First of all, I love D'Onofrio and of late Ethan Hawke. I did not see anyone here as a bad actor or actress, quite the contrary. I was shocked that actors of this quality would have accepted such a sorry script. The lead-in was great, I love stories about the mob, New York and places like Staten Island. Hawke was in a great movie, What Doesn't Kill You along with Mark Ruffalo and Amanda Peet. That one is a great movie and casting job well done. This movies was a real yawner because of the repeated scenes throughout and the weird unreal scenes like D'Ononfrio sitting in a tree, come on. I almost asked for my dollar back at the video store!I can really understand why the name of the movie has been changed. May appeal to some people, but I would really recommend gene enhancement for their offspring.

The movie might try to be a little bit too clever for it's own good, but it still kinda works. The tone might be a bit shifted at places, but for a low budget thriller, this is pretty good. The acting is decent, the story rolls along nicely.But something is still missing to make it great. While all the stories told are quite appealing (for one reason or the other), it is just too much coincidence and too much confidence in a few things. Although the end might be a little bit more rewarding for some than others, you could and should give it a try, especially if you like those sort of movies in general.

My wife picked out "Staten Island" (that was the movie's title and the title on the DVD. I'm not sure why IMDb has it listed as "Little New York") and we were both looking forward to it. Unfortunately, "Staten Island" was disappointing. Certainly there was a mix of humor, irony and some grim aspects. But after reading the description on the box, it failed to meet expectations.That said, Seymour Cassel was outstanding as a deaf, mute butcher who occasionally did work for the mob. You really felt for him throughout the movie. Ethan Hawke had a convincing time portraying a stereotyped "less than bright" septic tank worker. I'm not partial to Vincent D'Onofrio's limited acting abilities and he didn't fail to disappoint. I don't understand how he lands movie roles. He has enough trouble with his TV roles.If you're looking to rent a decent mob movie, I'd look elsewhere. While not horrible "Staten Island" left us wanting.

A septic tank cleaner Sully (Hawke) wants his unborn child to have a genius IQ; a mobster boss Tarzo (D Onofrio) wants to become truly famous; and Jasper (Cassel), a deaf mute butcher, plays the horses and does dirty work for Tarzo. When their paths collide, nothing will ever be the same. This starts out like it's going to be a comedy of sorts telling all about the forgotten New York Borough, Staten Island, and that the mob lives there and they also bury their victims there and you chuckle a little. Then the real movie starts and be prepared for a little gore. It is not a comedy. However, near the end, it does become somewhat comedic and you will chuckle again.There is some gore in here and although you may not see all of it, your mind's eye will and you will squirm a lot. Of course, I chose to look away anyway. Hey, I have to sleep at night. The acting performances are all good and the pace keeps you tuned in because you are not sure how things will play out. I must say that I become more impressed with Ethan Hawke with each movie. He is more than good. He delivers. When he gets scared, I get scared too. See?Pretty good for a small budget movie. Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Yes.