The original drafts of The Black Donnellys were titled "The Truth According to Joey Ice Cream"
The Black Donnellys is loosely based on Co-Creator Bobby Moresco's childhood in Hell's Kitchen, New York.
The exterior shots for the Firecracker Lounge were filmed at the Shannon Pot, a bar at the corner of Jackson Ave. and Davis St. in Long Island City, Queens. The exterior shots for the Minetta Tavern were filmed at the real-life Minetta Tavern at 113 MacDougal St. in New York's Greenwich Village.
Keith Nobbs and Thomas Guiry appeared together in an episode of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." The episode, "The Good", aired May 14, 2006.