Before 'Star Wars': Oscar Isaac's HBO stint in Yonkers

Through early January, reporters will be looking back at and following up on stories and topics that were the most popular with our readers in 2015, according to metrics on lohud.com. This story is part of that series. 

Oscar Isaac found himself in and out of Yonkers for much of last year, splitting time between the set of David Simon's hit HBO mini-series "Show Me A Hero" and the set of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in England.

But while acclaim for the Guatemalan-born actor's role as Poe Dameron in the new "Star Wars" epic is just beginning, his time in Yonkers has already paid dividends.

Four months after the six-hour HBO series aired, Isaac has been nominated for a Golden Globe for best actor for his portrayal of Nick Wasicsko, a former Yonkers mayor who became a central figure in the city's housing desegregation battle.

"Oscar portrayed him so well," said Nay Noe Wasicsko, the former mayor's widow, who is portrayed in the series by Argentine actress Carla Quevedo.

"The fact that Oscar and Carla were able to portray us on screen, I will forever be grateful for that," Wasicsko said. "They really got into my head. They just did that so spot-on, it's amazing. I guess that's what method actors do, but they did it so well. They got the heart and soul."

"Show Me A Hero," co-written and produced by Simon and Bill Zorzi, part of the team behind the hit HBO series "The Wire," examines the intrigue surrounding Yonkers' federal housing desegregation battle of the 1980s. The show was directed by Paul Haggis, and is based on a 1999 book by former New York Times reporter Lisa Belkin. It focuses on the personal and political trials of Nick Wasicsko.

Wasicsko was just 28 when he was elected mayor, but was voted out of office just two years later for pushing the city to comply with a federal judge's order to build low-income housing in Yonkers' overwhelmingly white east side. In 1993, he shot himself to death at Oakland Cemetery, not far from his father's grave.

The mini-series aired in August, and has also been nominated for 2016 Writers Guild Award. In addition to Isaac and Quevedo, it starred Catherine Keener, Jim Belushi, Alfred Molina, Peter Riegert and Winona Ryder, who portrayed former Yonkers City Council President Vincenza "Vinnie" Restiano.

“I’m now 67 years old, and it shows a bit on my face," Restiano said. "But from now on when anybody thinks of Vincenza Restiano or Vinnie Restiano, they see Winona’s face. I’m very pleased about that.”

Restiano and other real-life characters who were portrayed on the small screen generally gave the series high marks for accuracy. Restiano did say, however, that some wondered just how much time local pols spent drinking at J.J. Mannion's, a popular local watering hole.

“My family was a little concerned about how many episodes had to be in a bar," Restiano said. "Everybody knew that I wasn’t a drinking lady, even in those days or even today. So, that part was little bit harsh. But it was HBO. You take it. You take the good with the bad.”

The series' creators have moved on to other projects. Simon, whose credits include "Homicide: Life on the Street," "Generation Kill" and "Treme," is working on two HBO pilots.

Those projects are "The Deuce," which delves into the porn industry of the 1970s and 1980s and stars actor James Franco, and an untitled project about Capitol Hill. That project, on which Simon is again teaming up with Zorzi, revolves around the power of money and political partisanship in Washington, D.C.

Former Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein, of Watergate fame, is also involved in the project.

But Zorzi, who moved to Yonkers waterfront and lived there throughout the filming of "Show Me A Hero," said part of him remains in the city.

His love affair with Yonkers dates back more than 12 years, when Simon first sent him a copy of Belkin's book to read. Zorzi began traveling to the city then to interview some of the key players. Along the way, Zorzi befriended many of the real-life characters.

“I can’t imagine not staying in touch with Nay. I just can’t imagine that," Zorzi said last week. "And, in a way, Yonkers is sort of a home away from home."

"It's more than just idle curiosity," he added. "I've grown really fond of the place, which is a completely corny thing to say. But it's either been over my head or I've been working on it actively for a long, long time. So, it's become a part of my life."

Nay Wasicsko consulted on the filming. The crew's sets in the city included the Schlobohm Houses public housing project, the Yonkers Public Library and Yonkers City Hall.

She's been amazed at the reaction to the series since it aired, hearing from fans as far away as Dubai and Australia. She also developed genuine friendships with many on the set, primarily Quevedo and Isaac, whose portrayal of her late husband she called "uncanny."

Nay Wasicsko said she will be forever grateful that before the film world knew him as Poe Dameron, Isaac brought Nick Wasicsko back to life.

"It’s amazing to me that the story – Nick’s story, our story – has resonated so much with so many people," she said. "And that was exactly my goal, to have people know the Nick Wasicsko that I knew. He was a regular man who just loved the city of Yonkers and just wanted to do right by the city."

"Forget about the whole hero part," she said. "That didn’t really matter to me. I just wanted people to know him as a good man who had a big heart and wanted to give the very best to the city that he loved.”

Twitter: @jfitzgibbon