Armand Assante in Film that Shot Scenes in Merrick

Kate Winslet may be long gone, but Merrick continues to be a destination for film shootings.

Jesse, an independent film with a star turn from actor Armand Assante, recently filmed a car chase scene and interior car sequence on Sunrise Highway in Merrick.

Assante's specific scene was a dining scene taking place in Mio Posto Restaurant in Oceanside. It's based on the true story of Nassau County Police Detective Jesse Weinstein (Stephanie Finochio) who turns vigilante as she investigates her brother's murder and enters into a world of crime, corruption and shocking deception.

The film has shot scenes in several other Nassau County towns including Bellmore, Freeport and Garden City.

The film made news a few months ago in Bellmore when a store customer saw the filming of a robbery scene, thought it was real and called Nassau County police to the scene.

Director Fred Carpenter lined up an impressive cast for the film, including William Forsythe.

"I love working with Armand Assante and having William Forsythe in my film," Carpenter said. "If I meet people and tell them I make movies, they go 'what, porno?' so having these great actors in your film, they go 'Wow, you make real movies.'"

Assante has starred in numerous blockbusters including Gotti, Judge Dredd and Mambo Kings. He was also in American Gangster; his scenes were shot at Old Westbury Gardens on Long Island.

"I've shot on Long Island four or five times in my career in quite extenuating circumstances...so it's not my first time shooting here. I'm kind of excited to be here. I'm excited to be back," Assante said.

There was something about the role and this film that appealed to Assante.

"If I get good material and there's a story...I like to work," he said. "Independent film right now I think is going to rule in a lot of ways. Not that it's going to rule box office per say. But in terms of the kind of product that's out in the market now... Most of it is independent film, a lot of people don't know that."

Assante adds: "A lot of the product that's out on the market now is independent and every now and then you get one that slips through the cracks that really can bang it out at a festival. But to me the most important thing to me always...story.

"He presented me with a real intelligent scene. To me the barometer of a scene is logic. Logic is what makes a good story and if characters are logical more often it leads to emotion and what you can reveal, but it's got to be logical and the logic will build in terms of what's happening between them."

Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano came by with his family for a cameo appearance in the scene shot in Oceanside.

"He's great. He's a wonderful actor. I loved him in Gotti and Judge Dredd. So it's really a special day to meet an actor of his success," says Mangano, adding that supporting independent filming on Long Island is also good for the county.

"We're really here to support the film industry and filming on Long Island. It creates many jobs, it helps our economy and a fun way to help create employment in Nassau County," Mangano said. "This year alone, Armand Assante is here today filming, Angelina Jolie filmed her movie in Bethpage and Hicksville and that's out in theaters now called Salt. We had Keanu Reeves filming out here. We had James Kahn and Kate Winslet filming in Nassau County. So we have a lot of filming, a lot of opportunities, it's growing each year."

Nassau County Film Office director Debra Markowitz says along with talent, Assante brings star power to the film.

"This is a local filmmaker, he's probably made seven or eight films, now he's got William Forsythe in this movie and Armand Assante," Markowitz said. "It will probably get seen by people it might not have been seen by before, because one of the problems with independent films is that they can be great, but if they don't have any name attached to them sometimes they just can't get seen. Now you throw out the fact that Armand Assante is in it, he has a much better chance. And of course he's got the talent, it was a great scene."

Jesse has wrapped its shooting schedule and is heading into post production and will soon be in theatres.

It's been quite a summer on the big and small screens for Merrick.

Besides Oscar-winner Winslet's multiple days of shooting in the Merrick Gables in June for the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce, VH1 crews were in The Vine-Wine Bar last week to film scenes for the new docu-series My Big Friggin' Wedding.

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