Bumping Off Fat Vinny is a lighthearted look at the attempts of authors Margaret Stanton, Danny Garrett, and Maria Mancuso make to do away with a scoundrel who seemingly has more lives than a cat. It confirms the old adage that the best laid plans of mice and men sometimes do, in fact, go astray.
The authors were contracted to write the true story of Maria Mancuso, widow of murdered Mob boss Tony "The Nose"; they knew they had produced the ultimate true crime story - one that would receive an avalanche of literary awards and mountains of praise from their publisher, Fat Vinny Vitali. In fact their agent had already pitched the story to a movie studio, and a contract was pending. How could it get any better?
Then the bad news. Fat Vinny refused to accept the manuscript as written, instead demanding the authors actually solve the murder of Tony "The Nose". He threatened to hold the project in limbo until they gave into his demands. After several tense meetings with Fat Vinny and consultation with an attorney, the authors realized the only way out of their publishing contract was if Fat Vinny died. The more obnoxious he became in his demands, the more convinced they were they might have to help Vinny's untimely demise.
The fun begins when the three writers become murder conspirators in what they believe will be a foolproof effort to save their book and the movie deal.