A new 50-55 minute pilot episode for a mafia genre TV series will soon be shot in Buffalo. Aeri Productions, Cross Atlantic Media, and Monk Riot are producing the pilot, with hopes that the series will be picked up by network and streaming giants such as HBO, Starz, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu – all have expressed an interest.
The series is based on the bestselling mafia novel “For Nothing” by Buffalo native Nicholas Denmon. The pilot will be filmed in Buffalo from January 9 through late February and early March.
That means that there will be plenty of action, as well as a few familiar faces hanging around, including Tom Sizemore (Born on the Fourth of July, True Romance, Natural Born Killers, Saving Private Ryan) who will play the the don – Salvatore Pieri – of a Buffalo crime family. Sizemore joins other headliners, including Daniel Baldwin as Joe Falzone (an underboss in the Ciancetta Family), Doug Hutchison (Green Mile) as the family consigliere, and Robert LaSardo (The Mule) as the inimical capo (captain in the mafia family) and son of the Don. Other actors include:
- Jimmy Duval (Donnie Darko, Independence Day, Gone In 60 Seconds) to play cop Jack Benton
- Youngster Chalet Lizette Brannan (Peter Pan, Land of Forever, Crepitus, and The Sparrows) as Kira Nivsky
- Jason Faunt, better known as The Red Power Ranger, is cast as Bonanno capo, Tito Rossi
- Undercover cop Alex Vaughn is newcomer to screen Michael Humphreys
“Buffalo is my hometown and deserves to be in the spotlight. The waterfront area is revitalized. New businesses are flocking to the area, and there is a beauty here that can’t be found any- where else in the world,” said series creator Nicholas Denmon, who plans on utilizing the talents of a host of Buffalo based production professionals. “We intend to showcase those amazing features of Buffalo – while also paying homage to the rich tradition and history of the places that built the area up like the car factories and Bethlehem Steel as well as landmarks like Shea’s Buffalo Theater.”
While there is a focus on the crime family and the more nefarious aspects to criminal life, the series is also focused on highlighting the strengths of the Buffalo area.
Series director Steven Quach, along with Executive Producers Nicholas Denmon and Sean Gloria, and producer Russell Brannan, are scouting Buffalo locations and opening auditions to locals from January 9th through January 12th.
When asked if the series would eventually be shot in Buffalo, if the pilot is picked up, Scottpatrick J Sellitto (Main Producer and Music Supervisor) said, “Completely. 11 more episodes – and we are geared up for 3 seasons, up to 6 if needed. It will be a first for WNY. Has never been done. They usually shoot and run.”
As for the production schedule, Sellitto noted, “We start principle photography Feb 17-March 1. But put a few days before and after for crew and production setup and teardown. We will be filming all over WNY. We do have an upcoming casting and crew call sometime late this week. Best for interested people to send their info to fornothingbuffalocc@yahoo.com. We are trying to schedule 2 due to the Facebook response being very high.”