Wisegal
Encyclopedia
Wisegal is a Lifetime Television
crime drama film starring Alyssa Milano
and directed by Jerry Ciccoritti
. The movie premiered on March 15, 2008.
Brooklyn, New York, ca. 1976: Angie resists abandoning baby daughter Patty on a cathedral doorstep and decides to raise her alone in the streets, surviving by their wits. Years later, a teenaged Patty meets and marries kind policeman Dante Montanari, and the couple have two sons: Joey and Nino.
Dante eventually dies of cancer, and the hospital bills have now left the surviving family without any money. Patty must now make ends meet. She quickly befriends local funeral director Frank Russo, with whom she has a romantic relationship, and Frank's boss Salvatore “Sal” Palmeri, with whom she has a business relationship.
Frank uses his persistent and persuasive charms to reel Patty into his world of organized crime. He offers her a job, at a foundering Italian restaurant, which she eventually converts into a successful transvestite nightclub. Sal attends opening night and he is impressed with her business savvy and street smarts. He soon assigns her to serve as his mule; she must drive to Toronto and pick-up half-a-million dollars at a shipboard casino. Patty successfully delivers Sal his money, and soon gains his confidence.
Later, Patty and nightclub friend June must make the same trip to Canada together. En route, Patty witnesses June repeatedly snorting cocaine. While Patty is making her usual pick-up, the casino is raided by police, but she manages to slip through their fingers and return to the hotel where June impatiently waits.
Back in Brooklyn, Frank’s son Mouse has been selling cocaine in the neighborhood. And the teenage boy soon shows up at Patty’s doorstep afraid that his father will beat him up again for not 'staying clean'. Shortly thereafter, a newspaper headline reveals that Mouse has been murdered.
During Mouse’s funeral, Patty watches from a distance as the procession leaves the wake. FBI agent Robert Wilford approaches Patty for help in bringing down Sal’s criminal empire. Robert asks that Patty wear a wire to record incriminating evidence that will facilitate Palmeri’s arrest.
Soon, Patty discovers that June had turned Mouse on to selling her drugs, and that Palmeri had placed a hit on him for selling it on the streets. Patty also finds out that Frank asked his boss for permission to, mercifully, kill his own son. June is now fleeing for her life, but Patty intercepts her at her apartment, and finds out that she, June, and Frank are probably the next on Palmeri's hit list.
Eventually, Patty persuades Palmeri to let her go free and to not kill Frank unless he continues threatening her family. Soon thereafter, Palmeri and his men are either arrested or killed, and June’s dead body is discovered (presumably from a drug overdose).
The Montenaris and Angie hop on the next train to Florida, leaving their criminal past behind.
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
crime drama film starring Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series Charmed. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of...
and directed by Jerry Ciccoritti
Jerry Ciccoritti
Jerry Ciccoritti is a Canadian film, television and theatre director. His ability to work in a number of genres and for many mediums has made him one of the most successful directors in the country.- Biography :...
. The movie premiered on March 15, 2008.
Plot
The story is narrated by an adult Nino Montanari, who reminisces on his family history...Brooklyn, New York, ca. 1976: Angie resists abandoning baby daughter Patty on a cathedral doorstep and decides to raise her alone in the streets, surviving by their wits. Years later, a teenaged Patty meets and marries kind policeman Dante Montanari, and the couple have two sons: Joey and Nino.
Dante eventually dies of cancer, and the hospital bills have now left the surviving family without any money. Patty must now make ends meet. She quickly befriends local funeral director Frank Russo, with whom she has a romantic relationship, and Frank's boss Salvatore “Sal” Palmeri, with whom she has a business relationship.
Frank uses his persistent and persuasive charms to reel Patty into his world of organized crime. He offers her a job, at a foundering Italian restaurant, which she eventually converts into a successful transvestite nightclub. Sal attends opening night and he is impressed with her business savvy and street smarts. He soon assigns her to serve as his mule; she must drive to Toronto and pick-up half-a-million dollars at a shipboard casino. Patty successfully delivers Sal his money, and soon gains his confidence.
Later, Patty and nightclub friend June must make the same trip to Canada together. En route, Patty witnesses June repeatedly snorting cocaine. While Patty is making her usual pick-up, the casino is raided by police, but she manages to slip through their fingers and return to the hotel where June impatiently waits.
