Even the most diehard fans of Goodfellas will be surprised by these fascinating facts in the information ahead, regardless of how many times they’ve watched the movie.
‘I’ve Been Waiting for This Phone Call’
By the late 1980s, Martin Scorsese had made a promise to no longer direct mafia films. But his mind changed when he laid hands on Nicholas Pileggi’s book, Wiseguy (1985).
After reading it, Scorsese was said to have cold-called the writer and said, “I’ve been waiting for this book my entire life.” Pileggi responded, “I’ve been waiting for this phone call my entire life.”
Goodfellas (1990) was based on Wiseguy.
Pileggi co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese directing the film.
To Play Jimmy, or to Play Tommy?
Robert De Niro was offered the role of both Jimmy Conway or Tommy DeVito. Naturally, he chose to play Jimmy.
The role of Tommy was played by Joe Pesci. He won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance.
Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito were based on real-life mobsters James Burke and Thomas DeSimone.
Robert De Niro’s Money
Robert De Niro hands out and holds money all throughout the film, but he didn’t like using fake money.
So the person in charge of props gave De Niro $5,000 of his own money for the scenes. You really were looking at real money, but the crew made sure that the property master didn’t lose a cent.
After each take of the scene where Jimmy is introduced, no one present on set was allowed to leave until all of the property master’s money was accounted for and returned.
Fat Andy’s Fate
Fat Andy was played by Louis Eppolito, a former NYPD detective who had family ties to the Mafia. His father, cousin, and uncle were all members.
In 2005, Eppolito’s life took a turn for the worse when he and Stephen Caracappa, his partner on the force, were charged with racketeering, obstruction of justice, extortion, and eight counts of murder, plus many other charges.
Both men were found guilty and were therefore sentenced to life in federal prison.
Actual Mafiosos
Nicholas Pileggi once stated that actual Mafia members were hired as extras to give the film an authentic feel.
The gangsters wanted to maintain a low profile considering their line of work, so they gave Warner Brothers, the film’s distributor, fake Social Security numbers.
How those men got paid for their work remains a mystery.
Brando’s Advice to Scorsese
According to Martin Scorsese, Marlon Brando, the actor who played mob boss Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather (1972), tried to convince the director not to take on the project.
He didn’t listen to the actor’s advice, and his decision was the right one.
Scorsese was nominated for two Oscars. Best Director and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, for his work on Goodfellas.
A Reason to Be Angry
During filming, actor Ray Liotta’s mother passed away from cancer.
Liotta felt a lot of anger inside with what was happening in his personal life, and he channeled that into some scenes.
You can see the raw aggression on his face when he pistol-whips Karen’s neighbor for touching her inappropriately.
The Iconic Copa Scene
The scene where Henry Hill (Liotta) and Karen (Lorraine Bracco) take a shortcut into the Copacabana in order to skip the long line is one of the most memorable ones in the film.
This happened because of a logistical issue: The nightclub wouldn’t let Martin Scorsese film them going through the front door, so he and the crew had to find another way in.
The long, unbroken shot of the couple entering required eight takes, and it was meant to symbolize the life waiting for young Henry.
“It had to be done in one sweeping shot,” Scorsese said, according to The Gangster Film Reader (2007), “because it’s his seduction of her and and it’s also the lifestyle seducing him.”
Paulie’s Slap
When Paul Cicero (Paul Sorvino) warns Henry Hill (Liotta) not to get involved in drugs after Henry’s release from prison, Cicero slaps Liotta’s face to get his message across.
That slap was improvised by Cicero, resulting in Liotta’s shocked reaction.
He had no idea it was coming, and it clearly showed in the scene.
Paul Sorvino’s Dilemma
Three days before filming Goodfellas, Paul Sorvino decided that he didn’t want to play Paul Cicero anymore.
He thought he didn’t had what it took to portray a cold-blooded mob boss. Sorvino called his agent regarding his decision, but his agent advised him to take a day to think before officially dropping out.
That night, Sorvino looked in the mirror and realized that he had the look of a stone-cold Mafioso.
It was a look he used numerous times in the film, most notably when Henry points him out in the courtroom.
Sorvino decided to stick with the project and the role.
