prison, where he died ten years after his incarceration.
- The 1975 disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. Jimmy Hoffa disappeared on July 30, 1975, and was legally declared dead on July 30, 1982. The exact circumstances of his death have never been resolved.
- The 1985 assassination of Paul Castellano. Castellano was an American crime boss who succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the Gambino crime family. Castellano was killed in an unsanctioned hit on December 16, 1985.
Bruce Altman has played four different characters over the course of the series:
- Episode 1.15 The Torrents of Greed: Part 1 (1991) - Harv Beigal.
- Episode 1.16 The Torrents of Greed: Part 2 (1991) - Harv Beigal.
- Episode 4.10 The Pursuit of Happiness (1993) - Tom Morrison.
- Episode 11.5 Return (2000) - Brad Feldman.
- Episode 12.6 Formerly Famous (2001) - Brad Feldman.
- Episode 15.6 Cut (2004) - Dr. Alvin Lawrence.
- Episode 19.11 Lucky Stiff (2009) - Brad Feldman.
Both Chris Noth and Christine Baranski went on to play main characters on The Good Wife (2009) as Peter Florick and Diane Lockhart.
Chris Noth (Detective Mike Logan) and Julie White (Waitress) also worked together on "Dark Money (2015)" (Episode 6.13), as Peter Florrick and Selma Krause, respectively.