Tommy DeSimone
Born	May 24, 1950(1950-05-24) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	January 14, 1979 (aged 28) [1] Howard Beach, Queens, New York, U.S.

Thomas Anthony "Two-Gun Tommy" DeSimone (May 24, 1950 – January 14, 1979^[1]) was a gangster and associate of the Lucchese crime family in New York. Also known as "Tommy D", he was also nephew of Los Angeles mob boss Frank DeSimone. He was married to a woman named Angelica Spione, nicknamed Cookie but was a constant womanizer whose mistresses included Theresa Ferrara. Thomas "Two Guns" DeSimone was the basis for the character "Tommy DeVito" played by Joe Pesci in the 1990 movie Goodfellas. Image File history File links Thomasdesimone1. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the borough of New York City. ... This article is about the state. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Howard Beach is a neighborhood in southwestern Queens, New York. ... For other uses, see Queens (disambiguation) and Queen. ... This article is about the state. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... For other uses, see Gangster (disambiguation). ... The Lucchese crime family is one of the Five Families that controls organized crime activities in New York City, USA, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia (or Cosa Nostra). ... This article is about the state. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Frank DeSimone (b. ... Theresa Terry Ferrara born c. ... Joseph Francesco DeLores Eliot Pesci (born February 9, 1943), best known as Joe Pesci, is an American Academy Award-winning actor, comedian and singer who is often typecast as a violent mobster, mafia thug, or a grouchy funnyman. ... Goodfellas (also spelled GoodFellas) is a 1990 film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, the true story of mob informer Henry Hill. ...

Early life and background

His relative Rosario DeSimone was the boss over Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas from 1931 until his death in 1946. Tommy's brother Anthony became an informant on the Gambino, Colombo and Lucchese crime family and was later executed by his mentor Tommy Agro. Tommy's uncle, Frank DeSimone, was a criminal attorney-turned-mobster who was an inspiration for the Robert Duvall character Tom Hagen in the 1972 film The Godfather. "Uncle Frank" (as he was known) replaced Jack Dragna in 1957 after Dragna's death, becoming the second DeSimone family descendant to become Los Angeles don. Frank DeSimone was later disbarred as a lawyer, lost his firm and died of a heart attack on August 4th 1967. Robert DeSimone was the last of the brothers who was sentenced to life imprisonment for racketeering in Florida. Thomas had two sisters, Dolores DeSimone and Phyllis (who was the mistress of Jimmy Burke since the age of sixteen), as well as three brothers, Gambino crime family associate Robert DeSimone (imprisoned for life) and Gambino crime family associate Anthony DeSimone (murdered by Tommy Agro in early 1970s). He is related to James DeSimone, Rosario DeSimone, Joseph DeSimone born Fort Lee, New Jersey c.a. 1923 and his brother Ralph DeSimone. from Mahwah, New Jersey c.a. 1943 to June 13, 1991), Phil DeSimone and Franky DeSimone, both from Fort Lee, New Jersey all of whom were also mobsters. After the murder of his brother Anthony, Thomas suffered from a Borderline Personality Disorder. He is the brother-in-law of mobster Joseph "The Barber" Spione through his marriage to Angelica. Rosario DeSimone was an Italian-American mobster. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Americas Finest City Location Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates , Government County San Diego Mayor City Attorney         City Council District One District Two District Three District Four District Five District Six District Seven District Eight Jerry Sanders (R) Michael Aguirre Scott Peters Kevin... Vegas redirects here. ... The Gambino Crime Family is a criminal organization based in New York City, New York, USA within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known familiarly as the Mafia (also known as La Cosa Nostra). ... Map of Colombo with its administrative districts Coordinates: , District Colombo District Government  - Mayor Uvaiz Mohammad Imitiyaz (Sri Lanka Freedom Party) Area  - City 37. ... The Lucchese crime family is one of the Five Families that controls organized crime activities in New York City, USA, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia (or Cosa Nostra). ... Thomas Agro (akas: T.A., Tipp, Thomas Ambrosiano) was born on the Upper East Side of New York City. ... Frank DeSimone (b. ... Robert Selden Duvall (born January 5, 1931) is an Academy Award and four-time Golden Globe winning American film actor and director. ... Thomas Tom Hagen (1917-1964) is a fictional character in the Godfather books and films. ... This article is about the 1972 film. ... Jack Dragna (born Antonio Rizzoti) (April 18, 1891 - February 23, 1956) was a organized crime figure from Chicago active in Los Angeles, California. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... The term Don may refer to Donald, a Western name Don (honorific), a Spanish, Portuguese and Italian title, given as a mark of respect A crime boss Don, Nord, a commune of the Nord département in northern France Don (TN), a comune in the province of Trento, in northern... is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami metropolitan area Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... Dolores Dolly DeSimone was the sister of Thomas DeSimone, Anthony DeSimone and Robert DeSimone born with her mobster brothers in Howards Beach, Queens and later moved to Ozone Park, Queens to be close to her brother Thomas. ... Jimmy Burke may refer to: Jimmy Burke (gangster) — Irish American gangster Jimmy Burke (baseball) — American baseball player Jim Burke James Burke Category: ... Former Gambino crime family Boss Carlo Gambino taken sometime in the early to mid 1970s, shortly before Gambinos death. ... Robert Skinny Bobby DeSimone, was an ostracized Italian New York Gambino family associate born in Brooklyn, New York sent down to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. ... Former Gambino crime family Boss Carlo Gambino taken sometime in the early to mid 1970s, shortly before Gambinos death. ... Anthony Tony D DeSimone an Italian-American Lucchese crime family associate who was the middle child and brother of Tommy DeSimone and Robert DeSimone born Howards Beach, Queens. ... James DeSimone (Palermo, Sicily-May 1977 Springfield, Missouri) was an Italian-American Kansas City, Missouri gangster and drug trafficker. ... Rosario DeSimone was an Italian-American mobster. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Map highlighting Fort Lees location within Bergen County. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Map highlighting Mahwahs location within Bergen County. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 164th day of the year (165th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Frank DeSimone (born April 23rd, 1932) is an Italian-American mobster. ... Map highlighting Fort Lees location within Bergen County. ... Borderline Personality Disorder (DSM-IV Personality Disorders 301. ... This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. ...

