© 1990 - Warner Bros. Entertainment| Source: IMDb
Talk about the list of classic American gangster movies, we bet Goodfellas does bag a spot on it. And why not! The Robert De Niro-starrer ultimately won as many as six Academy Awards.
Not to forget, the movie did have a real-life adaptation. One can’t forget the noted gangster mafia Henry Hill, his family, and associates from the New York City. Martin Scorsese’s direction gave the movie an entirely new dimension, keeping it alive across generations to this day.
However, besides the character inspiration, did you know that Goodfellas also featured another major realistic aspect during its production? Read on!
Real Gangsters For Goodfellas?
As far as trivia goes, Scorsese had actually cast real-life mobsters and gangsters as extras in his film. He wished to maintain authenticity at its peak, and so he paid attention to every little detail, ensuring it was totally realistic.
From imported Italian suits to thick bundles of the prop master’s own cash, everything was arranged according to the movie’s requirements.
In an interview, Nicholas Pileggi, the co-writer of Goodfellas, recalled the unusual casting process for the movie, particularly when it came to casting real-life gangsters and mobsters.
He said, “We’d put the word out [to the Mob guys]: ‘Anybody who wants to be in the movie, come.’ [Scorsese] must have hired like half a dozen guys, maybe more, out of the joint.”
Goodfellas And The Great Gamble Of Payroll
Hiring real gangsters as actors for the Robert De Niro-starrer was easier said than done. With more than a dozen mobsters in the crew, there was a need to put them on a steady payroll.
However, none of them were ready to share their correct social security numbers for the task to be done.
Pileggi recalled the mammoth task at the hands of Warner Bros and mentioned “Warner Bros now had to put [the wise guys] on the payroll, and they wanted their Social Security numbers. The wiseguys said, ‘1,2,6, uh, 6,7,8, uh, 4,3,2,1,7,8 – ’ ‘No, that’s more numbers than you need!’ They just kept reciting numbers until they were over. Nobody ever figured out where that money went or who cashed the checks.”
Do you think using real mobsters added onto the authenticity of Goodfellas? Let us know!