 Robert De Niro (qv) read the autobiography of Jake LaMotta (qv)  while filming _Godfather: Part II, The (1974)_ (qv) in 1974 and  immediately saw the potential for a film to make with his  collaborator, Martin Scorsese (qv). It took over four years for De  Niro to convince everyone, including Scorsese, to get on board for  this film.