21 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘Goodfellas’

There are mafia movies and then there’s Goodfellas. Martin Scorsese did not just make a film in the 1990s, but crafted a cinematic masterpiece. The film even created a blueprint for every mafia film that was made thereafter. From Ray Liotta’s iconic narration to Joe Pesci’s terrifying “funny how?” the scenes are a religion for cinephiles.

But when it comes to the hidden details of the mafia film, even die-hard fans have missed these secret details by Martin Scorsese. Be it the behind-the-scenes chaos or wild real-life connections, these facts make the film Goodfellas even more juicier.

21 Unknown Facts About ‘Goodfellas’ You’ve Missed

Before you plan to rewatch the film, we thought of sharing some unknown facts about the film. So this time, when you watch the film, make sure you notice the same. Here are 21 things you didn’t know about Goodfellas that’ll have you craving pastas and quoting the iconic dialogues. You might even check over your shoulder before walking down a dark alley, who knows?!

21. A Homage To A Classic Film

In the opening scene, we are introduced to Joe Pesci as Tommy DeVito, Robert De Niro as Jimmy Conway, and Ray Liotta as Henry Hill. Ten years later, Scorsese takes us back in time to see a very young Henry.

The main similarity is that both Goodfellas and Psycho were influenced by Alfred Hitchcock’s filmmaking style, with Goodfellas specifically referencing Hitchcock’s use of the dolly zoom in Vertigo. Hitchcock was known as the master of suspense, a quality that is also present in Goodfellas.

20. Ray Liotta’s Narration

Henry’s narration of significant storyline points is one of the main storytelling devices used by Scorsese throughout the movie. To record the narration, Ray Liotta spoke directly to someone else in the room. This was done to give it a more genuine feel and to facilitate his storytelling.

19. Iconic Scenes Derived From Joe Pesci’s Real Life

In Goodfellas, the most referenced scene is when Tommy “jokingly” corrects Henry after he calls him funny by asking, “Funny how?” This scene is one of the few in the film that isn’t based on Henry Hill’s life. But it is interestingly based on something that happened to Joe Pesci.

When Pesci was younger, he worked at a New York restaurant that was frequented by local mafia members. He said to a wise man one day, “Hey, you’re a funny guy,” and it didn’t go down well. Scorsese thought this tale was a great way to introduce Tommy, and Pesci relayed it to him.

18. A Classic Based On A Novel

Having already directed Mean Streets (1973), Scorsese had little interest in directing a film on the Italian-American criminal underworld in the mid-1980s. On the set of The Color of Money (1986), he did, however, read Nicholas Pileggi’s Wiseguy (1985), a chronicle of the rise and decline of real-life New York mobster Henry Hill, and he loved it.

He enjoyed how Pileggi described the gangsters’ daily lives to his readers. It was more about the lives of those at the lower levels than it was about slapping people and taking jobs.

17. De Niro’s Scene Included Real Money

Jimmy Conway, played by Robert De Niro, is distributing $20 notes like confetti when Henry first encounters him. They used fake money to film the sequence, but De Niro preferred to use real money because he didn’t like the way it felt in his hand.

De Niro received $5,000 of his own funds from a crew member, and following each take, nobody was permitted to leave the set until all of the money had been returned and tallied.

16. Scorsese Was Advised Not To Make Goodfellas

In an attempt to convince Scorsese not to create Goodfellas, Marlon Brando, who played Vito Corleone in the renowned The Godfather (1972), claimed he would only be rehashing his work on Mean Streets and Raging Bull (1980).

People close to Scorsese advised him that Goodfellas was distinct from those other movies since it was hilarious and a whole new approach to the gangster genre. He disregarded Marlon Brando’s remarks and continued with Goodfellas based on that suggestion.

15. Several Competitors For Henry Hill

No one but Ray Liotta was chosen for the iconic role, but other well-known actors were considered for the role of Henry.

The first person Irwin Winkler and the studio discussed as a possible Henry Hill was Tom Cruise, followed by Sean Penn. Alec Baldwin tried out for the role but was passed over for it by Liotta, who had just featured with Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams (1989). He had also received a Golden Globe nomination for his work in Something Wild (1986).

14. Liotta Fought Hard For His Role

Naturally, Ray Liotta was eager to play Henry Hill as a young actor auditioning for a Martin Scorsese film. He sent Scorsese an audition tape, but Scorsese didn’t bother to watch it because he wasn’t that interested in Liotta for the character.

At the Venice Film Festival, Liotta ran into Scorsese following this first rejection. Due to the recent release of the contentious film The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and the death threats it prompted, Scorsese was accompanied by bodyguards. Liotta attempted to speak with Scorsese, but the bodyguards prevented him from doing so.

Scorsese observed all of this and was struck by Liotta’s composure. He finally watched Henry’s audition tape, as he knew he would frequently play the role of mediator in Goodfellas. He liked it, and Liotta was cast immediately afterward.

13. Finding Karen Hill Was A Challenge

Lorraine Bracco, who was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the movie, plays Henry’s patient wife, Karen Hill. Even though Lorraine Bracco is a great actress, Scorsese didn’t initially choose her for the part.

Ellen Barkin was considered, and Scorsese went to watch Madonna in a Broadway production to scout her for Goodfellas.

