Henry Hill
Henry Hill was an American mobster whose testimony brought down members of the Lucchese crime family and the Gambino family in the 1980s.
His life as a wiseguy and FBI informant was chronicled in Nicholas Pileggi's book *Wiseguy* and Martin Scorsese's film *Goodfellas*, where Ray Liotta portrayed him.
Hill became a symbol of the mob turncoat—someone who lived the gangster life then violated omertà to save himself.
Sarcastic quipster or mobster
- made manInitiated organized crime member
- associateConnect mentally or socially
- Cosa NostraSicilian criminal organization
- mafiaCriminal organization using intimidation
omertà · enforcer · shakedown · protection racket · crew · family · underworld · syndicate
U.S. domestic intelligence agency
- witness protectionHiding those who testified
- cooperatorOne who works jointly
- ratRodent or informer
- snitchOne who tells authorities
turncoat · debriefing · immunity · relocation · new identity · betrayal · testimony · protected witness
- biopicFilm about real life
- 1990Final decade's start
- classicOf lasting excellence
- cinematographyMotion picture visual craft
Martin Scorsese · Robert De Niro · Joe Pesci · Wiseguy · soundtrack · Academy Awards · drama · Hollywood
Forcible seizure mid-transit
- racketeeringConducting illegal business schemes
- drug traffickingIllegal distribution of controlled substances
- cocaineAddictive stimulant narcotic
- extortionObtaining through threats
smuggling · robbery · theft · fraud · arson · gambling · conspiracy · felony
Written personal recollection
- Italian-AmericanEthnicity bridging two nations
- BrownsvilleSouth Texas border town
- QueensEasternmost NYC district
- cab standDesignated taxi waiting area
Wiseguy · Pittsburgh · drug addiction · book deal · movie rights · interviews · documentaries · Howard Stern
wiseguy
Sarcastic quipster or mobster
- made manInitiated organized crime member
- associateConnect mentally or socially
- Cosa NostraSicilian criminal organization
mafia · omertà · enforcer · shakedown · protection racket · crew · family · underworld · syndicate · Brooklyn
FBI
U.S. domestic intelligence agency
- witness protectionHiding those who testified
- cooperatorOne who works jointly
- ratRodent or informer
snitch · turncoat · debriefing · immunity · relocation · new identity · betrayal · testimony · protected witness · state's evidence
Ray Liotta
Martin Scorsese · Robert De Niro · Joe Pesci · Wiseguy · cinematography · soundtrack · Academy Awards · drama · Hollywood · cinema
hijacking
Forcible seizure mid-transit
- racketeeringConducting illegal business schemes
- drug traffickingIllegal distribution of controlled substances
- cocaineAddictive stimulant narcotic
extortion · smuggling · robbery · theft · fraud · arson · gambling · conspiracy · felony · illegal
memoir
Written personal recollection
- Italian-AmericanEthnicity bridging two nations
- BrownsvilleSouth Texas border town
- QueensEasternmost NYC district
Wiseguy · cab stand · Pittsburgh · drug addiction · book deal · movie rights · interviews · documentaries · Howard Stern · expulsion