Daniel Margotta Movies
William DeMeo is scriptwriter, star, and co-director for the crime drama Wannabes. Hotheated older brother Angelo (DeMeo) and more-thoughtful younger brother Paulie (Conor Dubin) are both fired from their jobs as waiters at an Italian restaurant in Brooklyn. They join up with two of their neighborhood friends, Pete (Daniel Margotta) and Dom (John Palumbo) to start up a bookie business with a 20,000-dollar loan. The group has a rocky start, but soon acquires some help from a partner in Coney Island and expands into more complicated illegal activites. Local crime boss Santo Minieri (Joe Viterelli) develops an interest in the new business and soon takes Angelo up as his protégé. Santo's biological son, Vinny (Joesph D'Onofrio), is angered by his father's choice and seems headed for destruction. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- William DeMeo, Conor Dubin, (more)
Joe Pesci stars as Louie Kritski, a heartless landlord who has been so negligent in keeping up his ghetto apartment that he is threatened with jail time. The judge gives him another option, which he accepts -- he must live in his rat-infested hell hole until he brings it up to liveable standards. The judge gives him 120 days, during which time Louie meets many of his tenants, including drug dealer Marlon (Ruben Blades). Over time, Louie grows more sympathetic with their problems and sees the results of his own greediness. Unfortunately, Louie's father, Big Lou Kritski (Vincent Gardenia), is the real owner of the property, and he resists his son's entreaties to spend money to clean up the place. Famed screenwriter Nora Ephron co-scripted the story with Sam Simon. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joe Pesci, Vincent Gardenia, (more)
