John Travolta mob movie filming scenes in Butler County

A movie about mob boss John Gotti starring John Travolta is filming this week at the Butler County Jail.

Sheriff Richard Jones told the Journal-News he met Travolta on Tuesday and he was a “great guy.”

“We talked about him flying jets,” the sheriff said.

Travolta is portraying Gotti in “The Life and Death of John Gotti,” which began filming in Cincinnati last month. Actress Kelly Preston, Travolta’s wife, co-stars in the film.

Filming at the jail on Hanover Street began Monday morning and will continue for a few more days, according to Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer.

In addition to filming in jail cells, the crew has also shot scenes in interrogation rooms. Jones said they are also filming at the former jail facility on Court Street in Hamilton.

“They have rented a place to park their vehicles and a local church to feed their crew,” Jones said, noting the film is bringing money to the area.

Steve Colwell, of Film Hamilton, said he has been working with the production crew for the movie to make sure things run well for them while they are filming in the city.

“We came into the project kind of late in the game,” Colwell said. “I helped get a landing place for their base camp and that’s about it.”

Because “The Life and Death of John Gotti” is a large-scale production, Colwell said it has been fairly easy to accommodate their needs while they film in Hamilton.

“They’re a large enough operation to not need a lot of stuff,” he said.

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