Now, I don’t always address every side character, but this one I had to. To write Romano, the Italian patriarch, and leader of the largest drug cartel in the city, I watched every scene I could find from Goodfellas, Heat, A Bronx Tale, and the Irishmen… And that’s just how Romano came alive before my eyes! Dangerous and methodical, caring and family-oriented, but volatile and deadly. The age range of the character was a blur. I always pictured him over 50 but, one way or another, I knew he would be perfect for the role. Can you hear De Niro’s voice through Sergio’s words now…?
