While not an actor or filmmaker, the inspiration behind one of the best gangster films ever made, Henry Hill, has died after an illness in L...
While not an actor or filmmaker, the inspiration behind one of the best gangster films ever made, Henry Hill, has died after an illness in Los Angeles aged 69.
Born in Brooklyn in 1943, Hill got in with the local Lucchese family, making his way up the ranks, working on major heists and witnessing some pretty nasty business, before being arrested for drug-use in 1980. Hill gave evidence against his former underworld friends and entered the witness protection programme before being subsequently kicked out because of misbehaviour. In 1986, a reporter named Nicholas Pileggi collaborated with Hill on a book about his life story called Wise Guy, a book which caught the attention of a certain Mr. Scorsese who made it into Goodfellas, perhaps the best film of the auteur’s career.
“You know, we always called each other good fellas. Like you said to, uh, somebody, :You're gonna like this guy. He's all right. He's a good fella. He's one of us.: You understand? We were good fellas. Wiseguys.” – Henry Hill, Goodfellas
Henry Hill is survived by his two children and his girlfriend.
(Apologies to anyone who misread Henry as Harry)
