Another film about an infamous Boston mobster is in the works
This time it isn't Whitey Bulger.
Whitey Bulger seemingly isn’t the only Boston mobster fit for the silver screen.
Fox 2000 has acquired the rights to “Thacher Island,” a true-crime pitch based on Hyannis native Casey Sherman’s 2013 book, “Animal: The Bloody Rise and Fall of the Mob’s Most Feared Assassin.” The book chronicles the life of late mob enforcer Joe “The Animal” Barboza. The film’s script will be written by writers Charlie Wachtel and David Rabinowitz (“BlacKkKlansman”).
According to Sherman, Barboza was determined to become the first Portuguese man to be inducted into La Cosa Nostra, an honor only bestowed on Italians. To do this, he vowed to become the most ruthless member of the Mafia in Massachusetts, and was suspected of being responsible for more than 20 killings.
According to historical articles from The Boston Globe’s archive, Barboza eventually became disillusioned with the mob’s lack of respect for him and became a vengeful informant while in prison, vowing to “get” at least 12 of his former associates by providing information to authorities.
“Thacher Island” marks yet another book of Sherman’s that has been optioned for a big-screen adaptation. He also co-wrote “The Finest Hours” with Michael J. Tougias, which became the 2016 film of the same name, and co-authored “Boston Strong” with Dave Wedge, which was the basis for the 2016 film “Patriots Day.”
Most recently, Sherman and Wedge wrote “12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady’s Fight For Redemption,” a book examining how the Patriots quarterback attempted to fight his Deflategate suspension.
