"The Barrio Boys"

Tagline – “The Baddest Bitch On The Streets”

“25 words or less” – A ruthless, cunning 42-year old mother of three controls the New York faction of a Puerto Rican street gang with stunning brutality and absolute power

Full Summary:

Carmen Rivera, a very religious, 42-year old mother of three, is just being released from Rikers Island prison after serving time for wire fraud which she insists was a government conspiracy to marginalize her standing within her community.

Hiding behind her guise as a community activist within The Barrio Boys Community & Cultural Center in East Harlem, Carmen is actually the head of the New York City chapter of a Puerto Rican street gang called “El Centro” that originated in the San Juan prison system.  While she has absolute control of the New York faction, she ultimately answers to the head bosses back in Puerto Rico.  Once she’s free from prison she wastes no time in quickly reestablishing her power on the streets.

During a welcome home party in her honor, Carmen, known affectionately as “La Madrina” to friends, family and gang members alike, assembles her leadership council with the only order of business being to kill enemies of The Barrio Boys - rival drug dealers encroaching on their turf, local business owners late on their protection payments, prosecution witnesses preparing to testify against jailed gang members, incarcerated former criminals who have ratted on gang activity, or gang members that question Carmen’s absolute authority, even if that gang member is her own cousin.

The gang features plenty of heavily tattooed, colorful characters, most of them ultra-violent and some who are consumed in simmering, petty intra-gang rivalries in order to improve their personal standing within the group.  At the center of Carmen’s world between the gang and her family are her three sons – Pablo Rivera, a tough and violent young male in his early twenties who’s already a gang veteran; “Li’l” Cesar Rivera, an impressionable, older teenager in high school named after Julius Caesar who is just getting started in the gang; and Alejandro “Bugsy” Rivera, a feisty ten year old who isn’t in the gang yet but does menial tasks for them like serving drinks, he’s nicknamed “Bugsy” after the infamous gangster Bugsy Siegel.

Headquartered in East Harlem while Carmen and her family live in Ridgewood, Queens; The Barrio Boys gang activity includes drug dealing in crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana, LSD, crystal meth, PCP and ecstasy, local protection rackets, stealing, theft, kidnapping, murder, extortion, human trafficking, witness intimidation, home invasions, money laundering, burglary and weapons and explosives trafficking, just to name a few of their illicit acts.  While the group works closely with other chapters around the country, danger and violence lurks around every corner on any given day in the city; besides constantly fighting other gangs within their own ethnicity, The Barrio Boys also fight other ethnic gangs like Dominicans, Mexicans, Salvadorans, African-Americans, Chinese, Vietnamese and even the Italians and Irish.

Beyond the killing orders that Carmen issues during her first council meeting after her release from prison, the main focus of the first episode is two-fold.  Carmen approaches Angel Ortiz, the most feared enforcer of the gang who is currently incarcerated in the New York state prison system, to kill an informant against “El Centro” who is also serving time in the state prison system.  He accepts this assignment in return for a promotion within the gang when he gets out of jail.  In what may become a complicated matter later, Angel, who’s married with children, is also Carmen’s secret lover. 

 

Simultaneously, the bosses in Puerto Rico have asked Carmen to kill the leader of the New Jersey chapter who has become sloppy and “too big for his britches.”  She assigns her son, Pablo, who’s eager to climb up the organization’s hierarchy, to take care of the hit.  In return, and unbeknownst to his mother, he recruits his younger brother, Cesar, to be the triggerman and “make his bones” with his first killing for the gang.  Tensions rise on the final stakeout when the hit team’s obvious inexperience shines through and what happens at the end of it will be sure to have long-term repercussions throughout the “El Centro” organization and their affiliated chapters.
 The Barrio Boys Screenplay

"Turning Tricks"

Tagline – “In This World, The Women Hold All The Power”

 

“25 words or less” – An inside look at the personal and professional lives of a cutthroat madam and her four equally ruthless working girls at a Manhattan brothel.

 

Full Summary:

Patti Michaels is a non-nonsense, tough as nails madam who runs a very successful brothel from a non-descript four-bedroom apartment in a five-story walk-up on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.  Catering to gentlemen from all walks of life, her accessible service offers them four distinct flavors to fulfill their every fantasy. 

 

There’s Becky Martin, a beautiful, tall, skinny model-looking redhead; Cindy Strong a girl next door-type brunette with a trashy edge to her; Natasha Williams, a tall, slender, mischievous African-American and Anastasia Chang, an innocent, petite, short Asian girl who moved to America at an early age.  All four are in their mid-twenties and drop dead gorgeous, all of them will also do whatever it takes to separate their clients from their money.

 

In this first episode, Becky and Patti manage to emasculate a married Wall Street bigwig client while simultaneously getting him to spend much more than he planned.  Becky also has to deal with the complicated relationship at home with her boyfriend who’s feeling increasingly threatened by her professional obligations.