Association with Vario and Burke

Thomas DeSimone worked under Mafia capo Paul Vario with his friends Jimmy Burke and Henry Hill; DeSimone and Hill had known one another since they were young men, when Burke took them on as his protégés. DeSimone was involved in truck hijacking, dealing stolen property, extortion, fraud, and murder. A capo in the Mafia is a ranking member of a Family who heads a crew (or group) of soldiers; a skipper, short for capodecina. ... Paul Vario (July 9, 1914 - November 22, 1988) was a member of the U.S. Italian Mafia and a Caporegime in the Lucchese Family. ... U.S. Marshals mugshot of James Jimmy the Gent Burke taken on April 12, 1979 not long after the Lufthansa heist. ... FBI mugshot of Henry Hill taken in 1980. ... This page is a candidate to be copied to Wiktionary. ...

DeSimone's violent temper and callous nature as a hitman were well known. While playing pinochle with mobster-turned-informant Joe Ianuzzi and Tommy Agro, Thomas started throwing darts at the fellow players when he started losing. Hill described DeSimone and Burke by saying, "It didn't take anything for these guys to kill you. They liked it. They would sit around drinking booze and talk about their favorite hits. They enjoyed talking about them." Hill later described DeSimone as a "psychopath", and suggested that DeSimone had something to prove because his older brother, Anthony DeSimone, had become an informant and was allegedly murdered by members of the Gambino crime family, and that Thomas Agro felt that he had to prove his loyalty by "overcompensating." Pinochle (sometimes Pinocle or Penuchle), is a trick-taking game typically for two, three or four players and played with a 48 card deck. ... See Also: Antisocial Personality Disorder Theoretically, psychopathy is a three-faceted disorder involving interpersonal, affective and behavioral characteristics. ... Former Gambino crime family Boss Carlo Gambino taken sometime in the early to mid 1970s, shortly before Gambinos death. ... Thomas Agro (akas: T.A., Tipp, Thomas Ambrosiano) was born on the Upper East Side of New York City. ...

