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The event -- complete with red carpet -- featured Writers and Executive Producers David Simon and William F. Zorzi, Dobbs Ferry resident Lisa Belkin, author of the book that inspired the HBO show, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and assorted cast members including Ilfenesh Hadera, Natalie Paul, Carla Quevedo, Warren Bob and Laura Gomez.
Also in the crowd: many of the real life residents that lived through the cantankerous housing desegregation battle of the mid 1980s detailed in the six-part miniseries. Among them, former Yonkers Mayor Angelo Martinelli (played by actor Jim Belushi) and Nicholas DeSantis, then City Manager.
Another notable attendee: Hastings resident Nay Wasicsko-McLaughlin, who works for the city of Yonkers in the human resources department and is the widow of Mayor Nicholas Wasicsko, played onscreen by Oscar Isaac. (Quevedo plays her character.)
Wasicsko-McLaughlin said the show is an accurate depiction of the events that transpired and hopes audiences will get that "Nicholas was a great man who gave his all" during that period.
Hadera, who plays Alma Febles in the series, said representing a character from a true story instilled a certain responsibilty. "We all worked hard to do them [the residents] justice," she said.
Added Simon: "Having access to the survivors of this time period gave the story more texture," as did filming in Yonkers.
"They got it right," said Belkin. "I'm blown away how they managed to make a story about public housing so interesting."
"Show Me A Hero" begins Sunday, Aug. 16 at 8 p.m. on HBO.
Go here for previous story on Belkin; here for earlier Daily Voice story on Yonkers scenes and here for story on Simon.
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