Exclusive: Remember Dana Giacchetto? He went to jail after stealing $14 million from his celebrity clients-and a bunch of civilians–back in 2001. He was besties with Leonardo DiCaprio, Mike Ovitz, Cameron Diaz, and a bunch of people in the art world who didn’t realize his whole business as a money manager was a total fake. Giacchetto had a bodyguard then who was a Chippendale’s dancer, stripper and former NYC housing cop named Steve Stanulis. When I interviewed Stanulis back then he was a working at a gym on Staten Island and trying to become a star. Apparently, it worked.
Now Stanulis is casting a feature film about his life. “Long Shot Louie” — written and directed by former NYPD cop and “Sopranos” actor John Bianco– is casting for Stanulis and his then fiancee. Stanulis is playing himself. No word on Giacchetto’s involvement, but the ex-player is likely to be in the background.
Back in 2001, this is what I wrote about Stanulis:
Giacchetto met Staten Island housing cop he met at a bar in 1999. Soap opera handsome, “Steve the cop” says he subsequently moonlighted for Giacchetto as a bodyguard “doing security.” Friends of Giacchetto say that suddenly “Steve the cop” was with Dana all the time, constantly. Stan, who was also a Chippendale’s type dancer/stripper, has already sold his story to Hollywood screenwriter Allan Swyer.
“Dana didn’t like me dancing,” “Steve the cop” told me. “He wanted me to concentrate on my acting.” And so he claims Giacchetto compensated him
financially for dropping the dancing. Giacchetto’s ledgers and SEC records indicate that Dana wrote thousands of dollars worth of checks
to “Steve the cop” throughout 1999 for “security.” According to Swyer, Giacchetto was paying him up to $2000 under the table in cash per night
for his work and gifting him with expensive clothes from Prada among other places.
“Steve the cop” told me that Giacchetto took him on many trips. “Steve the cop” says, “When we were alone together, that’s when Dana said he felt like he was himself, that he could be real.” On one trip his wife accompanied them. “She was suspicious that Dana was interested in me for other things,” Steve the cop” says.
Here’s the casting call:
STORY LINE: Raised under the shadow of a viciously abusive father, LOUIE finds escape in
working as a male stripper and doing drugs. But ALEENA, his loyal girlfriend of 20 years, is
getting tired of the evasions and excuses and finally breaks up with Louie. That jolts Louie into
getting clean — but before he can truly reform his life and reconcile with Aleena, he has to confess
a shocking old secret that has burdened his conscience for decades. Yet even as he looks
towards the future with renewed hope, Louie may find his past catching up to him, with tragic
consequences..
[ALEENA] A lovely woman in her 30s, she’s been Louie’s faithful and loving girlfriend ever since
high school — going on 20 years now and counting. The fact that Louie has never committed to
their relationship and proposed marriage is a source of great pain for Aleena, but she stands by
her man, whatever his circumstances. Once a drug user herself, Aleena got clean years ago, and
stll holds out hope that Louie will follow suit. However, Louie’s lies, evasions and disrespect finally
cause Aleena to break up with him. Now, whether the newly reformed Louie can convince her
that he has changed remains to be seen — but ultimately, their joyous reconciliation may segue
into unforeseen tragedy…LEAD
[LOUIE LAZZARO] Louie at age 17, he’s a tall, well-built, extremely handsome youth whose
homelife is a constant nightmare of terror and abuse, thanks to his vicious father. Louie’s inability
to shield his mother and little sister from his father’s rages is a source of agony and humiliation for
him. Louie finds a lucrative new source of income as a male stripper, and seems relieved when
his father finally departs their household. However, Louie’s early descent into drugs and excess
arises from a grim secret that he has on his conscience — a secret that he will not divulge for 20
years…LEAD
