The film is loosely based on a true story about the exploits of Chris Paciello, a transplanted New Yorker who was involved with the Mafia back in his hometown. He built a house of cards in South Beach, founded on models, money, and celebrity friends, including Madonna.
After an intense undercover investigation, Paciello was arrested on racketeering and murder charges, and went on to testify against known members and associates of the Colombo and Bonanno crime families.
Filming took place entirely in Puerto Rico in 2006. The production received a 40% tax rebate from the Puerto Rico Film Commission.[1]
Reception
New York Post critic Linda Stasi rates Kings of South Beach as a "four star film" with a casting described as “perfect.”[2] Robert Bianco of USA Today describes "Gedrick and Wahlberg as absolutely first-rate, as these fine actors tend to be."[3]
Scott Weinberg of DVD Talk-Review, however, called it "obvious, listless, and completely predictable from start to finish", and said that "Kings of South Beach is little more than a very thin retread of several much better crime stories."[4]
