Mixed by Erry ending explained: Did the Frattasio brothers go to prison?

Mixed by Erry has the perfect blend of comedy, crime, and a steady plot. While most of us are aware of several films about money laundering and drug trafficking, Mixed by Erry gave the audience a detailed look into the 1980s underground cassette piracy business. The films showcased the exploits of three brothers, Enrico, Peppe, and Angelo Frattasio, who built a robust empire by selling illegal music on the Italian black market.

The official synopsis of this Italian movie, according to IMDb, reads,

"The rise and fall of the pirate mixtape empire of three brothers from Naples and their "Mixed by Erry"-trademarked cassettes that brought pop music to 1980s Italian youth."

Warning: Heavy spoilers ahead.

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Mixed by Erry ending explained: Who snitched on the three brothers?

For the crimes they had committed, it was obvious that Enrico (Erry), Peppe, and Angelo Frattasio were bound to go to jail, but surprisingly, the protagonist's story sort of ended on a high note. As a matter of fact, the real Enrico Frattasio is still alive and well and often narrates his adventures with his old shop, Mixed by Erry, and everything that happened in the city of Naples in the 80s.

Like always, every illegal business sees its twilight days, and for the Frattasio brothers, it came in the form of compact discs (CDs). They learned about this technology when they visited Milan to meet Arturo and instantly started making efforts to learn about this upcoming technology (which is almost dead in 2023). Furthermore, Aurturo and Mixed by Erry both became Italy's highest-earning record companies, even annihilating the legal record business.

Gradually, these legitimate record companies began swarming around Mixed by Erry. Seeing this ruckus, Riccardi, an Italian military police officer, decided to take down the brothers' company. Arturo warned Erry about the police breathing down their necks, but Erry seemed unbothered. Erry, in fact, decided to make fun of Riccardi by making him and his team attend the 1991 Sanremo Festival.

This festival served as the company's bread and butter for ages. The police were aware that Erry had planted a mole in their team but failed to discover his identity. Unfortunately, the police found other ways to get what they wanted. They first came after Arturo, and to save himself, he made a deal with them. He revealed everything he knew about the Frattasio brothers' piracy business.

This proved enough to get the three brothers arrested. The police had a ton of evidence. Furthermore, they even shut down Mixed by Erry. At the prison, the eldest brother, Angelo, revealed to the other two that he had hidden close to $30 billion in cash for them, and it was all theirs once they were released.

Unfortunately, Erry learned that, due to a multinational treaty, the Italian lira was going to be replaced by the euro. This meant that every last penny they possessed would be obsolete by the time they got out. With no other choice, Erry pleaded guilty at his trial. The four brothers were sentenced to four years in prison, and when they were released, they were forced to give up on whatever they had earned illegally.

The brothers started fresh lives again, but during the hay days of their operation, they sold around 180 million tapes all over their country. Erry later made a living distributing gift boxes and sometimes even performing as a DJ.