According to the Denver Post on Feb. 4, actor Joe Pesci settled a dispute with the producers of a biopic based on the infamous Gotti crime family. The financial settlement remains unknown at the moment and "Gotti: In the Shadow of My Father" has not begun filming.
Pesci was supposed to play Gotti enforcer Angelo Ruggiero.
Pesci, who won an Oscar for his role in the gangster film "Goodfellas," made his career in the gangster film genre. According to the lawsuit filed in 2011, the filmmakers offered Pesci $3 million to appear in the film, but reneged on the deal and offered him a lesser payday for a lesser role.
Pesci's attorney confirmed that a settlement was reached in the case and an attorney for Fiore Films said he could only confirm the case was dismissed. In 2011, Marc Fiore said he and Pesci were still friends and that he would still like to see Pesci take on a role in his movie.
Despite Fiore's statement, men who represented his company claimed they took the role away from Pesci because he hasn't been a draw in over 20 years, meaning he might not be worth the $3 million offered to him. John Travolta, Al Pacino, Kelly Preston, Chazz Palminteri and Ben Foster are all signed on to appear in the movie.
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Shawn S. Lealos is a member of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle, the professional film critics’ organization of Oklahoma. He is also working on a book about the Stephen King dollar babies called “Dollar Deal.” To read more of his writing, visit shawnlealos.net.
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