Henry Hill 'Goodfellas' Mobster Dead at 69

[Tx4obama]

Henry Hill -- the former mobster whose life story became the basis for the movie "Goodfellas" -- died today at the age of 69 ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ spoke with Hill's girlfriend Lisa ... who told us Hill passed away in an L.A. hospital Tuesday after a long battle with an undisclosed illness.

Lisa tells us, "He had been sick for a long time ... his heart gave out."

We're told Hill had focused on mending relationships with estranged family members in recent years ... and Lisa tells us he had made tremendous progress before he died.

--snip--

Full post here: http://www.tmz.com/2012/06/12/henry-hill-dead-goodfellas/

[Drunken Irishman]

1. Goodfellas is still my favorite Scorsese movie.

He was robbed in 1990 when he lost out to Kevin Costner for Dances with Wolves.

[Incitatus]

4. What's your opinion of The Departed?

[Drunken Irishman]

5. haha, I like that one too. ;)

Always love a good Irish gangster movie!

[Blue_Tires]

11. Still #3 behind Taxi Driver and Raging Bull for me...

[Tom Ripley]

17. +1,000,000

[Tommy_Carcetti]

16. I may be in the minority when I say the academy got it right.

Was Goodfellas a well done movie? Yes, it was very well done.

However, it has to be the one movie that comes to mind first when you talk about no redeemable, likeable characters. None. They were all unlikeable SOBs from Hill to Conway to DeVito. Even Karen comes off as shrill and unlikeable and unsympathetic. Yes, Hill turned in the end, but only to save his own skin.

Part of this obviously hinges on the fact that this was based on a true story, whereas other mob productions like the Godfather and the Sopranos are more fictionalized. Hence, despite the fact that Michael Corleone or Tony Soprano are at times brutal killers, the stories can be crafted as such to build some degree of sympathy or likeability towards them simply due to the fact they are the protagonists.

But Goodfellas lacked even that, and a film with no likeable characters isn't going to be one that has the audiences cheering, no matter how well done it may be.

Dances with Wolves, while perhaps a little overkill on the PC angle, was still a very well done, well acted movie. And what did it have that Goodfellas lacked? Easy--a very likeable sympathetic main character. Hence, it is the more "likeable" film that has a better shot at winning the Oscars.

[magnifisense]

18. He was robbed in 1980 also.

Raging Bull should have won Best Picture.

[Johonny]

20. +1

[winstars]

2. Hendrie finally broke his cherry!!!!

Bad guy, the best movie ever!!!

[MidwestTransplant]

3. He looks a lot older than 69.

No doubt he had a lot of stress in his life. RIP.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

6. Rest in peace?

He was an opportunistic criminal who hung out with psychopathic killers.

I agree that the movie was great though.

[Major Hogwash]

7. Henry Hill turned them in, so he did the right thing.

He never killed anyone and when his criminal associates were going to whack him, he saved his life by turning them in.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

9. He turned them in to keep from going to prison.

There was nothing virtuous about it.

[Major Hogwash]

10. Hill turned them in to keep them from killing him.

That's why he lived so long.
I remember when the Lufthansa heist happened, it was really big news back then.

[alcibiades_mystery]

8. Rat bastid

[Gidney N Cloyd]

12. Get the fuck outta here, Henry!

[trumad]

13. Ray Liotta should have won the Academy Award for his performance as Henry.

Truly one of my favorite movies of all time.

[DainBramaged]

14. I agree

[aikoaiko]

15. Henry Hill was a life long mook.

Still, his story contributed to the great mob mythos which can be an enjoyable tale when removed from the actual real life horror of organized crime.

[edbermac]

19. "What, do you think I'm funny?"

"You mean, let me understand this cause, ya know maybe it's me, I'm a little fucked up maybe, but I'm funny how, I mean funny like I'm a clown, I amuse you? I make you laugh, I'm here to fuckin' amuse you? What do you mean funny, funny how? How am I funny?"

Great movie.

[brentspeak]

21. His artwork on ebay is now getting the post-death bounce

Picasso he wasn't.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HENRY-HILL-GOODFELLA-ORIGINAL-MOB-ARTWORK-NYC-WING-OR-LEG-/270996931121?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f18ad0231