‘By Any Means’ Ending Explained: The Fate of Mark Wahlberg’s Mafia Hitman-Turned FBI Informant

Mark Wahlberg takes on a darker role in ‘By Any Means,’ a gripping crime thriller that explores one of the most unusual partnerships in FBI history. Directed by Elegance Bratton and penned by Sascha Penn, the film features Wahlberg alongside Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Josh Lucas, Nicole Beharie, Ethan Embry, LisaGay Hamilton, LaChanze, Giancarlo Esposito, and David Strathairn.

Based on real events, the story follows a young Black FBI agent dispatched to 1960s Mississippi to investigate a series of brutal murders targeting civil rights leaders. He finds himself working with notorious mafia hitman Greg Scarpa. To fully grasp the film’s conclusion, it’s essential to understand the historical context behind these events.

The narrative is rooted in the true story of Greg Scarpa, a mafia hitman who became an FBI informant in the 1960s, aiding in the resolution of KKK-related murder cases. Scarpa was a high-ranking member of New York’s Colombo crime family, notorious for his brutal interrogation methods used to extract information for the bureau in exchange for money.

In the summer of 1964, Scarpa traveled to rural Mississippi, employing violent tactics to assist the FBI in locating where the Ku Klux Klan had buried three murdered civil rights workers. After the Klan firebombed the home of another civil rights leader, Scarpa returned to help solve that crime as well.

According to a 2007 report, Scarpa’s partner Linda Schiro recounted that they checked into a hotel in Neshoba County, where an agent handed Scarpa a gun before he left the room. Scarpa allegedly warned Schiro that if he did not return, she should take a cab to the airport and fly back to New York. He returned shortly after, claiming he had kidnapped a local salesman and Klansman named Lawrence Byrd, coercing him into confessing.

Byrd was reportedly so severely beaten during this encounter that he was never the same afterward, making this incident one of the most controversial aspects of Scarpa’s story.

The film also highlights the murder of Mississippi NAACP leader Vernon Dahmer Sr., who was killed when the Klan firebombed his home. Klansmen doused the Dahmer residence in gasoline and opened fire, attempting to kill everyone inside. Although Vernon managed to save his family, he sustained severe injuries that ultimately led to his death.

When the investigation into Dahmer’s murder stalled, the FBI once again turned to Scarpa for assistance in identifying the perpetrators. The film’s producer has stated that the filmmakers portray Dahmer as the courageous family man and NAACP leader he was, with Dahmer’s daughter Bettie collaborating on the production and observing scenes filmed in Georgia.

Bettie noted that while the film is framed as a true crime narrative, it primarily focuses on Gregory Scarpa. This perspective is crucial for the film’s ending, as it ultimately centers on Scarpa rather than the civil rights leaders he was ostensibly helping.

For his portrayal, Wahlberg underwent a significant transformation, including temporary cosmetic alterations to his nose and chin, which reportedly reminded Gregory Scarpa Jr. of his father. Scarpa Jr. and his sister Linda served as consultants on the film.

Gregory Scarpa Jr. spent approximately a month and a half on set during production, and family members have indicated that the Mississippi events depicted are based on real, documented occurrences from the 1960s, although the film condenses the timeline as is typical in cinema. The FBI agent character portrayed by Abdul-Mateen II is a fictional composite rather than a representation of a specific real-life agent.

Opinions on the film’s accuracy vary. Award-winning investigative reporter Jerry Mitchell noted in a December 2025 article that some former FBI agents claim the location of the three civil rights workers’ bodies was revealed by a Mississippi highway patrolman who had connections to the Klansmen, rather than Scarpa. This discrepancy is one of the more debated details among fans ahead of the film’s release.

The true extent of Scarpa’s unofficial involvement in Mississippi remains ambiguous, with the FBI’s own website only attributing an unnamed informant tip to the exhumation of the three bodies. This uncertainty contributes to the unsettling tone of ‘By Any Means’ as it reaches its conclusion.

While the film concludes in the 1960s, Greg Scarpa Sr. lived through many more tumultuous decades, including the violent Colombo family wars, a prison stint near convicted terrorist Ramzi Yousef, and a return home after over thirty years behind bars. His FBI file, released under the Freedom of Information Act, reveals that his informant relationship with the bureau began in 1961 and extended well beyond the film’s timeline.

Discussing his father’s role in Mississippi, Gregory Scarpa Jr. expressed to The Mob Museum that he believes the film is largely accurate, despite historians and journalists challenging certain claims. This tension between familial accounts and independent journalism will likely spark considerable discussion once audiences see how the film concludes its narrative.

‘By Any Means’ is set to hit US theaters on September 4, distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Now that you understand the complex and contested nature of the real Greg Scarpa story, do you think ‘By Any Means’ should have given Vernon Dahmer’s family a more significant role in its ending?