The Bamboo Lounge
Actor Tony Darrow played Sonny Bunz, the owner of the Bamboo Lounge. In the film, Henry, Tommy, Jimmy, and the rest of the crew spend a lot of time at the restaurant/bar.
When Darrow was a young man, he worked at the actual Bamboo Lounge, found in Canarsie, Brooklyn.
In this scene, Bunz complains to Cicero (Paul Sorvino) then asks for his help.
Martin Scorsese asked Bunz to improvise some of his lines, taking Sorvino, who hadn’t been told about it, by surprise.
His confused look in the scene are genuine.
Attention to Detail
Martin Scorsese is known for his obsessive attention to detail. According to Ray Liotta, the director was so fixated on the cast’s wardrobe that he even insisted on tying Liotta’s tie instead of letting the actor do it himself.
Scorsese wanted the crew’s clothes to accurately reflect the time period, plus portray the culture of the Mafia in New York.
MORE Attention to Detail
Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese have worked together so many times. It’s not just because they are both brilliantly talented, but they both have a tremendous work ethic.
Both men take their craft very seriously.
Case in point: In The Real Goodfella (2006), the real-life Henry Hill said that Robert De Niro would call him seven to eight times a day during filming.
De Niro would ask about Jimmy Burke, who he portrayed in the film. He would ask about such minute details like how Jimmy would hold his cigarette.
And Yet Even MORE Attention to Detail
Here’s more on De Niro and details.
The Academy Award-winning actor wanted to know how Jimmy Burke applied ketchup before shooting the scene in which Jimmy, Tommy, and Henry have dinner at Tommy’s mother’s house.
This question was passed on to the real-life Henry Hill, who then told De Niro that Burke would rub the bottle when putting ketchup on his plate.
And that is exactly what De Niro does at the dinner table.
What Liotta Turned Down
Ray Liotta was offered the role of Harvey Dent in Batman (1989). He turned it down to play Henry Hill.
It was an easy choice, considering the incredible cast of Goodfellas, plus the chance to work with Martin Scorsese, and the fact that it was a lead role.
Billy Dee Williams went on to play Harvey Dent.
‘How Am I Funny?’
The scene in which Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) confronts Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) about Hill calling him funny was inspired by a real incident in Pesci’s life.
Pesci was a young man working at a restaurant, when he told a mobster that he was funny. The mobster apparently didn’t appreciate the compliment.
So Pesci relayed this story to Martin Scorsese, and the director loved it so much that he included it in the film.
Joe Pesci’s performance in Goodfellas earned him an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Pacino As Jimmy?
Al Pacino was offered the role of Jimmy Conway. He turned it down for fear of being typecast. His big break was as Michael Corleone in The Godfather.
Instead, Pacino took the role of Big Boy Caprice in Dick Tracy (1990).
Pacino’s character in that film was a gangster who ran a criminal enterprise so it was an odd decision.
He admitted later on that the decision to pass on Goodfellas was a mistake.
Lorraine Bracco’s Jewelry
Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro were not the only ones who valued authenticity.
Lorraine Bracco who played Karen Hill, demanded that the jewelry on the dresser in her house be real as well.
The film’s production designer delivered, renting out expensive gold and stones for Karen’s dresser.
It resulted in armed guards protecting the prized jewelry.
Henry and Henry
Martin Scorsese had never directed Ray Liotta prior to Goodfellas, as compared to Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci.
The director didn’t want his lead to be influenced prior to filming, so Scorsese discouraged Liotta from having contact with the real-life Henry Hill.
The photo above from 2004 has the real Henry Hill and Liotta posing together in Los Angeles.
The Real-Life Henry Hill
Ray Liotta wanted to get inside the mind of Henry Hill to accurately portray him, so driving to and from the set each day had him listening to cassettes of interviews that Hill carried out with Nicholas Pileggi.
According to Liotta, Hill would talk about murders and other crimes on the tapes nonchalantly, as if they were no big deal.
To show just how casual it all was, Liotta could hear Hill eating potato chips as he spoke.
This revelation is of no surprise to listeners of The Howard Stern Show.
Hill was once a regular on the show, and he had no problems detailing the illegal activity in which he was involved.
On June 12, 2012, Hill died of heart disease at the age of 69 after struggling with substance abuse for most of his life.
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