Henry Hill, 1943–2012
The mobster who turned state’s witness
When Warner Bros. approached writer Nick Pileggi to make his book Wiseguy into a movie, he had to come up with another title, since a TV show already had that name. Pileggi asked the book’s subject, Henry Hill, what other name his fellow mobsters went by. Hill’s answer, “Goodfellas,” became the title of the movie that would make him one of the most famous wiseguys of all.
Hill first became involved with the Mafia as a teenager, said NPR.org, running errands for Jimmy “the Gent” Burke, “who peeled 20s from his sleeves and slapped them in the palms of busboys, waiters, and judges.” Hill worked with New York’s Lucchese crime family, selling drugs, shaking down storekeepers, and stealing jewelry. He was part of the gang that, in 1978, stole $5.8 million from a Lufthansa terminal in John F. Kennedy Airport—at the time the largest cash robbery in U.S. history.
Federal officials caught up with Hill in 1980, said The Washington Post, arresting him for drug trafficking. Facing a lifetime in jail, “he decided to talk.” Hill’s testimony sent over 50 mafiosi to jail, and made him a “turncoat with a price on his head.” He entered the federal witness protection program, and lived under assumed names in Nebraska, Kentucky, and Washington state.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But Hill couldn’t hide his true nature, said The New York Times. He was arrested at least six times for burglary and drug possession while under witness protection, and left the program in 1987. At the time of his death, he was living openly in California and making money by selling GoodFellas mugs and aprons on his website.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Magazine solutions - July 4, 2025 / July 11, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - July 4, 2025 / July 11, 2025
-
Magazine printables - July 4, 2025 / July 11, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - July 4, 2025 / July 11, 2025
-
Controversial GOP plan to sell millions of federal acres hits major roadblock
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Republican Sen. Mike Lee says he'll revisit legislation to sell millions of acres of federally held land to create 'freedom zones' of single family homes
-
Brian Wilson: the troubled genius who powered the Beach Boys
Feature The musical giant passed away at 82
-
Sly Stone: The funk-rock visionary who became an addict and recluse
Feature Stone, an eccentric whose songs of uplift were tempered by darker themes of struggle and disillusionment, had a fall as steep as his rise
-
Mario Vargas Llosa: The novelist who lectured Latin America
Feature The Peruvian novelist wove tales of political corruption and moral compromise
-
Dame Maggie Smith: an intensely private national treasure
In the Spotlight Her mother told her she didn't have the looks to be an actor, but Smith went on to win awards and capture hearts
-
James Earl Jones: classically trained actor who gave a voice to Darth Vader
In the Spotlight One of the most respected actors of his generation, Jones overcame a childhood stutter to become a 'towering' presence on stage and screen
-
Michael Mosley obituary: television doctor whose work changed thousands of lives
In the Spotlight TV doctor was known for his popularisation of the 5:2 diet and his cheerful willingness to use himself as a guinea pig
-
Morgan Spurlock: the filmmaker who shone a spotlight on McDonald's
In the Spotlight Spurlock rose to fame for his controversial documentary Super Size Me
-
Benjamin Zephaniah: trailblazing writer who 'took poetry everywhere'
In the Spotlight Remembering the 'radical' wordsmith's 'wit and sense of mischief'