The Forgotten Lord

In November 1972, filming began in New York City on a low-budget movie called The Lords of Flatbush. The film would attain a loyal following due mainly to the fact that two of the lead actors — Henry Winkler (Butchey) and Sylvester Stallone (Stanley) — would become household names before the decade was over. One of the other Lords, Perry King (Chico), would enjoy a lengthy and varied career. However, the fourth Lord, Paul Mace (Wimpy) — whom Perry King referred to as “the most talented of the four of us” — would be largely forgotten — and, yet, he had more professional experience on his résumé than the other three leads had combined when the film was made.

Born in 1950 in New York City, Paul Mace was raised by his father, John Mace, a vocal coach, and Richard Adrian Dorr, John’s business partner and significant other. He enjoyed a prolific acting and singing career from the ages of eight to 22, appearing in five Broadway plays and several guest-starring roles on television. A devotion to the Church of Scientology put major strains on his familial relationships and interfered with his acting career, causing him to take a five-year hiatus after The Lords of Flatbush. He returned to the big screen when Stallone offered him a role in Paradise Alley in late 1977, after which he relocated to California and pursued his show business career with renewed vigor. Sadly, any aspirations of making a living with his craft came to an abrupt end when he was killed in a motorcycle accident in August 1983 at the age of 33.

The Forgotten Lord: The Story of Paul Mace examines the professional and personal ups and downs of the man best-known as Wimpy Murgalo from The Lords of Flatbush. It contains interviews with many of Mace’s family, friends, colleagues and peers, including Ed Mace (Brawl Stars), Barry Pearl (Grease), Lee Canalito (Paradise Alley), Mike Gomez (Zoot Suit), Kelly Ward (The Big Red One), Enrique Castillo (Blood In, Blood Out), Don Scardino (30 Rock), Marcia Jean Kurtz (Dog Day Afternoon), Anthony Caso (The Panic in Needle Park), Beverly Bremers (“Don’t Say You Don’t Remember”), Gary William Friedman (The Me Nobody Knows), Noelle Messier (Black Tar Road), and The Lords of Flatbush alumni Martin Davidson (co-director/co-writer), Gayle Gleckler (co-writer) and Perry King (Riptide).