Mobsters and Mormons (2005)

A mafia family from New Jersey is placed in the witness relocation program to an all-Mormon community in Utah.

Director:

John E. Moyer

Writer:

John E. Moyer

Stars:

Mark DeCarlo, Jeanette Puhich, Clayton Taylor

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mark DeCarlo	...	Carmine "The Beans" Pasquale (George Cheeseman)
Jeanette Puhich	...	Gina Pasquale (Linda Cheeseman)
Clayton Taylor	...	Vincent Pasquale (Patrick Cheeseman)
Scott Christopher	...	Michael Jaymes
Britani Bateman	...	Kate Jaymes
Olesya Rulin	...	Julie Jaymes
Jan Broberg	...	Louise Means (as Jan Broberg Felt)
John E. Moyer	...	Agent Tuttle
Michael Kagan	...	Angello Marcello
Jay Acovone	...	Jackie
Joe Maruzzo	...	Little Nicky
Frank Gerrish	...	Rocco
Dan Larsen	...	President Perry
Nathan Smith Jones	...	Agent Banks
Alex Nibley	...	Ryan (the neighbor)

Storyline

When forced by the FBI to rat out mob boss Angelo Marcello, Carmine "The Beans" Pasquale is a wanted man on the lam being hunted by hit man Little Nicky Cappuccio. Taking along wife Gina and son Vincent, Carmine enters the federal witness relocation program and is given a new home and a new identity. Now known as The Cheeseman Family from Omaha, Nebraska, these former East Coast mobsters are relocated into the middle of a quiet, straight laced Mormon community in Utah where much to Carmine's frustration; he can't even find a decent cup of coffee let alone a horse track. Life in this small town becomes anything but ordinary once The Cheesemans move in. Many locals are weary, if not outright afraid of these rough around the edges outsiders, while others go annoyingly far out their way to try to embrace them. Despite the efforts of well meaning neighbor Michael Jaymes to help Carmine feel welcome, Carmine can't help but wonder if being this much of a fish out of water -- is actually ...

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Taglines:

The only thing they had in common. . . was the family.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild thematic elements, some language and violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 September 2005 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Springville, Utah, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$350,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$67,945 (USA) (9 September 2005)

Gross:

$407,139 (USA) (9 December 2005)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 90 min (DVD)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Writer/Director John E. Moyer grew up in Southern New Jersey and based many of the outsider experiences in the film on his own after moving to Utah.

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Quotes

Carmine "The Beans" Pasquale: It's rap music these days. Have you heard the names? Puff Daddy...
Vincent Pasquale: He changed it to P. Diddy for short.
Carmine "The Beans" Pasquale: Oh, yeah, like it takes all day to say "Puff".

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Connections

References Star Wars (1977)

User Reviews

Bada Bing, Bada Mormon

It was one big old culture shock for Mark DeCarlo and his family in Mobsters and Mormons. The cheerful hit-man who has run afoul of his former associates is now in witness protection. But what a place they've relocated him to. A small town in Utah where 98% of the populace is of the LDS church. The man just can't relate to those folks although at least one neighboring family headed by Scott Christopher does their best to make him feel at home.

These folks operate on a whole set of different values than DeCarlo's been brought up to believe. And poor DeCarlo can't get a decent pizza and his craving for real coffee nearly gets him and his family killed.

It's an interesting idea for a comedy, but sadly lacking verisimilitude. Witness protection has had almost as many failures as successes. The most notable example of that was Sammy 'the Bull' Gravano who while in witness protection got involved in a few local rackets of his own creation. Those folks don't think like most of us relatively normal gentiles let alone those of the LDS faith. It's a gulf of the minds I think is almost impossible to cross.

Still Mobsters And Mormons has a few good moments, my favorite is DeCarlo giving some young kids the gangland New Jersey version of the Three Little Pigs. I wish the film had more moments like those.