When his brother is murdered, a stoic Italian immigrant in 1917 seeks revenge to kill the man who called the hit: his wife’s brother and head crime boss of the Black Hand society. 

SYNOPSIS:

MANO NERA is a feature length screenplay based on the true story of Samantha Caprio-Negret's (one of the writers) Italian great-grandparents. Ultimately, it’s a time- period and a love story with the Black Hand Society (Mano Nera) as a backdrop; it has some unique twists, including how it begins in modern day Florida, flashbacking to 1917 in New Jersey. It intertwines two stories of two separate couples in different time periods, and how they correlate.

MANO NERA is a compilation of real-life events and some fictitious scenes and characters. There is no need to have the life rights on the characters in the script because they are all deceased, and all names have been changed. The main characters are based on the writer's ancestors.

Facts and adaptation have been taken from the book, Murders in Monmouth: Capital Crimes from the Jersey Shore’s Past (Ch.6 Revenge of the Farinella Brothers). MANO NERA has been selected in Film Freeway’s Film Festivals over twenty-five times with ten Award Winners.

Synopsis

Salvatore Farina (27) and his older brothers, Joseph (29) and Gustavo (37), own and operate a produce store in Jamesburg, NJ in 1917. Gustavo is married to Francesca Farina. Gabriella and Francesca are first cousins. Gabriella has an older brother, Vincent Greco, who is a boss in the Black Hand Society (Mano Nera). That means Vincent and Francesca are also first cousins. That’s not stopping them from having an affair. They conspire to kill Gustavo and make it look like a robbery. The Farinas realize Vincent had their brother, Gustavo, killed. The police are unable to help them. Gabriella confronts Francesca and Vincent about their affair and how it’s tearing their families apart. Vincent alludes to killing Salvatore and Joseph if they get in his way and incestuous relations with Gabriella. Salvatore comes home from work that evening to find his wife crying alone in the dark. When he asks what’s wrong, she tells him that he has her permission to kill Vincent because she fears that Vincent won’t stop till Salvatore and Joseph are dead. Salvatore and Joseph purposefully run into Vincent at the Freehold farmers’ market. To protect his brother, Salvatore sends Joseph to the other side of the market and lures Vincent away. Salvatore instructs Vincent to turn his truck down a dirt road. Vincent, wise to Salvatore’s ruse, pulls a gun on Salvatore. Joseph had seen them leave the market and catches up at this point. Vincent pulls the trigger, but his gun jams. Salvatore pulls out his gun, sticks it under Vincent’s chin, and fires. The bullet enters the bottom of Vincent’s chin and exits his mouth taking teeth with it. Injured, Vincent exits his truck and runs for his life. Salvatore quickly catches up with him and shoots him five more times. Joseph catches up to Salvatore just in time to see him put the last four bullets into Vincent. Salvatore tells Joseph to go and grab the gas can out of the truck. They dowse Vincent’s body, set it afire, and watch him burn. The police find evidence and witnesses linking the Farina brothers to Vincent’s murder. The trial begins on November 13, 1917, and lasts three days. After two hours, the jury finds Salvatore and Joseph guilty of the murder of Vincent Greco and recommends a life sentence without the possibility of parole for each. Salvatore with Joseph’s help runs crooked card games in prison. He sneaks the money out to Gabriella in gum wrappers and cigarette packs. Salvatore’s card games gain the attention of Tony “The Clip” DiAngelo, a made guy in prison. Tony tells Salvatore that he can use a man like him; that he can make Salvatore’s family more comfortable while he’s in prison. Salvatore discusses the offer with Gabriella, and she refuses. Salvatore and Joseph are in jail for twelve years. One day, Gabriella visits Salvatore in prison and tells him that he’s being released because she’s been paying off the judge to commute their sentences with all the money Salvatore had been slipping her. Salvatore and Joseph are released from prison. They sell the properties that were once their grocery store and homes, move the whole family to Florida, and open a motel business. Salvatore and Gabriella have more children and live happily ever after, until death did them part.

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MANO NERA