Robert De Niro posed with his girlfriend Tiffany Chen at The Alto Knights premiere in NYC on Saturday night.

The actor, 81, and Tiffany, 46, were joined by their pet pooches on the red carpet who also star in the crime drama film.

The biographical crime drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Nicholas Pileggi stars Robert in a dual role as 1950s mob bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello.

For the premiere Robert looked smart in a black suit and grey top which he wore with orange tinted sunglᴀsses.

Tiffany meanwhile rocked a chic black velvet suit as she held up their beloved pet dogs who feature in the film.  

Debra Messing, Cosmo Jarvis, Kathrine Narducci, and Michael Rispoli have supporting roles in the film and were also seen at the premiere. 

Robert De Niro posed with his girlfriend Tiffany Chen at The Alto Knights premiere in NYC on Saturday night

The actor, 81, and Tiffany, 46, were joined by their pet pooches on the red carpet who also star in the crime drama film

Debra, 56, will star as Costello’s wife Bobbie in the upcoming thriller movie. 

The Alto Knights is scheduled to be released in the US on March 21 by Warner Bros. Pictures.

In the film Vito and Frank are Italian-American mob bosses, and Genovese orders a hit on Costello. Costello survives but is wounded in the attempt and ultimately decides to retire from the Mafia.

Last week Robert revealed his own pet dogs had to ‘audition’ for his latest movie.

One of the characters was a dog owner, and the actor’s girlfriend Tiffany asked if their own pets could take part.

After a meeting with director Barry Levinson, the pooches were cast.

On The One Show he told host Alex Jones: ‘It was in the script so, my girlfriend, we have a lot of dogs, so she said, ‘Maybe you could put these dogs in or one of them?” said the actor.

‘And I said, ‘OK, let me introduce them to Barry Levinson, the director’.’

‘They had to audition! Barry met them and he liked them and he said, ‘OK’.’

‘So then we somehow got into a thing of how they would dress,’ he went on. 

The biographical crime drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by Nicholas Pileggi stars Robert in a dual role as 1950s mob bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello

For the premiere he looked smart in a black suit and grey top which he wore with orange tinted sunglᴀsses (seen with Barry Levinson the director)

Debra Messing (seen), Cosmo Jarvis, Kathrine Narducci, and Michael Rispoli have supporting roles in the film and were also seen at the premiere

Debra, 56, will star as Costello’s wife Bobbie in the upcoming thriller movie

The Alto Knights is scheduled to be released in the US on March 21 by Warner Bros. Pictures

‘And since it was cold weather, walking them in the park, it seemed to make sense that, with these characters, the dogs would wear something to protect them.

‘And if they were going to wear something to protect them, it might as well be mink. So that’s what we outfitted them, with mink coats and hats.’

At times adapting a documentary film-style approach, The Alto Knights recounts the old friends’ shared past, the events leading to their rift and a failed ᴀssᴀssination attempt on Costello. 

Their power struggle plays out in tense scenes, some of which see Costello and Genovese clash face to face. 

Read More Debra Messing cuts a glamorous figure in a black ballgown as she joins Robert De Niro at The Alto Knights glitzy afterparty in London

The movie is directed by Rain Man, Good Morning, Vietnam and Wag the Dog filmmaker Barry Levinson and written by Nicholas Pileggi, known for Goodfellas and Casino.

It is produced by De Niro’s long-time collaborator Irwin Winkler, and the actor said working with the trio convinced him to return to the mobster genre.

‘I wasn’t planning on going back to it, but when Irwin Winkler sent me the script, I said ‘let me consider,’ De Niro said at the film’s London premiere on Thursday.

‘When we were talking about who’d play the other part, they wanted me for Costello, he (Winkler) said ‘well, what about if you play the other part?’ I said ‘that’s an even better reason to do this, if I do it,’ the 81-year-old actor added.

Winkler, 93, said he couldn’t think of anyone else better suited for the roles.

‘We didn’t do it with any visual effects. It was all really makeup and just him,’ Winkler said. ‘Even after seeing the film so many times, I see two different characters. I don’t see one man playing them.’

Last week Robert revealed his own pet dogs had to ‘audition’ for his latest movie

One of the characters was a dog owner, and the actor’s girlfriend Tiffany asked if their own pets could take part

After a meeting with director Barry Levinson, the pooches were cast

In the film Vito and Frank are Italian-American mob bosses, and Genovese orders a hit on Costello (director Barry Levinson seen)

Costello survives but is wounded in the attempt and ultimately decides to retire from the Mafia

She sweetly held up their dogs for the camera 

Debra also doted on the pooches

Antonio Cipriano wore a smart suit

De Niro enlisted a co-star to act out scenes featuring both of his characters.

‘I settled on one guy I thought would be good. He played the Gambino part and he learned both parts. So, I did it with him and he was a tremendous help.’

As well as Debra playing Costello’s wife, Shogun actor Cosmo Jarvis portrays gangster Vincent Gigante. 

Asked if the experience had inspired him to challenge himself further, De Niro, who has several new film projects lined up, said: ‘Now I’m just trying to keep up with everything I’m doing.’