Friends and Romans

Set in a predominantly Italian-American neighborhood in Staten Island, FRIENDS & ROMANS is about Nick DeMaio (Rispoli), an aspiring actor who is perpetually cast as "Gangster Number 3" in such Mob-themed films as “Donnie Brasco,” and “Married To The Mob.” In an attempt to be taken seriously, Nick and his buddies decide to stage a play, and not just any play, but Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," (which, after all, is just another tale about a "Don" and his "capos," except in iambic pentameter). Coming and going at odd hours to rehearse, Nick and his motley crew attract the attention of the Feds, who mistake these good guys for "goodfellas," and assume the play is a front for criminal activity. Typecast once again as a gangster--this time in real life--Nick has to prove his mettle, both onstage and off.