A Hollywood producer filming on location in New York City spirals into a high-stakes game of survival when his father-in-law’s mob past resurfaces, dragging him and his family into a dangerous world of crime, deception and family secrets.
The Garbage Man is a wild ride in which an Italian mobster learns to respect and love his son-in-law and gains his respect in return. ​​It's a blend of suspenseful action and comedic moments, balancing the intensity of mob threats with the absurdities of Hollywood filmmaking while raising a family.
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​ The Garbage Man promises non-stop thrills, emotional depth and unexpected twists.
OVERVIEW
The Garbage Man is a six part limited series. The show centers around Tony Ferrara’s family and how he has been hiding from the mafia for years. Tony used to work for the mob, but he decided to leave and start a new life in California and by a chain of events and circumstances, the mob finds Tony and tries to rub him out. Tony out wits the hitman several times, but knows his luck is running out. He engages his unwilling son-in-law to help him slip away from the mob, but now his secret is out. He has to confess his association with the mob to his son-in-law. Not even Tony’s wife and daughter knew he had mob connections. Through a series of decoys, booby traps, hiding in plain sight to engaging all of the family’s abilities and imagination, a plan is hatched as how to catch the mobsters and send them all to jail.
But it’s never that easy. Even from jail, our mafia family reaches out to destroy Tony and his family. Each of our characters discover how to use their own talents and abilities combined to help them conquer the mobsters.
The show is a combination buddy picture and mob drama. The characters learn and grow and find the true meaning of family and integrity.
CHARACTERS
CASTING STYLE SUGGESTIONS
JOSH WEISSMAN
Early 40s, based in New York, but moves to Los Angeles. Quick-witted, fast-talking, and honest. As a producer of commercials, country music videos, TV specials, and promos, he’s built a niche for himself in the competitive film industry. But deep down, Josh dreams of the director’s chair. His wife and kids are his greatest treasures and he’s constantly reinventing himself, hustling to climb the next rung of the ladder.
EVELYN FERRARA
Tony’s wife, Evelyn, is a feisty matriarch in her 70s, who runs her kitchen—and her life—with passion and precision. Known for her endless pots of pasta and love of leftovers, Evelyn’s culinary skills are matched only by her fierce negotiation tactics. Whether haggling at the market or fighting with customer service, Evelyn always emerges victorious. A former legal secretary, she’s a self-taught expert in the law, quick to argue her case with sharp wit and stubborn resolve. Her knack for shorthand is a secret weapon she’s passed down to Louise, allowing them to communicate in code and outsmart anyone who dares cross them.
TONY FERRARA
In his 70s, Tony is the embodiment of Bronx pride. A retired sanitation worker with a big heart, he cherishes his Italian roots and the close-knit community he grew up in. Tony idolizes his daughter and grandchildren, but secretly wishes Louise had married an Italian man and stayed in New York. Though he reluctantly followed his family to California, he’s embraced his role as the doting grandpa, even if it means stepping out of his comfort zone.
VINCENT ASCOLI
Vincent, a mob boss in his 70s, runs a restaurant in Manhattan’s Little Italy that serves as a front for his criminal dealings. Hailing from the Bronx and an old school friend of Tony’s, Vincent is equal parts charming and dangerous. He lives by the mantra “keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” but his ambition often outpaces his influence. A small-time player with a massive ego, Vincent dreams of gaining the respect of larger crime families, though his efforts have mostly gone unnoticed. His charm is as disarming as his betrayal is brutal—friendly one moment, deadly the next.
LOUISE WEISSMAN
Also in her early 40s, Louise is a true Bronx native, complete with a strong New York accent and an unapologetic attitude. She’s got Marisa Tomei vibes from My Cousin Vinny—smart, street-savvy, and effortlessly charming. A natural beauty with a no-frills style, Louise traded her career as an accountant at a Big Five firm for the classroom when motherhood called. Now, as a first-grade teacher with a master’s in reading comprehension, she’s shaping young minds with the same determination that led her to thrive in the corporate world. Her quick wit and deep loyalty make her the glue that holds her family together.
LITTLE VINNY
Vincent’s mid-50s nephew, Little Vinny, is the poster child for impulsiveness and insecurity. He’s a brash, hot-tempered bully who constantly seeks shortcuts to success, often leaving a trail of chaos in his wake. With a “short man’s complex” fueling his need to prove himself, Vinny’s recklessness and sloppy methods make him a liability—even to his own family. Despite his violent streak and knack for evading the law, his time is running out, and his days of dodging justice may soon come to an end.
