Origins & Early Life

Henry Hill Jr. (June 11, 1943 – June 12, 2012) was an American mobster who was associated with the Lucchese crime family of New York City from 1955 until 1980, when he was arrested on narcotics charges and became an FBI informant. Hill testified against his former Mafia associates, resulting in fifty convictions, including those of caporegime (captain) Paul Vario and fellow associate James Burke on multiple charges. Hill subsequently entered the Witness Protection Program but was removed from the program in 1987.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Hill's life story was documented in the true crime book Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family (1985) by Nicholas Pileggi, and subsequently depicted in two films which were both released in 1990; the critically acclaimed Martin Scorsese gangster film GoodFellas, in which Hill was portrayed by Ray Liotta, and the Herbert Ross crime comedy My Blue Heaven, in which a character inspired by Hill was portrayed by Steve Martin. Goodfellas was adapted by Pileggi and Scorsese from Wiseguy, depicting Hill's life in the mafia, whilst My Blue Heaven is a heavily fictionalised account of his time in witness protection, written by Pileggi's wife Nora Ephron based on the couple's joint research...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alvy Ray Smith — Contemporary (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering computer scientist and co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios.
• Antonio Inoki — Contemporary (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering Japanese wrestler, martial artist, and political figure.
• Arthur Ashe — Contemporary (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering American tennis star, celebrated for his skill and activism.
• Adam Yauch — Contemporary (Died in 2012) (2012): Founding member of Beastie Boys; influential rapper, filmmaker, and Tibetan activist.
• Alfred F. Young — Contemporary (Died in 2012) (2012): Pioneering American historian of the Revolution and working-class social history.
• Barbara Ann Scott — Contemporary (Died in 2012) (2012): Pioneering Canadian figure skater, Olympic champion, and national icon.
• Anna Akhmatova — Shared historical date (06-11 · Born) (1889): A seminal Russian poet whose work chronicled the trauma of the Soviet era.
• Ben Jonson — Shared historical date (06-11 · Born) (1572): Master dramatist of the English Renaissance, known for satire and comedy of humours.
• Al-Zamakhshari — Shared historical date (06-12 · Died) (1144): Pioneering scholar of Quranic exegesis, linguistics, and theology.
• Anne Frank — Shared historical date (06-12 · Born) (1929): German-born diarist whose secret writings documented life in hiding during the Holocaust.
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• 2012 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2012
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