Eventually, though, Scorsese did settle on Lorraine Bracco. Bracco never even had to try out for the role; a few years prior, she had tried out for Scorsese on After Hours (1985) but had been passed over for that role. Nevertheless, Scorsese loved her and believed she was ideal for Goodfellas.

12. Lorraine Bracco Did Not Watch The Movie For Long

Oddly enough, it wasn’t until the 25th anniversary in 2015 that Lorraine Bracco finally saw Goodfellas in its entirety. “It’s laugh-out-loud funny,” she stated. I didn’t realize.

11. Billy Batts Was Whacked In Every Scene

In the now-familiar Goodfellas, Billy Batts lives (and dies) to regret his “shine box” comment to Tommy near the halfway mark of the film, with only a glimpse of Batts being killed in a trunk at the start.

However, the original shooting script actually had Batts celebrating his disastrous “welcome home” party in the opening scene, followed by Tommy’s mother’s visit, before cutting to Liotta narrating the timeless line, “As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster,” and then to Hill’s childhood in Brooklyn.

10. The Tale Behind Joe Pesci

Tommy DeVito, played by Joe Pesci, was named after Henry Hill’s actual crime partner Tommy DeSimone. Pesci was friends with the well-known singing group The Four Seasons when he was younger. The name change was inspired by Tommy DeVito, who played guitar in The Four Seasons.

Joe Pesci initially refused to portray Tommy when Scorsese asked him about it. However, Scorsese summoned Pesci to his flat to discuss it because he felt he would be fantastic. At this point, Pesci told Scorsese the “funny how?” tale and informed him that he would make the movie if they could include it along with a few other things.

9. Robert De Niro Wore Suits With Matching Pinkie Rings And Watches

De Niro was able to choose anything he wanted from the specialist jewelry store owned by propmaster Robert Griffon, which seems to be the beginning of a very distinct Uncut Gems. Scorsese carried on (and even analyzed) the pinky bling style that was typical of Hollywood depictions of Italian mobsters in The Irishman.

8. Pesci Was Not Impressed With The Script

Henry Hill claims that Pesci had some difficulties portraying Tommy because his portrayal was 95% true to the actual Tommy, which is a horrifying revelation. After reading the scene where Tommy kills the barman, Spider, Pesci went to Scorsese and Nicholas Pileggi and said that he wasn’t convinced.

Pileggi called the real Henry Hill to resolve the matter after they discussed it, and Pesci refused to listen. After reading the scenario in the script, Hill made changes and forwarded it to Pesci.

7. Goodfellas Only Has 5 On-Screen Killings

Despite its brutal reputation, Goodfellas depicts a very low number of on-screen deaths: five (Spider, Billy Batts, Stacks Edwards, Morrie, and Tommy) or ten (if you count the outcomes of Jimmy Conway’s work after the Lufthansa robbery).

It goes without saying that there is a lot of violence and the threat of violence throughout the movie. Goodfellas isn’t very gory, though, in comparison to the 214 deaths in John Woo’s Bullet in the Head, which came out the same year. Or even the 255 deaths in Saving Private Ryan, or even the 24 deaths in Scorsese’s Best Picture winner The Departed.

6. Pesci’s Short Oscar Presence

Pesci took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Tommy. His acceptance speech is the sixth-shortest in history because he was so overwhelmed. “It is my privilege. Thank you,” he remarked. We did expect more from the deadly Tommy.

5. Pesci’s Success, But A Short Music Career

Following Goodfellas, Pesci’s career progressed well, with roles in classic movies like Casino (1995), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) and Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), My Cousin Vinny (1992), JFK (1991), and Home Alone (1990). However, Joe Pesci had a (kind of) musical career as well.

Pesci released the song Wiseguy in 1998, rapping about being a mobster over a sample of Blondie’s Rapture.

4. De Niro Went Method

As the well-known method actor he is, Robert De Niro examined every aspect of his role in Goodfellas as well. He paid close attention to every little detail. According to Henry Hill, De Niro would contact him seven or eight times each morning before he left for the set, asking him questions such as, “How Jimmy held his cigarette” or “How Jimmy put ketchup on his burger?”

3. Both Of Scorsese’s Parents Have Cameos In Goodfellas

Although most movie buffs are aware that Tommy’s mother in the notorious dinner scene after Billy Batts’s murder is played by Catherine, Martin Scorsese’s mother. But the familial ties barely end there.

Two dogs are seen sitting in front of an elderly man in Tommy’s mother’s painting, remember? Actually, co-writer Nicholas Pileggi’s mother painted it. Charles, Scorsese’s father, also appears as Henry’s prison companion who adds extra onions to the sauce.

2. Debi Mazar’s Trip Was Real

Sandy, played by Mazar, looks awestruck and stumbles a little as she turns to exit the room when she first sees Henry. The stumble turned out to be real. Scorsese kept Mazar bumping against the dolly track because it accentuated Henry’s aura of power and mystery.

1. Real Wise Guys Show Up

Scorsese used real-life wiseguys in the movie, drawing inspiration from Italian neo-realism films. In the “funny how scene?” Nearly all of the men seated around Henry and Tommy are true wiseguys.

Henry is narrating in a scene at the beginning when the camera pans around The Bamboo Lounge and introduces us to several guests. All of them are real wiseguys. Jimmy blasts a character for purchasing a brand-new Cadillac during the Christmas party scene. Johnny Williams, a real-life wiseguy, plays him.