The Henry Hill Goodfellas Connection: One Mobster, Two Movies

It's rare that a single criminal inspires two drastically different cinematic masterpieces in the same year. In 1990, Hollywood released both a gritty masterpiece and a fish-out-of-water comedy—both based on the exact same person.

The Real-Life Henry Hill Goodfellas Connection

Henry Hill wasn't your average mobster. Starting as an errand boy at 12 years old, he climbed the ranks of the Lucchese crime family. He was a key player in the infamous Lufthansa heist, where his crew nabbed $6 million in cash and jewels. However, the glamour of crime didn't last. By the late 1970s, fearing for his life after a narcotics arrest, Hill turned into an FBI informant.

His life story became the backbone of Nicholas Pileggi's 1985 book, 'Wiseguy'. This book eventually caught the eye of legendary director Martin Scorsese, leading to the creation of Goodfellas. Starring Ray Liotta as Hill, the film is widely regarded as one of the greatest biographical dramas ever made.

How Nora Ephron Found Comedy in Crime

While Pileggi was writing 'Wiseguy', his wife—the iconic screenwriter Nora Ephron—was often the one answering the phone when Hill called. She couldn't help but notice the absurdity of a hardened criminal trying to navigate the mundane world of witness protection. She secretly took notes, which became the screenplay for the Steve Martin comedy My Blue Heaven.

Remarkably, My Blue Heaven hit theaters just one month before Goodfellas in 1990. Audiences were treated to two different versions of the same man: a cold-blooded criminal in one theater and a flamboyant suburbanite in another.