"One of the largest heists in American history occurred in December of 1978 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York when an informant, Louis Werner, tipped off Martin Krugman, a bookmaker and member of the Lucchese crime organization to whom Werner owed a large sum, that millions of dollars in cash and jewels were due to arrive on a Lufthansa flight and would be stored over a weekend in a particular vault on the grounds of JFK. Jimmy Burke’s mob, a sub-organization of Lucchese’s, took an estimated $6,000,000 in cash and jewels. Wiseguy traces the history of Henry Hill beginning in his youthful days as an errand runner at mobster Paul Viori’s cabstand in Brooklyn through his tumultuous days as a chief operative in Jimmy Burke’s organization. Wiseguy is a story told in the language of the insiders, primarily Hill, his wife Karen, and Hill’s girlfriend. It is quick-paced and detailed, giving readers a microscopic view into the criminal world of contrasts: of loyalty and betrayal, of steel-eyed determination and impassioned rage."Favorite quotes:"The fact that a guy like Paul Vario, a capo in the Lucchese crime family, would even consider going out on a social occasion with his wife and run the risk of getting caught using a stolen card might surprise some people. But if you knew wiseguys you would know right away that the best part of the night for Paulie came from the fact that he was getting over on somebody. It wasn’t the music or the floor show or the food—and he loved food—or even that he was going out with Phyllis, who he adored. The real thrill of the night for Paulie, his biggest pleasure, was that he was robbing someone and getting away with it.""For a second I thought it was over. Then he screamed, ‘Make one move, motherfucker, and I’ll blow you away!’ That’s when I began to relax. That’s when I knew they were cops. Only cops talk that way. If it had been wiseguys, I wouldn’t have heard a thing. I would have been dead.”""Wiseguys lived alone. They were isolated from everyone else in the prison." "I took sixty credits each semester, and I was hungry to learn. When I went inside I was only half literate. I had stopped going to school as a kid. In prison I learned how to read. After lock-in at nine o’clock, while everybody else bullshitted all night long, I used to read. I read two or three books a week. I stayed busy. If I wasn’t in school, taking bets, or smuggling food, I was building and maintaining tennis courts in the recreational area.""It didn’t matter. When I was broke I just went out and robbed some more." "Most important, the score was in cash—clean, easy-to-spend, unmarked money. For professional crooks that kind of cash is better than diamonds, gold, or even negotiable securities; it doesn’t have to be cut, melted down, recast, or resold. There are no treacherous middlemen, insurance adjusters, or wiseguy fences involved. A guy can spend it walking out the door."Rating: 4/5
Response 1If I had the option, I would be friends with Henry Hill in a heartbeat. He is a young, kind, and easygoing person. Although he is surrounded by violence, he never seemed to give into the peer pressure of his friends. When people around him were thinking of how to whack their friend, Henry was thinking of how to talk them out of it. He seemed to be a genuinely good guy. Henry was always generous, giving out money like candy, and treated those who gave him respect, with respect. Among Italians respect is everything, and that is a concept we would both agree with. Also, Henry is half Irish and half Sicilian, exactly like me. My family was deeply seeded in the mob at this time, so I think me and Henry would have gotten along quiet well. Henry was a loyal person, and never a rat to those who he was affiliated with. Even when he got pinched, he kept his mouth shut instead of cutting a deal. I could trust Henry Hill, and trust is important to me.Response 2As I read farther into the novel, I began to doubt weather I would be friends with Henry. Once Tommy DiSimone, one of Hill’s close friends, he became a different person. Henry became more paranoid and his morals started to change. He began dealing hard drugs to make money, and his operation became so big he brought his friends into it. He was also a heavy drug user during this time, making him a less enjoyable person to be around.In the end I would not be friends with Henry Hill, because he is a rat. When he was convicted of narcotics conspiracy in 1980, he went into the WitSec, and left all his friends up to dry. He ratted on the people who had raised him, the people who had provided him with the luxurious life he lives. He essentially spit in the face of his “father” Paulie Vario and sentenced him and most of his “brothers” to life sentences in prison.
Do You like book Wiseguy (1990)?
This book was amazing. Until recently I never knew there was a book version of "Goodfellas". I always loved the movie, so when I found out there was a book I had to read it.The book is way better than the movie. So much more detail and you really find out what happens. Nicholas Pileggi did a marvelous job in writing the book. I loved the style he chose to write it in: with descriptions and then first person accounts by Henry, his wife Karen and one time girlfriend, Linda.A truly wonderful book and I would recommend anyone to read it, because it is a true story.
—Cara
Great read. I, like many, read this after seeing GoodFellas dozens upon dozens of times. I'll start by saying I like the film better, but that's not to downplay how good this book is. Reading it makes me appreciate the film even more. Part of what I love about the film is that it has that "no way this could be made up" vibe to it. Little touches throughout made it all so believable. This is because the film soaked up countless minute details from the book (which is actually pretty lean at only 220 or so pages) and managed to implement them seamlessly. The book, with its multiple narrators, often found itself retreading over the same material from each person's perspective. It was tiresome at times, but ultimately, putting these perspectives together in one's mind is one of the things that make the book so rewarding. The story is so thoroughly told (including material that was ultimately cut out of the film, but also a treat to read), it was begging to be made into one of the greatest films about organized crime ever put on screen. It's one of the better "true crime" books I've read. 4.5 stars.
—Tim
A deeper look into the story of Henry Hill and his life and involvement with the New York City Mafia from the 1950s-90s. The beginning of the book is nearly exactly like its film version (Goodfellas, a classic in my opinion), but if you keep going the story takes new turns not shown in the film, with additional schemes and characters. I enjoyed the different perspectives, with narratives from the writer, Karen (Henry's wife), FBI detectives, and mostly Henry himself. If you have an interest in learning about organized crime, this book is a must. Hard to put down!
—Kristin Shafel Omiccioli
