Talk about hitting the court!
Dyker Heights was buzzing Monday as basketball icon Shaquille O’Neal was spotted filming scenes for the third season of the popular mob series “Gravesend” at the neighborhood’s basketball courts.
O’Neal, known for his larger-than-life personality both on and off the court, was seen shooting scenes for the show, drawing excitement from local fans eager to catch a glimpse. Local kids — some of whom were even selected to be extras — were excited to shake hands with the 7-foot-tall superstar.
The hit Amazon Prime series, written, directed, and starring William DeMeo, is set in the historic South Brooklyn neighborhood during the 1980s, following the life of its main character, Benny Zerletta, a self-proclaimed mafia “soldier.”
When the show’s third season was announced late last year, DeMeo hinted at exciting new additions to the ever-expanding “Gravesend” cast, including O’Neal, who was also spotted filming in Coney Island in June.
A native of Gravesend, DeMeo was introduced to O’Neal through his close friend Steve Martorano, owner of Cafe Martorano in Fort Lauderdale. He was delighted to discover that the sports legend loves a good mob drama.
“We love Shaq and we got to know Shaq as a person. Shaq loves this genre — ‘Goodfellas,’ ‘A Bronx Tale,’ ‘The Godfather’ — and we were able to write a role for him,” DeMeo told Brooklyn Paper in June. “We had a character for someone who aligns with Benny Z, my character, and from these characters we made Mustafa, Shaq’s character. Together, they kind of do business.”
Other icons viewers can expect to see on “Gravesend’s” upcoming season include Talia Shire, Fran Drescher, Joseph D’Onofrio, Chazz Palminteri, Vincent Pastore, Andrew “Dice” Clay and Mario Cantone, among others.
Since its release during the pandemic in 2020, the series has garnered a growing fanbase, becoming a Hollywood standout. Despite its small cast, crew, and modest budget, the DeMeo family believes they’ve succeeded in putting a once lesser-known part of Brooklyn on the map in a major way.
“It’s an independent show, which really is almost impossible to do, because a lot of the shows that people watch, they’re backed by networks or big studios like Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu,” said DeMeo’s son, Cristian, who also stars in the show. “It’s awesome. It’s a smaller team but we’re just grateful and blessed to have all the people that have tuned in and all the people that want more.”
When asked how he was feeling during Monday’s shoot, DeMeo told Brooklyn Paper, “We’re bringing back 1987 right now in Brooklyn, so it’s a good day.”
Additional reporting by Melissa Fishman.