The Rhode Island Film & TV Office announced that Verdi Productions’ indie crime drama “Vault” will be commencing principal photography on March 20, 2018 with primary locations in Providence.

“Vault” is based on the true story about a band of small-time criminals who attempted to pull off the biggest heist in American history, stealing more than $30 million from the Rhode Island mafia in 1975.

A star-studded cast has been lined up for this locally produced suspense thriller, including Academy award nominee Chazz Palminteri (“Bullets Over Broadway”, “A Bronx Tale”, “The Usual Suspects”) as Mafia boss Raymond Patriarca, Golden Globe winner Don Johnson (“Django Unchained”, “Miami Vice”), Theo Rossi (“Marvel’s “Luke Cage”, “Sons of Anarchy”, “Cloverfield”), Clive Standen (“Taken” series, “Vikings” series, “Everest”), and Samira Wiley (“Handmaid’s Tale” series, “Orange is the New Black” series). Academy Award nominee Burt Young (“Rocky I-V”, “Chinatown”) William Forsythe (“The Rock”, “Raising Arizona”, “Dick Tracy”), Chuck Zito (“Sons of Anarchy”, “Oz”) and Danielle Guldin (“Almost Mercy”) co-star.

New England Tech graduate and Cranston resident Tom DeNucci (“Almost Mercy”, “Saving Christmas) is slated to direct the script he co-wrote with B. Dolan.

East Greenwich based filmmakers Chad A. Verdi and Michelle Verdi (“Bleed For This”, “Silence”) are producing alongside Nick Koskoff (“Long Strange Trip”) and Matthew J. Weiss (“Man in the Red Bandana”). Emma Tillinger Koskoff (“The Irishman”, “Wolf of Wall Street”, “Departed”), David Gere (“Saving Christmas”, “Almost Mercy”), Tanja Melendez Lynch (“Ander’s Manor”) and Nicholas Carmona (“Bad Hurt”) are serving as executive producers.

Providence native and Brown graduate Sam Eilertsen (“Saving Christmas”, “Almost Mercy”, “Arlo”) will be the cinematographer for “Vault”.

Producer Chad A. Verdi said, “This will absolutely be my best movie. It’s been a passion project for Verdi Productions for over six years and this cast rocks.” Verdi added, “It’s an absolute pleasure to be able to film in the smallest state in the union, Rhode Island.”

Writer-Director Tom DeNucci stated, “As an Italian American from Providence, Rhode Island, I’ve been wanting to tell this story for many years. I’ll be making my first period piece right here in my home town. It’s an honor to take this legendary New England tale of organized crime to a worldwide audience. See you in 1975.”

Governor Gina M. Raimondo said, “It’s great to see another film shooting in Rhode Island – especially one that tells a story about our state. With our unique landscape and talented local artists, Rhode Island is an ideal location. Every time a film shoots here we see a positive impact on our local businesses. This is the type of energy that keeps moving our economy forward.”

Steven Feinberg, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film & TV Office, stated “Cinema is all about collaboration. This is a prime example of the public and private sectors working together to build a positive environment for the creative economy to shine. We are extremely happy that a talented director from Cranston is once again teaming up with a dedicated East Greenwich-based producing team to make movie history while providing good jobs for many local artists and hard-working technicians from across Rhode Island. This is exactly the result we’ve all been working towards for the past few years. We congratulate Producers Chad and Michelle Verdi and Tom DeNucci on this exciting new film.”

House Speaker Nicholas A. Mattiello commented “The House of Representatives has always been very supportive of the filmmaking industry because we truly recognize the benefits to our state’s economy. Our tax credit program is extremely competitive with neighboring states, and we have great workers, scenic and historic settings, and some of the nation’s finest colleges and cultural attractions, which all contribute to our thriving film industry.”

Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio said “Filmmakers have taken notice that our beautiful state is an exceptional place to live and work. Rhode Island is both diverse and compact, which lends itself wonderfully to the demands of the film industry. With a talented workforce in the industry, a thriving arts scene, and exceptional quality of life, Rhode Island is the perfect place to make movies.”

Producer Nick Koskoff said, “I am so excited to shoot this movie in the great state of Rhode Island. I love this script. It’s a true story about a heist with a mob twist that takes place in the 70’s right here in Providence.”

The Rhode Island Film & TV Office is a government agency under the umbrella of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA)