Pete Davidson (32) is stepping into the role of a notorious hitman. The comedian portrays convicted Bonanno member Tommy Pitera in the crime film Tommy Karate. Filming is currently underway in Atlanta, as People and Entertainment Weekly both report. A first photo from the production, which director Justin Chon posted on Instagram and the magazine on X, shows the former Saturday Night Live star in black and white with noticeably longer hair and wearing a dark suit.

For Davidson, the film is a major undertaking. He's not only taking on the lead role, he also co-wrote the screenplay with Chon and Joseph Gay and is producing the film as well.

Who was Tommy Pitera?

Pitera hails from Gravesend in the New York borough of Brooklyn and worked as a hitman for the Bonanno family. He owes his nickname to his martial arts training. According to media reports, Pitera allegedly killed up to 60 people. The murder spree stretched from the 1970s through several Brooklyn neighborhoods, particularly Sheepshead Bay, according to People, and only ended with his arrest and trial in the early 1990s.

In 1992, Pitera was convicted of six murders as well as organized crime and drug offenses, and sentenced to multiple life terms. The now 71-year-old is reportedly serving his sentence in a maximum-security prison in the U.S. state of Kentucky.

The film is based on the 2009 book The Butcher: Anatomy of a Mafia Psychopath by Philip Carlo, which traces Pitera's youth and rise in the Italian-American mafia. According to a production statement, the film focuses on the hunt for Pitera and his arrest by DEA agent Jim Hunt.

Hunt is played by Paul Walter Hauser (39, In with the Devil). Additional cast members include Camila Mendes and Simon Rex.

The greatest mafia story never told

Davidson announced the project back in March and left no doubt about his enthusiasm. "Tommy Karate is the greatest mafia story never told. I've been working on this for over three years and I'm ecstatic that it's finally happening," he stated according to Deadline. "Playing a role like this is a dream job. We have a great team behind this thing, and I can't wait for people to see what we've come up with."

Director Chon announced plans to reimagine the gangster genre with a contemporary perspective. For him and Davidson, it's about characters, fresh imagery, and real consequences. "This isn't nostalgia," said Chon, "this is a reinvention."

The comedian and the drama

Davidson became known primarily for comedic roles, such as in Set It Up, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Riff Raff, and the semi-autobiographical The King of Staten Island.

He doesn't always feel comfortable in front of the camera, as he revealed to Entertainment Tonight last year: "Acting is just so embarrassing. It's because I'm a stand-up comedian." He can only seriously immerse himself in a role two or three times before he has to start laughing.