 Martin Scorsese (qv) wanted to shoot the film in Boston, where the  story is set. But due to concerns on setting up production and  politics, the producers chose New York City to double for Boston  because of the states 15% tax credit. The bulk of the movie was  shot in New York City while a six week shooting schedule was split  in two for Boston, shooting the first half in June and the second  half in August. After the success of this film, Massachusetts  created a 25% tax credit for filmmaking.