Marc Henry Johnson, an assistant locations manager on Treme, introduced Simon and Pelecanos to a man in New York who told them vivid accounts from his stint as a mob front for bars and massage parlors in 1970s Manhattan. "The characters were so rich, and that's what it all comes down to," said Pelecanos. Inspired by these stories, the producers set out to present a fictional account of the era. "Some of it happened," said Simon. "Some of it didn't happen. Some of it might have happened. But all of it could have happened."