In Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958), Marcello Mastroianni played Tiberio, one of a group of small-time Roman crooks who plan to break into a pawnshop through the wall of a neighbouring flat. Directed by Mario Monicelli, the comedy is a gentle, affectionate look at men whose grand plan is far bigger than their talent.
Tiberio is a photographer by trade and a dreamer by nature, and Mastroianni plays him with a warmth that makes the whole gang sympathetic. The film became a classic of Italian comedy, and it showed that Mastroianni could lead an ensemble without losing his lightness. It was the first major step towards the stardom that Fellini would soon confirm.