Gangland slayings

Desperately seeking attention from higher mob figures so that he could receive his "button", DeSimone decided to do this by committing his first murder on March 15, 1968. DeSimone was walking down the street with Hill and Burke when DeSimone spotted a victim, Howard Goldstein, an innocent pedestrian. Hill recalls DeSimone turning to him and saying, "Hey Henry, watch this." DeSimone yelled, "Hey cocksucker!", pulled out a .38 caliber pistol, and shot and killed Goldstein. Hill exclaimed, "that was cold-blooded Tommy." DeSimone replied, "Well, I'm a mean cat." For the 2006 computer game, see Made Man (computer game). ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

His second murder was of William "Billy Batts" Devino, a made man who was part of the Gambino crime family. He worked with rising mobster John Gotti. Batts had just gotten out of prison after serving a six-year term for drug possession. While incarcerated, Burke had taken over Batts' businesses, and now that Batts was out of prison, he needed to have Batts out of the way. One night while Batts and Burke were having drinks in the Suite, DeSimone showed up and Batts started kidding around with him in front of everyone, saying he remembered when DeSimone was a kid, he used to shine shoes, calling him "spit shine Tommy". DeSimone, angry and insulted, left and later returned with a .38 revolver and a plastic mattress cover. Burke held Batts in a headlock while DeSimone beat his skull with the revolver. DeSimone, Burke, and an unwitting Henry Hill loaded Batts into the trunk of Hill's Buick Riviera, and were on their way to bury him when Batts woke up; he had to be beaten and stabbed some more until he eventually died. William Billy Batts Devino (January 19, 1921 - June 11, 1970) was born William Paul DeVino in Brooklyn, New York and was described as a long time friend of John Gotti and a made member of the Gambino Family in the 1960s. ... For the 2006 computer game, see Made Man (computer game). ... Former Gambino crime family Boss Carlo Gambino taken sometime in the early to mid 1970s, shortly before Gambinos death. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Buick Riviera was an automobile produced by Buick in the United States from the 1963 to 1999 model years, with 1,127,261 produced. ...

DeSimone's third murder is described by Hill in his book Wiseguy. A young man named Michael "Spider" Gianco was acting as bartender at a card game, and DeSimone took out a handgun, demanded that Gianco dance for him, and shot him in the foot when Gianco refused. A week later, Gianco was again serving drinks; DeSimone started to bully him about his damaged foot, spurring Gianco to reply, "Go fuck yourself." Even though the other card players expressed admiration for Gianco's standing up for himself, DeSimone was humiliated and furious. Losing his temper, DeSimone shot Gianco in the chest, killing him (much to the anger of Jimmy Burke and Henry Hill, who made Tommy bury Gianco's body right there in the cellar). In Goodfellas, Michael Gianco is portrayed by Michael Imperioli. Michael Spider Gianco, born c. ... James Michael Imperioli (born March 26, 1966 in Mount Vernon, New York) is an Italian-American actor who is best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos. ...

His fourth murder, according to Hill, occurred when DeSimone got carried away after being asked to "rough up" a witness to a robbery. After a truck heist, a foreman had refused to allow Jimmy Burke to unload the cargo of a hijacked truck in his warehouse, and made a tremendous fuss because they had no union cards. Burke attempted to reason with the man, but he stood his ground and refused to be intimidated. After this, Burke unwisely sent DeSimone to the man's house in New Jersey with instructions to threaten and "rough up" the man to ensure he would cooperate with Burke in the future, but the homicidal DeSimone, angry for having to drive all the way to New Jersey and that the man wouldn't listen, ended up beating him to death. “NJ” redirects here. ... “NJ” redirects here. ...

