According to Deadline, the actor is set to star in and produce an adaptation of the book "The Black Hand," written by Stephan Talty. The tome tells the true story of Joe Petrosino, a NYPD police officer who worked in the late 1800s and early 1900s to take down dozens of members of a notoriously violent Italian gang -- known as The Black Hand, considered an early precursor to the Italian mob in America -- and was ultimately assassinated by them.
In addition to starring as Petrosino, DiCaprio will also produce through his Appian Way banner. Deadline reports that the production is currently looking for a writer to adapt the book into a screenplay, so it appears that filming is still a long way off.
This sounds like a juicy role for DiCaprio, and should be a welcome return to the big screen for the actor. Stay tuned to see who else this high-profile project attracts.