EPISODE BREAKDOWN
PILOT EPISODE
“Tony Ferrara - I Found Him”
Introduction to Josh Weissman – TV Producer
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Josh Weissman is the unsung hero of film shoots, sacrificing his own pay to keep productions on budget while making directors shine. When a late-night trip for cannoli lands him in the middle of a secretive mafia meeting, his connection to his enigmatic father-in-law, Tony Ferrara, draws unexpected attention. Unbeknownst to Josh, he’s rekindled a long-dormant connection between Tony and a powerful mob boss, setting the stage for a thrilling collision of two worlds. The mobsters put a tail on Josh and find their “old friend” Tony Ferrara in California.
EPISODE 2
“Little Vinny - New Yorkers in California”
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When Tony Ferrara returns home to find a mob enforcer sitting in his kitchen, he narrowly escapes death by outsmarting his would-be killer and sending damning evidence against the mob to the FBI. As the mob escalates their pursuit, Tony prepares for a violent showdown, setting deadly traps to protect his family and buy time. On the run, Tony turns to his unsuspecting son-in-law, Josh, unwittingly dragging him into the deadly conflict and setting the stage for a high-stakes collision of loyalty, survival, and justice.
EPISODE 3
“Josh Weissman - The Plan”
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When Tony Ferrara’s past with the mob catches up to him, it collides with his son-in-law Josh’s career-defining Hollywood pitch meeting. Tony interrupts Josh mid-pitch, dragging him into a desperate escape from a relentless mob boss, Vincent Ascoli, in a chaotic, high-stakes chase through Los Angeles. As the mob closes in, Tony and Josh hatch a daring plan—a staged Hollywood film shoot designed to fake Tony’s death and outsmart the mob once and for all, allowing time for the FBI to move in on the mob - setting the stage for a gripping story of survival, deception, and family loyalty.
EPISODE 4
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“ Louise Ferrara”​​
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When mob boss Vincent Ascoli, sitting in a jail cell, suspects Tony Ferrara faked his death, he manipulates his reluctant niece, Donna, into spying on Tony’s daughter, Louise, to uncover his whereabouts. Donna, torn between loyalty to her childhood friend, Louise and fear of the mob, infiltrates Louise’s life, stealing vacation cruise plans that put Tony’s family directly in the mob’s crosshairs. As Donna boards the ship to finalize the betrayal, tensions rise—will she carry out Vincent’s plan, or will her conscience force her to choose sides in a dangerous game of deception and survival?
EPISODE 5
“The Cruise – Part 1”
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While on a chaotic family vacation, Josh and Louise Weissman’s plans for a relaxing cruise take a dark turn when the mob resurfaces, hunting Louise’s father, Tony, who’s been hiding in plain sight. After Josh and their son are kidnapped aboard the ship, Louise must use her wit and courage to outsmart the mob, while Josh uses his producer skills to record incriminating evidence against their captors. As danger closes in, the family races to outmaneuver their enemies, protect Tony’s secrets, and save their loved ones before it’s too late.
EPISODE 6
“The Cruise – Part 2”
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Forced into a deadly game of survival, Louise uses her wit, courage, and fighting skills to outsmart the mob while Josh captures their confessions on tape from the ship’s A.V. room. As FBI agents swoop in to save the day, Louise and her childhood friend Donna envision a fresh start, leaving behind a life of danger to create a new legacy rooted in family, friendship, and redemption.
About the Creator
Mark Kalbfeld
Mark Kalbfeld is an award winning producer, director, editor and writer for over 25 years. Mark has produced TV specials, commercials, documentaries and hundreds of network promos and music videos, plus EPKs, Still Shoots and long form videos including multi camera music concerts. He knows production, truly from concept to shoot and the entire post production process and therefore can speak to all departments with knowledge and in their terms.​
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The Garbage Man is a personal project for Mark. The character of Josh Weissman, the producer, is based on Mark’s personal career and relationship with his New York, Italian father-in-law. The Tony Ferrara character is based on his actual Father-In-Law (not the part about him helping the mob though). When first dating his one and only daughter, Tony had some trepidation of a non-Italitan man dating his daughter. After getting married and moving to California didn’t help the relationship. But just as in the story, Tony and Evelyn moved out west to be close to their daughter and grand children. Over time, Mark and Tony’s relationship grew and Tony grew to respect Mark for is career and his love of his daughter and their children.
Louise Ferrara Weissman’s character is based on a combination of Mark’s actual New York based wife, Marissa Tomei’s character, Mona Lisa Vito and Marvel’s The Black Widow. She is a strong character who can be tough yet loving.
As for the production stories, these are based on true life experiences that happened to Mark over his decades of working in the film business, from dealing with incompetent camera personnel, to the meals in Little Italy after a New York shoot, to walking into a restaurant to get a cannoli and being face to face to what seemed to be a mob meeting. Productions are filled with strange stories, characters and sometimes ridiculous situations that the producer needs to solve.
To view some of Mark’s work click here: www.markkalbfeldproducer.com
Contact Information
Frames Per Second Productions, Inc
Executive Producer - Mark Kalbfeld
310-497-1645