 

Meanwhile, Patti is forced to flex her muscles, literally, when one of Anastasia’s clients gets a little to touchy feely and tries to force her to do things she doesn’t want to do.  This leads Patti to barge into the room amidst calls for help and literally drag the client out of the apartment by his balls.  In one action Patti puts men on notice, you don’t fuck with her or her girls.

 

While this is going on, Cindy is in her bedroom seducing a client out of his life savings.  The ultimate charmer who can make a man do anything, she professes her love to him and convinces him to be her boyfriend.  But of course this isn’t real love, not in a brothel; her ulterior motive is to ensure a steady income by developing a long-term relationship that pays her.

 

As for Natasha, since she lacks a steady client list, Patti forces her to go on the prowl throughout the Upper East Side neighborhood looking for customers.  While out, she stumbles upon the perfect mark at Starbucks, an unemployed waiter who’s busy working on his resume.  Since Natasha will do anything for an extra buck, she ends up stealing the man’s ATM card while he’s in the bathroom back at the apartment and immediately goes on a shopping spree at Bloomingdale’s after he leaves.

 

Later that day, after a chance encounter, Patti ends up creating an alliance with a slick, middle-aged Italian-American named Ralphie who runs an illegal poker parlor in an apartment also on the Upper East Side.  The deal – Patti will provide girls to the men at the poker games while giving Ralphie a piece of the action.  Although Ralphie immediately starts hitting on her and tries his best to consummate their relationship, Patti fends him off by stating that their partnership is strictly business and that’s all.  Only time will tell if that’s really true.  

 

And at the end of yet another long night, Natasha leaves the apartment to go home and realizes she’s being followed by the client that she ripped off earlier in the day.  At first she claims ignorance and refuses to even acknowledge she has ever met him, but he does manage to get her to eventually admit it.  However, Natasha steadfastly denies stealing his ATM card but the man is persistent and refuses to let her go until he pays her back.  What happens next is sure to have long-lasting ramifications for the man, Natasha and Patti’s business. 

Turning Tricks Screenplay

"Rum Runners"

Tagline – “Before Coke, There Was Rum”

“25 words or less” – Life during the turbulent times of 1920’s Miami focusing on the eccentric characters that patronize a popular speakeasy during the lawlessness of the Prohibition era

Full Summary:

It’s 1921 in Miami.  The nascent real estate market is booming bringing with it a large contingent of carpetbaggers looking to make a quick fortune.  Prohibition is law in the United States, but in an open city like Miami, where most laws are not followed by the general populace or enforced by local law officials, it’s just a mere suggestion.

With a booming economy, general sense of lawlessness and year-round beautiful weather set alongside tropical beaches, Miami becomes a haven for eccentric characters from all walks of life - speculators, socialites, writers, businessmen, doctors, and especially criminals – to live, work and play.   

This Casablanca-style TV series centers on life within the most popular speakeasy, located at the mouth of the Miami River, which brings all these people together to congregate nightly.  Although offering highly illegal activities such as unlimited booze and gambling, the club runs with relative impunity from local law enforcement, many of whom count themselves as loyal customers.  The speakeasy is so brazen that a big sign sits atop the establishment to inform passersby of its name – “Rum Runners” – since the owner isn’t concerned about bringing any unwanted attention to himself, this is Miami after all.

The ringleader and owner of Rum Runners is James “Jimmy” Conrad.  A laid back but well put together native Miamian with a straightforward wit, Jimmy is a friend of everyone in the city and is as comfortable in beachwear and afternoon attire as he is in a crisp suit or tuxedo. 

He’s supported by a group of trusted employees including:
Jeeves - the reserved African-American who mans the front door of the club.
Joe - the burly and surly bartender who’s quick with a drink and is everyone’s friend.
Albert - the leader of the jazz orchestra.
Edward and Ralph - two shady Run Runners’ employees who take care of James’ dirty work and any problems that come up with his preferred club patrons. 

