- Art intersects life when real mobsters and federal agents mistake a handful of hapless Italian-American actors for genuine Italian wise-guys.
- A group of lifelong mob movie extras mount a production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in their local Staten Island theater in order to finally get some speaking roles. But the theater is the secret hideout of a real-life gangster who fancies himself an actor, and whom the FBI are hunting for the recent murder of a Broadway producer. The Feds insert their own undercover agent to audition for the role of Cassius, seeking to determine who is the real gangster among a cast of make-believe criminals. All the while, the oblivious cast seek only to prove to themselves, their families, and friends that they are more than just extras.
- 51-year-old Nick DiMaio auditions for a role in a play but he doesn't get the role. He has spent a lot of his acting career playing tough Italian mobster types with few if any lines, and he would like to do more as an actor. But he has to go back to work delivering fruits and vegetables to New York City restaurants. In his truck he changes into a suit and joins others who look like him on a movie set. Then he goes home to wife Angela, a teacher, and 15-year-old daughter Gina. Gina is excited about the possibility of playing Sarah in her school's production of "Guys and Dolls" but doesn't think she will get the role. She is pretty, but thinks she is fat.
The big news story is the search for a reclusive mobster named "Bananas". No one even knows what he looks like.
Nick's friend Dennis is a limo driver who has driven a lot of people with Broadway connections, and he considers himself an expert on Broadway for that reason. For now, the one role he can get Nick is a commercial for Big Vinnie's car dealer. And he only got Nick that role because Big Vinnie, who is actually quite short, thinks Nick knows Al Pacino because there is a photo of Pacino and Nick together from when they were both in "Godfather III". Big Vinnie hopes he can get a role because of the connection with Pacino, but Nick doesn't really know the man. Marie and Maria are pretty girls, and Nick and Dennis just stand there and look tough, while Big Vinnie does all the talking. Nick decides he should have a speaking role and decides to ad lib, which annoys everyone. Dennis has to remind Nick he did a big favor.
At the "Guys and Dolls" audition, Melissa is terrible but Stacy, who is gorgeous and conceited, does very well. Gina tries but the mean girls misbehave and Gina doesn't do too well.
After the audition Gina goes to Mr. Rothman's office to ask for another chance. Mr. Rothman sees Nick and Dennis outside wearing suits and looking in the trunk of the limo. Gina admits that is her father outside and happens to mention some of the things he has done but doesn't make clear those were acting roles. Thinking Nick is an actual mobster, Mr. Rothman gives Gina the part of Sarah.
To show his appreciation, Nick visits Mr. Rothman and gives him a basket of fruit. Gina and best friend Linda are outside when Nick admires a dagger hanging on Mr. Rothman's wall and picks it up. The girls think Nick is threatening Mr. Rothman. The fact is Mr. Rothman tells Nick he got the dagger because he was in "The Scottish Play" and says the name of that play is never to be mentioned by actors. Still not aware Nick is an actor but thinking he is helping Gina, he gives Nick advice about good acting. He picks up a copy of "Julius Caesar" as he explains that the best theater was written by Shakespeare, and that the best actors do live theater. Nick asks to borrow the book.
Gina is upset to think that she got the part because her father was considered a threat, but Linda is excited and decides she will use the same strategy to get what she wants. Her father is a dentist but in a way, he is in the cement business, so teachers will give her what she wants because of that. Other students start doing the same.
Nick rents the Paramount Theater on Staten Island and contacts his actor friends to tell them he wants to do "Julius Caesar". Since Dennis claims to be a Broadway expert, Dennis gets to be the director. Sal can handle the electrical work, and the others have skills in addition to acting.
The FBI agents investigating Bananas see Nick leaving the theater and suspect him of being Bananas or someone connected with him. Meanwhile, the owner of the theater turns out to be a mobster, and while he wasn't entirely happy about his associate renting the theater to Nick, he can take advantage of the situation.
Gina is doing well in rehearsals, and she makes a connection with Ryan, her male lead. Stacy is jealous.
Auditions for "Julius Caesar" are held. The mobster types aren't very good, but most of them get roles anyway. Roberto (real name Joey Bongano, also known as Bananas) is a brilliant Shakespeare quality actor. He gets the role of Brutus. Paulie is another very good actor. After his audition, Paulie (real name FBI Agent Goldberg) joins the team investigating Bananas and says he can go undercover and find out what they know.
Ryan and Gina want to study together but Stacy messes things up and manages to get Ryan to be her date.
Nick and Dennis, who both have acting roles in addition to being in charge, are suspicious of Paulie and ask him to read from an Italian menu. He can't pronounce the words right, so Paulie admits he is actually Jewish and explains how he too is stereotyped and would like a role that is different. He is relieved when he is allowed to stay in the play, and so are his superiors.
There are two female roles, so Marie and Maria join the cast. Marie is annoyed at first to find Joey is in the play because they were supposed to go to Chicago together, but Joey and Marie reconcile and everything is fine between them.
One day at rehearsal, an angry Assistant Principal Duff demands that Gina come to the office. At home, Gina is crying because she lost her role.
Nick wasn't happy with how plain the stage looked, but later, his friends make it look really good.
Angela, who is also passing out fliers for her husband's production, visits Mr. Rothman, who admits Gina was good but the circumstances made it necessary for the role to be taken away from her. Angela smiles and doesn't press further.
The FBI has one of the associates of Bananas in custody but he doesn't intend to talk. However, without realizing it, he manages to give away the fact that Bananas is in the "Julius Caesar" cast. One of the lesser agents is assigned to babysit while the others attend the play.
At the last minute, the decision is made for citizens to wear togas and important people to wear mobster suits.
The theater is packed. Nick may just make money. Among those attending are Angela and Mr. Rothman, who sit together. Stacy is there with Ryan. Linda calls Gina who is at home dressed for bed and not answering her phone.
The play begins and the audience is asked to turn off their cell phones. This means when the agent who is not there finds out Bananas is Brutus, he can't get through. The audience laughs but later takes the play seriously. Mr. Rothman whispers that the interpretation of "Julius Caesar" with mobsters is brilliant. Gina does finally check her phone and ends up in the theater nicely dressed. The audience is impressed with the play. But when the agent arrives in the theater to tell his associates about Bananas, there is chaos. Brutus is supposed to stab Caesar and Joey intends to do it for real. When he is stopped, the agents announce the play is over and the audience protests. Nick quiets everyone down and delivers the speech with the words "Friends, Romans, Countrymen". He is very good and the audience applauds. Joey is taken in and Nick and his family are happy.
Nick begins working on a musical version of "Goodfellas".
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