DeSimone's fifth murder was of John Gotti's protégé, a young gangster named Ronald "Foxy" Jerothe, on December 18, 1974. DeSimone had dated Jerothe's sister and then beaten her up, prompting Jerothe to threaten to kill DeSimone. When DeSimone heard about the threat, he went to Jerothe's apartment and knocked on the door; Jerothe opened the door, punched DeSimone in the face, and then DeSimone shot Jerothe between the eyes, killing him. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Ronald Foxy Jerothe (born John R. Gerote) (September 8, 1954 - December 18, 1974) was the protege of infamous mafia don John Gotti who was killed in 1974 by psychopathic Lucchese crime family associate Thomas Two-Gun Tommy DeSimone over a dispute involving Jerothes sister. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ...

He also garotted Jimmy Burke's best friend Dominick Cersani on Jimmy's orders in a Cadillac outside Robert's Lounge for being an informant for the police. Dominic was buried in the partially unfinished basement of the saloon. Jimmy Burke may refer to: Jimmy Burke (gangster) — Irish American gangster Jimmy Burke (baseball) — American baseball player Jim Burke James Burke Category: ... Dominick Cersani a. ... For other uses, see Cadillac (disambiguation). ... Site of Roberts Lounge, now a Latin Restaurant. ... Look up saloon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Role in the Lufthansa heist

DeSimone was alleged to have taken part in the December 1978 Lufthansa heist from JFK International Airport, the largest robbery in U.S. history at the time. The loot is reputed to have been almost $6,000,000, only a fraction of which was recovered. He was picked out by having very well polished shoes, too well polished for an airport employee. He was the one who suggested Jimmy Burke to recruit his ex-cell mate Angelo Sepe for the heist. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... John F. Kennedy International Airport (IATA Airport Code: JFK, ICAO Airport Code: KJFK) is the main international airport in New York City, and is one of the largest airports in the world. ... Jimmy Burke may refer to: Jimmy Burke (gangster) — Irish American gangster Jimmy Burke (baseball) — American baseball player Jim Burke James Burke Category: ... Angelo J. (John) Sepe a. ...

Henry Hill claims that during the week after Christmas 1978, after murdering Lufthansa robber and mob lackey Parnell "Stacks" Edwards in his home in Ozone Park, Queens, DeSimone was going to become a "made" member of the Lucchese Family; but due to a heavy snowfall, the event was called off. A few weeks later, DeSimone disappeared. FBI mugshot of Henry Hill taken in 1980. ... Parnell Steven Stacks Edwards (January 15, 1947 Baton Rouge, Louisiana-December 18, 1978 Queens, New York) was an African-American petty thief and supporter of the Black Panther Party who became associated with the infamous Jimmy Burke during the 1978 Lufthansa Heist. ... For other uses, see Queens (disambiguation) and Queen. ... For the 2006 computer game, see Made Man (computer game). ...

In Gangsters and GoodFellas, Henry Hill mentioned that DeSimone had killed around 4 people whilst in prison, so that brings the total to around 10. Hill commented that Tommy would murder someone just because he wanted to try out a new firearm and wouldn't hesitate to use someone as human target practice.

It is highly likely that aside from knowing murder was a necessity in his trade, DeSimone received a real sense of empowerment and a thrill when he killed someone; he even began carrying two pistols to distinguish himself from others.

Making his Bones

DeSimone's sixth murder was of Lufthansa accomplice Parnell "Stacks" Edwards. DeSimone was a good friend of Stacks, but when he was told by a ranking mafioso that he could become a made man off of this hit, he agreed. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Parnell Steven Stacks Edwards (January 15, 1947 Baton Rouge, Louisiana-December 18, 1978 Queens, New York) was an African-American petty thief and supporter of the Black Panther Party who became associated with the infamous Jimmy Burke during the 1978 Lufthansa Heist. ... For the 2006 computer game, see Made Man (computer game). ...

