Gangster actor JOE PESCI livid at being dropped from GOTTI biopic after packing on pounds for role—takes a legal “baseball bat” to producers with a very nasty legal filing.
The Oscar winner is suing mad after adding 30 pounds to play a porcine part in mob movie Gotti: In the Shadow of My Father.
Producers then pulled a switcheroo, he claims, offering him a much leaner – and smaller – role.
In a lawsuit filed yesterday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Pesci claims he was offered the role of Angelo Ruggiero, a mob enforcer (i.e. hit man) and longtime pal of Mafia kingpin John Gotti Sr. — along with an alleged $3 million paycheck.
But after Pesci hyped the project, he claims producer Fiore Films played a little three-card-Monte and offered him the lesser role of a rat — Anthony "GasPipe" Casso, a rival gangster who attempted to rub out The Dapper Don.
Smaller part equals less pay – a measly $1 mil for Little Joe after he promo-ed flick along with castmates John Travolta, Al Pacino and Lindsay Lohan.
“Defendant has no intention of paying Pesci $3 million or having him portray Ruggiero in the film," the lawsuit states.
"Rather plaintiff secretly planned to use Pesci's name and likeness to promote the film and then to later concoct some pretext for terminating the contract so as to avoid paying plaintiff anything for the substantial publicity and 'buzz' that was generated."
But exec producer JOHN FIORE claims the Goodfellas star walked off the film before the deal was ever inked and is planning a countersuit.
DEVELOPING…………
