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"At
the age of twelve, my ambition was to become a gangster. To
be a wiseguy was better than being President of the United
States. To be a wiseguy was to own the world." -
Henry Hill
Questioning the Story:
Is Henry Hill the only character in Goodfellas
who is based on a real life mobster?
No. The other characters represent real life mobsters
except their names were changed. Jimmy “The Gent”
Conway (Robert De Niro) is Jimmy Burke, Tommy DeVito (Joe
Pesci) is Tommy DeSimone (nephew of former Los Angeles boss
Frank DeSimone) and Paul Cicero (Paul Sorvino) is Paul Vario.
Goodfellas T-Shirts, including the I'm a Goodfella tee, have helped fans celebrate the movie and feel like part of the "family".
According to Entertainment Weekly's June 27, 2008 issue, the 'F' word is
used 265 times in the movie Goodfellas. One of the only major motion pictures
to drop more f-bombs is Pulp Fiction, where the f-word can be heard 269 times.
Other notable mentions include the animated film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, which
boasts a total of 140 f-bombs, and the Eminem rap saga 8 Mile, which offers more than 150 uses of the f-word (usatoday.com).
Was Henry Hill really arrested for the first time for selling
untaxed cigarettes?
No. Henry Hill's first arrest was for using a stolen credit
card in a gas station to buy a couple of tires. Also, Cicero
(Vario) did not congratulate Henry afterwards for keeping
his mouth shut; Cicero was behind bars at the time for contempt.
Was Henry Hill in the Army?
In
1960, when Henry was seventeen, he joined the army
and became part of the US Army Paratroopers. He was stationed
at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Henry remained in the Army
until 1963, but always kept in touch with Tuddy and Paulie.
Did Karen Hill really flush a kilo of coke down the toilet
when the police raided the house?
No, this was likely added to heighten the tension of that
particular scene.
Who lived to reap the benefits of the Lufthansa Heist?
In his Jonesville Station radio interview linked
below, Henry Hill tells Glenn Jones that he didn't get any
of the money from the famous heist that occurred on December
11, 1978 at the Lufthansa Air Cargo terminal in New York
City. 72 fifteen-pound cartons of untraceable money were
removed from the vault. Henry says that most of the money
was probably taken by the mob bosses. Of the six criminals
involved in the heist, Henry is the only one still alive
today.
Are
the murders following the Lufthansa Heist represented accurately?
The murders occurred, but the film shows them out of order.
Some even happened months and years after the heist.
(USER
QUESTION) I heard that the FBI agent at the end of the film
who persuades Henry (Ray Liotta) and Karen (Lorraine Bracco)
to go into the Witness Protection Program was the actual real
life agent who convinced the real Henry and Karen Hill that
they had no real choice. Is this true?
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Yes. It is the actual real life FBI agent in the film.
Pictured
left are Henry Hill and his wife Karen
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What happened to Henry Hill after joining the Witness
Protection Program?
The first seven years of Henry Hill's life-after-the-mob
included trials and testifying. Henry Hill was also involved
in the composition of Nicholas Pileggi's "WISEGUY",
which is the basis for the film Goodfellas. He has
subsequently been involved in the writing of several other
books, including a cookbook and A Goodfella's Guide to
New York.
Is
Henry Hill still in the Witness Protection Program?
No, Henry Hill and his family are no longer in the Witness
Protection Program. In an online Court TV chat session Henry
said the following, "I am officially out of the Witness
Protection Program. It's a great program, but for a person
like myself in the field of business that I'm in today,
it's a bit difficult. I do commend those people. They risk
their lives for scumbags like myself." At the time
of his entry into the program, officials played him taped
recordings of his enemies ordering his death.
Is Martin Scorcese's mother really in Goodfellas?
Yes. She has a bit part with Joe Pesci. They ad-libbed a
scene about his character borrowing a ridiculously large
knife.
What awards has the film been accredited with?
Goodfellas was nominated for six 1990 Academy Awards, including
Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actress, and Screenplay.
It won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which
was awarded to Joe Pesci for his role as Tommy DeVito. The
film went on to be ranked #94 on the American Film Institute's
"100 Greatest Movies" list compiled in 1996.
Does Henry Hill find the Sopranos an accurate portrayal
of the mob?
In a Court TV online chat session, Henry said the following
about the Sopranos, "The Sopranos is the closest thing
to the real life that I've ever seen. And if Tony Soprano
would move into Bensonhurst or Harlem he would fit in as
a Capo. His cookbook sucks, though. It's the only thing
phony about the show." You can purchase Henry Hill's
acclaimed cookbook at the right.
Does Henry Hill have a website?
Yes. Henry Hill does have a website. You can find it at
goodfellahenry.com.
Be sure to check out the "Threat of the Week,"
but mind the profanity.
Listen
to Henry Hill Talk About His Life, the Film, and What He
Does in His Life After the Mob:
In
a radio show interview, Henry Hill talks to Glenn Jones
on his show Jonesville Station. Henry answers questions
about life after the mob, working on books, the Lufthansa
Heist, and even slips in a few cusswords before Glenn Jones
has to remind him that he is on the radio.
LISTEN
(.ram, 1:03min)
Link-to-Learn
More:
GoodfellaHenry.com
- Henry Hill's Personal Website
All
About the Lufthansa Heist (at crimelibrary.com)
AmericanMafia.com
Mafia Family Photo Album
Gang
Land News
Goodfellas
/**** Roger Ebert's Review
Watch
the Goodfellas Movie Trailer:
Message Board (Discuss the Film):
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