Once he found out where Stacks was hiding out, he visited Stacks and shot him 6 times in the chest and head using a silenced pistol. Several firearms with detachable suppressors Bolt-action rimfire rifle with suppressor Semiautomatic rimfire pistol with suppressor A suppressor or sound moderator is a device attached to a firearm to reduce the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon. ...

Disappearance and death

On January 14, 1979,^[1] DeSimone's wife Angela reported him missing. Theresa Ferrara, Martin Krugman, Robert McMahon, Joe Manri, Parnell Edwards and Paolo LiCastri had all been murdered following the Lufthansa Heist, by Jimmy Burke, who wanted to avoid paying them their share of the loot. For years, the New York Police and FBI believed that DeSimone had either been murdered by Burke, or that he was in hiding to avoid being killed. His brother-in-law Lucchese crime family mobster Joseph "The Barber" Spione also disappeared shortly after his sister's husband. It is suggested by authorities that Spione was murdered by the Gambino crime family to counteract any potential retribution from Joseph. His body has never been found. is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Theresa Terry Ferrara born c. ... Martin Marty Krugman. ... Robert McMahon a. ... For the American jazz musician, see Joe Maneri. ... Parnell Steven Stacks Edwards (January 15, 1947 Baton Rouge, Louisiana-December 18, 1978 Queens, New York) was an African-American petty thief and supporter of the Black Panther Party who became associated with the infamous Jimmy Burke during the 1978 Lufthansa Heist. ... Paolo LiCastri was a Sicily-born gangster. ... This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. ... The Lucchese crime family is one of the Five Families that controls organized crime activities in New York City, USA, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia (or Cosa Nostra). ... Former Gambino crime family Boss Carlo Gambino taken sometime in the early to mid 1970s, shortly before Gambinos death. ...

When Henry Hill became an FBI informant in 1980, he told authorities that DeSimone had been murdered by the Gambino Crime Family. The full details were unknown until 1994, when Hill, in his book Gangsters and Goodfellas, gave the whole story of the events leading up to DeSimone's death. Hill's wife, Karen, had been having an affair with Hill's boss, Mafia Capo Paul Vario. When Hill was sentenced to prison, DeSimone approached Karen Hill for sex; when she turned him down, DeSimone attempted to rape her. In retaliation, Paul Vario approached the Gambino crew and revealed that DeSimone had murdered Ronald Jerothe and William Devino without first seeking permission from the Gambino family, violating mafia protocol. Sometime in January 1979, DeSimone was contacted and told that he was going to be "made." Peter Vario and Bruno Facciolo took him to a house, where he was executed by Thomas Agro. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal criminal investigative, intelligence agency, and the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... Paul Vario (July 9, 1914 - November 22, 1988) was a member of the U.S. Italian Mafia and a Caporegime in the Lucchese Family. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Henry Hill (mobster). ... Paul Vario (July 9, 1914 - November 22, 1988) was a member of the U.S. Italian Mafia and a Caporegime in the Lucchese Family. ... Ronald Foxy Jerothe (born John R. Gerote) (September 8, 1954 - December 18, 1974) was the protege of infamous mafia don John Gotti who was killed in 1974 by psychopathic Lucchese crime family associate Thomas Two-Gun Tommy DeSimone over a dispute involving Jerothes sister. ... William Billy Batts Devino (January 19, 1921 - June 11, 1970) was born William Paul DeVino in Brooklyn, New York and was described as a long time friend of John Gotti and a made member of the Gambino Family in the 1960s. ... For the 2006 computer game, see Made Man (computer game). ... Bruno Facciola was a Italian-American mobster in the Lucchese crime family from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn who worked under Paul Vario. ... Thomas Agro (akas: T.A., Tipp, Thomas Ambrosiano) was born on the Upper East Side of New York City. ...

