In 1975, a group of small-time Rhode Island bank robbers executed the largest heist in New England’s history, stealing over $30 million in valuables from a bonded vault that the notorious crime family of mobster Raymond Patriarcha used as a personal bank.

“One crime marked the end for Cosa Nostra,” reads the introduction of the film Vault, which screened at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center on Saturday night. “This tells the story of that crime.”

Featuring gritty actors like Chazz Palminteri, Don Jonson, and Emmy-award winner Samira Wiley, the film follows Robert “Deuce” Dussault and Charles “Chucky” Flynn as they assemble and pull-off the legendary ‘Bonded Vault Heist.’ The heist led to a number of high-profile mafia convictions for New England law enforcement, as former associates began to turn on their syndicates after the institution of the RICO act in the late seventies.

To this day, however, no one knows what happened to the money.

Zared Shai, owner of Backyard Taco, edited the movie at his home studio on the Island. — Ray Ewing

“Don’t look at me,” said Vault producer and Martha’s Vineyard resident Chad Verdi.

Although it was shot on-location in Providence, R.I., the entire movie was edited on Martha’s Vineyard by Zared Shai, owner of the Edgartown eatery Taco MV. On Saturday evening, Mr. Verdi and director Tom Denucci discussed the process of recreating a story that had been integral to both of their childhoods in Rhode Island — a process that wouldn’t have been possible without their connection to a certain taco man on Martha’s Vineyard.

“You make a lot of new relationships doing movies. . . but I’d never really met Zared before,” Mr. Denucci said during a question-and-answer after the screening. “But then one day last year we got paired up and I go into his editing suite, and he’s a very relaxed guy and he’s just like, ‘Hey, what’s up man, come on in. I’m going to lay down on the floor.’”

“I knew right away that the tension would be cut, and that we would have a great little run together. And we did,” Mr. Denucci said.

Mr. Verdi was initially planning to make a documentary about Raymond Patriarcha, but ultimately decided to intertwine Mr. Patriarcha’s story with that of the Bonded Vault Heist in a feature-length crime drama.

“The bonded vault heist is this story that has been this fishing tale, this legendary heist,” Mr. Denucci said. “If you’re from where I’m from, it’s something you may have heard of at the dinner table on Thanksgiving from your uncles. Somebody knows somebody who knows somebody who was involved. So it’s this story I’ve been hearing my whole life.”

The two got big-name actors to sign on the to the project, filmed at locations like Mr. Verdi’s mother’s house and the Superman building in Providence, and assembled the film. Then they met Mr. Shai.

“He added tremendous value to this project,” Mr. Verdi said.

For about three months, Mr. Shai had to split time between Backyard Taco and the small editing studio he has in Oak Bluffs to help with the film. Although Mr. Shai has edited about 10 movies in the past, most of those came during his time in Los Angeles, when he had a professional editing studio with top-of-the-line monitors, mixers and audio equipment. Things are different on the Vineyard.

“It was unique for me, and it was kind of tricky because I had to learn a new system,” Mr. Shai said. “I would do five days editing, and then two days at the taco shop, and then switch off. . . between that and working with my dad here at the shop, it was busy.”

“But, it’s worth it,” Mr. Shai’s father added.

Although both Mr. Shai and Mr. Denucci have worked with Mr. Verdi in the past, neither had worked together on a project before Vault. But unlike their subjects on screen, who found that working with strangers can prove problematic for pulling off a heist, that was never an issue for the group that put the film together.

“It was a very calm set,” Mr. Verdi said. “I can’t remember a set this calm and collected. It’s never happened before. No egos, everyone left their egos at home. That’s very uncommon in this industry. . . .It’s really a combination of relationships that loved the project, and that love falls into the film.”

Mr. Shai said that harmony found its way into his relationship with Mr. Verdi.

“As an editor, a lot of the time the job is about patience,” Mr. Shai said. “And sometimes you make suggestions, and Tommy was always really cool. Usually it’s not that fun, and Tommy made it really fun.”

The film has been sold to Lionsgate for distribution and is currently screening in 17 different states. Remaining showtimes on the Vineyard are Tuesday, June 18 at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 23 at 7:30 p.m., both at the Capawock Theatre in Vineyard Haven.