Monessen author's 'Jimmy the Wags' moving to television
An action story written by a former private eye has caught the eye of a noted Hollywood entertainer and producer.
Monessen author Patrick Picciarelli may soon see his 1999 book, "Jimmy the Wags: Street Stories of a Private Eye," come alive in a made-for-television movie.
And, if the movie scores big numbers, the adventure story of private investigator James "Jimmy the Wags" Wagner could also be played out in 12 televised episodes, which will likely replace mid-season shows pulled from the line-up next January.
The movie rights to "Jimmy the Wags: Street Stories of a Private Eye" were sold to Jersey Films, owned by entertainer Danny DeVito. Shooting for the production, in association with Columbia Tri-Star, is expected to begin in New York this summer.
The story centers around Wagner, a street-smart private eye who quickly learns the ropes on the opposite side of the law.
"It's a true crime story, but it's very funny," said Picciarelli, who worked the streets of New York as a police lieutenant and private investigator before moving to Monessen eight years ago. "It reads like a novel, but with a lot of dialogue to it. That's probably why he (DeVito) liked it.
"I wanted the story to involve a lot of cops and gangsters, more on the funny side than violent," said the author.
Picciarelli said DeVito and company will produce the movie, then sell the product to a television network.
Picciarelli said his name on the movie credits will be worth more than the $80,000 he earned for the rights to the story.
"Once I signed the contract, they can do whatever theychose with the story," said Picciarelli. "DeVito obviously has a good track record. I believe if they (Jersey Films) are doing it, it will be done right."
Should the movie spin off into a television series, the author said he will be paid $2,500 for each episode, with an option to renegotiate if the series goes beyond the dozen shows.
While the Monessen author is excited that his story will likely go from print to the television screen, he is also celebrating another highlight this year.
This week, the sequel to "Jimmy the Wags: Street Stories of a Private Eye" hit the bookstores.
The book, published by Onyx, a division of Penguin Putnam, is titled "My Life in the NYPD: Jimmy the Wags."
The paperback sequel began appearing on bookstore shelves March 5. Picciarelli said he is already scheduled for a book signing at Mystery Lovers Book Shop in Oakmont May 6.
Picciarelli is also the crime writer of "Blood Shot Eyes," an account of a bizarre investigation of a double homicide with psychic overtones. That book nearly supplied the suspense story for a motion picture.
"It nearly made it to the silver screen," said Picciarelli. "I had five bits on it."
Picciarelli moved from Manhattan to Monessen with his wife Susan, a Donora native, in order to enjoy a quiet, simpler life.
"I was working, working, working but not realizing my dream," said the author. "This is the first house and the last house we looked at and we bought it," said Picciarelli of his home on State Road, where the couple lives with their two sons, Zach and Alex.
Picciarelli is now working on a new story based on Terri Dee, a wealthy New York woman who went from debutante to street junkie. The story is titled "Mala Femina: A Woman's Life in the Mafia."
This summer he also plans to pen two new novels, one about a serial killer and another about a machine gunner.
