Goodfellas: WTF REALLY Happened to this Movie?

Last Updated on August 10, 2021

WTF REALLY Happened To This Movie? – The JoBlo series that dives into movies based on TRUE stories, REAL people, and ACTUAL historical events to separate FACT from FICTION!

Director Martin Scorsese’s 1990 mob epic GOODFELLAS starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Ray Liotta is often hailed as one of the greatest films ever. Based on the non-fiction “Wise Guy” book by Nicholas Pileggi, which documented the life and exploits of mid-level gangster Henry Hill, the film was immediately hailed as a classic when first released in 1990. It’s jam-packed with outrageous moments of illicit behavior. 

But just how true to reality is this acclaimed crime saga. In this episode, we go behind the scenes of Scorsese’s classic and explore some of the real gangsters this was based on. There’s Henry Hill, who Liotta immortalized, and Jimmy Burke, the brain behind the infamous Lufthansa heist, who – in the film – was named Jimmy Conway and played by De Niro. Joe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito was inspired by Tommy “Two-Gun” DeSimone, while Paul Sorvino’s paternal gangster, Paulie Cicero, was based on Paul Vario. When this movie came out, most of these guys were in the middle of serving prison sentences, but by now, pretty much all of them, including Hill, have passed away, and details have been more forthcoming. 

So go get your shine box and find out “WTF REALLY Happened to GOODFELLAS!”