Thomas Agro confessed in 1985 that he was the driving force behind the "getting made" ruse. Agro assassinated him on the orders of John Gotti, and also admitted to murdering his brother Vincent DeSimone after Anthony turned informant. Agro admitted this to turncoat-soldier Joe "Joe Dogs" Ianuzzi. Tommy Agro also at times suggested murdering the youngest and last remaining brother, Robert DeSimone. According to Ianuzzi, Agro would often laughingly refer to killing the third DeSimone brother, stating that "Maybe it is time to go for the DeSimone trifecta!" Another account, told by Henry Hill in Gangsters and GoodFellas, states that John Gotti himself was the triggerman. On May 17, 2007 during the Howard Stern show Henry Hill reaffirmed the story of John Gotti killing Tommy. Thomas Agro (akas: T.A., Tipp, Thomas Ambrosiano) was born on the Upper East Side of New York City. ... For the 2006 computer game, see Made Man (computer game). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Joseph Joe Dogs Iannuzzi (b. ... Robert Skinny Bobby DeSimone, was an ostracized Italian New York Gambino family associate born in Brooklyn, New York sent down to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ...

DeSimone was said to had been buried somewhere near his former Ozone Park residence, in the "mafia graveyard". It was also believed that his body was wrapped with some chain-link fencing, weighted down with concrete blocks and dumped in Jamaica Bay to be eaten by the resident crabs.

In popular culture

DeSimone's infamy rests on the depiction of him given by actor Joe Pesci in the 1990 movie Goodfellas, a role for which Pesci won an Academy Award. Not surprisingly, the movie took some artistic liberties with a few facts. Pesci's character, Tommy DeVito, was shown ramming an ice pick into Martin Krugman's head; Henry Hill claimed that DeSimone was dead by the time Krugman was killed. At various points in the film, for the purpose of making the story flow better, Tommy DeVito was substituted for various individuals not portrayed in the film. For instance, in the double-date scene where Hill meets his future wife, Tommy DeVito is substituted for Paul Vario's son, Paul Jr., who actually went on the date. Hill, neverertheless, calls Pesci's portrayal "between 90 and 95% accurate", mentioning only that Pesci did not physically resemble the character he portrayed; Tommy DeSimone was tall and muscular, always wore a mustache, and was only in his teens and twenties during the events depicted in Goodfellas. Whereas in real life, Paul Vario sat down and allowed the Gambinos to kill DeSimone in retaliation for the murder of Batts, in the film the elder members of the Gambino Family(known associates of the Lucchesse Family) execute Tommy DeVito in revenge for violating the mafia protocol and killing a "made man" without the syndiacate's permission. In the film Devito is killed by Vinnie, based on Thomas Agro, a well known associate of the Lucchesse Family and unknown mobster of the Gambino Family, even after promising Paul Cicero, based on Paul Vario to "make" Tommy. Joseph Francesco DeLores Eliot Pesci (born February 9, 1943), best known as Joe Pesci, is an American Academy Award-winning actor, comedian and singer who is often typecast as a violent mobster, mafia thug, or a grouchy funnyman. ... Goodfellas (also spelled GoodFellas) is a 1990 film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, the true story of mob informer Henry Hill. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... There are several people named Tommy DeVito. ... Martin Marty Krugman. ... Paul Vario (July 9, 1914 - November 22, 1988) was a member of the U.S. Italian Mafia and a Caporegime in the Lucchese Family. ...

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Reported missing, January 14, 1979.

is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ...

References

• Wiseguy, by Nicholas Pileggi and Henry Hill
• Gangsters and Goodfellas, by Henry Hill
• Joe Dogs: The Life and Times of a Mobster by Joseph Ianuzzi
• http://www.ganglandnews.com/column402.htm

Nicholas Pileggi (born February 22, 1933 in New York City, New York) is an American author and screenwriter, best known for writing the book Wiseguy, which he adapted into the movie Goodfellas, and for writing the book and screenplay Casino. ... FBI mugshot of Henry Hill taken in 1980. ... FBI mugshot of Henry Hill taken in 1980. ...

External links