Rum Runners’ maintains its’ popularity through the eccentric characters that patronize the establishment on a nearly nightly basis:    
George McCarthy - a gentlemanly sea captain and well-known rum runner who supplies liquor to the club by smuggling booze from the Bahamas.  However, he’s personally never drank an ounce of liquor in his life. 
William Carr - the wiry, rough-looking, macho, famous American writer who has hit hard times recently and become a full-blown drunkard willing to challenge anyone around him to an impromptu arm wrestling match.
Charles Franklin - a short, middle-aged real estate spectator who moved down to Miami from the north in search of fortune in the still relatively untapped market.
Mayor Beck - the jovial, portly, completely corrupt but fun-loving Mayor of Miami.
Chief Gerald Novak - the large, strong, physically imposing chief of police with an intimidating personality.  As the new chief, Novak tries his best to go by the book in a city that doesn’t follow any rules but finds that temptations to stray seemingly lie around every corner.
Mickey Marino, Michael Ricci and Elijah Bernstein - three well-known northern gangsters who set up shop down in Miami during the pre-Capone days before crime becomes more organized.
Esther Harris - the stately older socialite man-eater who moved to Miami from Cleveland after her wealthy railroad magnate husband passed away and left her his fortune.
Dorothy - a fiery, foul-mouthed prostitute who spends her nights at the club’s bar looking to bed its’ rich and famous patrons.
J.R. Randolph - a well-dressed banking tycoon who visits Miami with much younger females from his secretarial pool while he sends his wife on shopping trips to Europe.
John Pelham - a degenerate professional gambler who spends most of his time every night playing, and losing, in the club’s casino room.
Dr. Ernest Stratford - a top surgeon within the county, and his wife, Sally, are a well-respected couple and regular patrons of the club.  Along with their other friends, they give the club a sense of refined legitimacy among the plethora of shady characters and outright criminals.
Phillip - a young and impressionable roughneck dock worker who is comfortable mingling among high society within the club.
Robert Graves - a well-to-do philanderer who goes through women like he goes through glasses of champagne.

The club is not without its’ antagonists though.  In the first episode, Detective Johnson & Detective Smith badger James with questions over the murder of a regular club patron.  Detective Smith especially doesn’t like Jimmy’s non-answer answers.  These two men promise to be thorns in his side while James tries to run his illegal club without interference from the city or law enforcement.

With the pilot episode taking place in 1921, setting the general landscape and introducing the main characters, the series will showcase the urban birth of Miami and the origins of its’ culture of lawlessness, which still permeates the city today, and will follow the actions and evolution of these eccentric characters from the start of the real estate boom and Prohibition, to the development of organized crime in the city when Al Capone arrives, through the real estate bust, the Great Depression and finally the repeal of Prohibition.
Rum Runners Screenplay

"Diablo"

“25 words or less” – A crusading journalist turned rogue blogger fights to bring down Mexico’s most notorious drug lord after his nephew is killed in a cartel sponsored massacre.

Full Summary:

A bus filled with innocent Mexican citizens is hi-jacked by the powerful Los Alphas drug cartel and taken to a desolate area where the occupants are forced to fight to the death with the winners involuntarily inducted into the cartel as assassins.  The ringleader of this modern day gladiator fight is Diablo, the fearsome commander of Los Alphas, who organizes massacres of poor Mexican civilians for his own amusement.

During the hellish hostage situation, a scared teenaged boy is shot and killed by one of Diablo’s henchmen.  The teenaged boy is the nephew of Eddie Romero, a respected journalist at a well-known newspaper in the state of Tamaulipas.  Upset over his nephew’s senseless death and tired of cartel activities always being covered up by the media and government, Eddie decides to get his revenge the only way he knows how – by exposing Los Alpha’s involvement in the massacre through an investigative story on the newspaper’s website posted under his pseudonym “The Truth.”  This infuriates Diablo who immediately calls for the head of the newspaper’s publisher and an inquiry into the real identity of “The Truth.”

The cartel wastes no time - the next day the publisher, Raul Chavez, who ironically was vehemently opposed to Eddie writing his story, is discovered hanging dead from the lobby ceiling of the newspaper’s office building.  Fearing that he’ll be next, Eddie frantically packs up his personal belongings and immediately leaves the newspaper.  His first stop is to the state police headquarters where he seeks protection from Los Alphas but he’s shocked to learn that not even the police chief is willing to confront the cartel or even offer him help since he doesn’t want to endure the wrath of Diablo.

With no other option, Romero goes on the run.  Although he fears for his life, he’s not going to be intimidated by the cartel.  Eddie creates a blog site while on the run to continue exposing Los Alphas and their crimes.  He’s determined to fight the cartel from behind a keyboard until his work puts Diablo in the ground or in jail and decimates Los Alphas, only then will children and adults in the community feel safe to walk the streets at night without being shot or kidnapped.

In order to develop a constant stream of site content, Eddie recruits several bloggers from throughout Mexico to write about cartel members and activities.  The constant exposure makes a dent in Los Alphas when the military begins making raids and arrests based on the tips received from Eddie’s website.  This infuriates Diablo even more so he goes on a campaign to brutally murder his family, his friends and his bloggers spread throughout Mexico while Eddie successfully hides out in the countryside.

Romero knows that with corruption so prevalent in every corner of Mexico he can't trust anyone and it's only a matter of time until Diablo and his henchmen find him.  With the cartel finally bearing down on him, Eddie makes a desperate attempt to escape to the U.S. which leads to the final showdown between him and Diablo.  Will Eddie Romero survive?  Will Diablo and Los Alphas be brought down?  Or will Diablo prove to be all too powerful and squash this annoyance who turned into a worthy adversary?
Diablo Screenplay by jasonwiese2982