Back in Brooklyn, Frank’s son Mouse has been selling cocaine in the neighborhood. And the teenage boy soon shows up at Patty’s doorstep afraid that his father will beat him up again for not 'staying clean'. Shortly thereafter, a newspaper headline reveals that Mouse has been murdered.
During Mouse’s funeral, Patty watches from a distance as the procession leaves the wake. FBI agent Robert Wilford approaches Patty for help in bringing down Sal’s criminal empire. Robert asks that Patty wear a wire to record incriminating evidence that will facilitate Palmeri’s arrest.
Soon, Patty discovers that June had turned Mouse on to selling her drugs, and that Palmeri had placed a hit on him for selling it on the streets. Patty also finds out that Frank asked his boss for permission to, mercifully, kill his own son. June is now fleeing for her life, but Patty intercepts her at her apartment, and finds out that she, June, and Frank are probably the next on Palmeri's hit list.
Eventually, Patty persuades Palmeri to let her go free and to not kill Frank unless he continues threatening her family. Soon thereafter, Palmeri and his men are either arrested or killed, and June’s dead body is discovered (presumably from a drug overdose).
The Montenaris and Angie hop on the next train to Florida, leaving their criminal past behind.
Cast
- Alyssa MilanoAlyssa MilanoAlyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series Charmed. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of...
– Patty Montanari - Jason GedrickJason GedrickJason Gedrick is an American actor best known for his work on the television series Murder One and Boomtown and the motion picture Iron Eagle....
– Frank Russo - James Caan – Salvatore Palmeri
- Janet WrightJanet WrightJanet Wright is a Canadian actress and theatre director. She is best known for her role as Emma Leroy on the hit Canadian sitcom Corner Gas. She won a 2003 Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series for her role in Betrayed...
– Angie - Kyle Harrington – Nino Montanari
- Anthony Moniz Lancione – young Nino Montanari
- Alessandro Costantini – Joey Montanari
- Louca Tassone – Young Joey Montanari
- Heather Hanson – June
- Zak Longo – Mouse Russo
- Tulsi Balram – Singer
- Anthony Melchiorri – Uncle Tito
- Jason Blicker – Dante Montanari
Credits
- Executive Producers – Daniel H. Blatt, Joseph Pistone, Leo RossiLeo RossiLeo Rossi is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Budd in the 1981 horror film Halloween II and as Turkell from the 1990 horror sequel Maniac Cop 2. His other films include Heart Like a Wheel , River's Edge , The Accused , Relentless and Analyze This...
and Anthony Melchiorri - Producers – Alyssa MilanoAlyssa MilanoAlyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series Charmed. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of...
and Terry Gould - Co-Producer – Danielle McVickers
- Teleplay – Shelley Evans
- Director – Jerry CiccorittiJerry CiccorittiJerry Ciccoritti is a Canadian film, television and theatre director. His ability to work in a number of genres and for many mediums has made him one of the most successful directors in the country.- Biography :...
- Director of Photography – Gerald Packer
- Production Designer – Franco de Cotiis
- Editor – George Roulston
- Music – John FrizzellJohn FrizzellJohn B. Frizzell is a Canadian screenwriter and film producer.After several years writing, directing and co-producing the documentary series A Different Understanding for TVOntario, Frizzell joined partners Niv Fichman, Barbara Willis Sweete and Larry Weinstein to found the Canadian production...
- Casting – Stacey Rosen
Reception
- VarietyVariety (magazine)Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
reviewed that "seeing Milano with wads of unmarked bills taped under her breasts is the equivalent of two taste treats in one."http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117936494.html?categoryid=1264&cs=1 - The Hollywood Reporter stated Wisegal is above the Lifetime Original Movie average and said "it's engrossing, if sometimes a bit off the rails in terms of plausibility. It also offers genuinely solid performances, headed by Milano as a butt-kicking heroine along with effective work from bad-dude supreme Jason Gedrick and the ageless James Caan, who seems to speak increasingly softly as the years pile up." http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/television/reviews/article_display.jsp?&rid=10813
- The Philadelphia Inquirer reviewed "Milano is perfect as the tough-gal mom, all feisty and take-charge, even if she can't see the future like good witch Phoebe Halliwell, whom she played in the WB's beloved Charmed." http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/jonathan_storm/20080315_Jonathan_Storm__Moms_in_the_mob__Milano_makes_it_work.html