The film was a huge success, until the film commission at the time deemed that the film was encouraging gang violence. Load of rubbish.
In the directors cut DVD, in the special features someone (might have been Michael Beck(Ajax)) said that the local gang in Coney Island, in real life had told the actors and crew that The Warrior's vests had to be taken off when not shooting the film.
REAL GANGSTERS mind you.
P.S. Brilliant film.