Sal Mazzotta—Philadelphia actor, screenwriter, producer—is an old-school kinda guy. He's been down this road before for his films The Evil Within and Mafioso: the Father, the Son.

But Mazzotta, who's had supporting roles in locally shot films Twelve Monkeys and Animal Factory, has a little more star power behind him for his next picture, Mafioso 2: The Son.

Not only is Mazzotta trying to bring "Hollywood to Philadelphia," ("With all due respects to Night Shyamalan, few producers in Philly can deliver projects like I do," says Mazzotta, 41. "If you give me $5 million, I'll make it look like 20."), Sal is looking to keep the heartbroken machismo of the Italian male alive—Philly/Jersey specific—at a time when The Sopranos is nearly finished.

He's got a DVD distributor pushing him to make Mafioso, and he's close to getting James Caan and Dolph Lundgren, he says. Abe Vigoda's gonna be in this baby. Without a director as yet, he's offering M2 to Steve Buscemi—through their mutual friend Johnny Williams—in hopes of a collaboration.

"And investors?" says Mazzotta. "I've had 40 guys so far today."

Filling Moyamensing Avenue catering hall Galdo's with film doyenne Sharon Pinkenson, some immediately recognizable character actors, his cousin Justin Guarini and 400-plus paisans who act or act like they act last Thursday was no easy trick.

You've got to keep the saaauseege hot and the ambrosia stirred at a dog-and-pony show like this. "People are infatuated with gangster movies," says Mazzotta. "You got to give 'em something worthwhile."

You got to make sure if you're going to party that your cousin and co-star, Guarini, will sing "Mony Mony" with The Business—the cover band you've hired. And that your pal, co-writer and co-star Johnny Williams ("Roast Beef" from Goodfellas) won't remind people too many times that he died in Mafioso. (He only had a heart attack in that last one. He was hiding out in Sicily. )

And that your cast, respected character actors David Proval (The Sopranos, Mean Streets), Ed O'Ross (Six Feet Under) and Costas Mandylor (7th Heaven, Mobsters) don't mind getting mobbed by bosomy babes or Cohiba-smoking guys wrapping their arms around them yelling "takeapiccshuh."

"I've been blessed," said Proval, speaking not only of the bar-raising filmmaking he's been involved with during his career, but of working with someone who he feels isn't looking to retrace steps. "Look, being influenced by Mean Streets and The Sopranos isn't a bad thing. But Sal's such an individual he'll never have that problem." Then he gladly suffers the foolishness of party attendees, like the one who drunkenly told him a Frank Sinatra joke. ("Know why Sinatra's nose is crooked? Tony Benn-et.")

Neither Mandylor nor Proval had known Mazzotta before agreeing to work together. Neither know how Sal got their number. Neither is quite positive what they'll be doing in Mafioso 2 or has seen a script. "When you're in this business long enough you work through your gut about people," says Mandylor.

What both actors do know is that Sal is an exuberant filmmaker who honors their work and flatters them—much like this crowd. "These people mirror how I grew up in Brooklyn," says Proval, quietly, of Galdo's feeling of familia and his relationship to Mazzotta. "That doesn't exist anymore."

Which is sort of the point. Whether or not Mazzotta wants to continue making movies that examine the psyche of the old-world Italian male, Mazzotta says he wants to be rid of this stereotype, to shift between dramas and comedies like his recently filmed Twilight Zone-toned trilogy The Unknown that's being held up for legal reasons.

"I'm lucky to be acting—but it's a blessing and a curse," says Proval of working under the umbrella of stereotyping. "There are a lot of Italian-Americans in this room. Some are dentists, some lawyers… some Sopranos," he smiles. "But the idea is not to cookie-cut. Pigeonholing is ugly. A crime."