Roslyn Chamber of Commerce President Richard Branciforte has rejected the village’s claims that businesses affected by the filming of “Brass Tactics” had ample time ahead of shooting to prepare for closures on parts of Old Northern Boulevard.
Parts of the street were closed for 26 hours from 9 p.m. Monday to 11 p.m. Tuesday for the series produced by Apple Studios.
“No Parking” flyers were hung up on Old Northern Boulevard ahead of the two-day shoot, according to show officials.
In correspondence with the village obtained by Blank Slate Media, location managers for the show told village officials that flyers were hung up Wednesday, March 23, and that businesses between Mill Creek South and East Broadway were being notified of the closures.
But Branciforte said businesses such as Delicacies Gourmet Delicatessen, Gatsby’s Landing and YOLO Yogurt and Desserts found out about the closures as late as Friday.
“The chamber is not opposed to filming in the village,” Branciforte said. “But when there’s filming taking place there needs to be adequate communication ahead of time.”
Branciforte also rebutted what the village said in regards to Delicacies accepting monetary compensation for the inconvenience of closing the parking lot next door, saying the owner, Jim Zanfardino, did not accept the $1,000 that was offered to Delicacies before the shooting.
“The village took it at total face value that something was done. These businesses were not alerted ahead of time,” Branciforte said. “Communication should have been sent out when the permit was given.”
Old Northern Boulevard is a Nassau County, not Village of Roslyn, road. The Village of Roslyn was not involved in closing the boulevard but charged a $9,000 filming fee that will go toward administrative costs and revenues for greenery in the village and to suspend parking meters in the winter between holidays.
Interior scenes of Trinity Episcopal Church on Northern Boulevard were shot on Tuesday. On Monday, prep work was done at the church and Old Northern Boulevard intersections of Tower Place and East Broadway from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Crews for each site consisted of five to 20 workers.
Filming Tuesday included a shoot inside the church from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with approximately 80 to 100 people before a late afternoon shoot from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. for exterior scenes at Tower Place.
Streets and the church were restored to their original form on Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Brass Tactics” is a drama set in the year 2002, according to Backstage.
Efforts to reach the village or producers for comment were unavailing.
