Henry Hill
Henry John Hill Jr (June 11, 1943 - June 12, 2012)[1] was an American mafioso.[2] He was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City.[2] His mother was Sicilian and his father was Irish.[3] Hill was a member of the Mafia from 1955 until he went into the Witness Protection Program in 1980. He later left the Program.[1][3] He was a violent robber, extortionist and drug dealer. He was a compulsive gambler and drug addict[1][3] who served prison sentences. He married Karen (née Friedman) in 1965. The couple had a son and daughter and divorced in 2002.[1] Hill died in hospital in Los Angeles, California from a heart attack, aged 69.[1] Hill's children survive him.[1]
Henry Hill | |
---|---|
Born | Henry John Hill June 11, 1943 Brooklyn, New York City, United States |
Died | June 12, 2012 (aged 69) Los Angeles, California, United States |
Cause of death | Natural causes |
Occupation | Businessman |
Hill's life was the basis of Nicholas Pileggi's book Wiseguy. This was later used as the basis for movie Goodfellas, in which Ray Liotta played Hill.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Telegraph obituary
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Biography.com
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Henry Hill dead at 69". Archived from the original on 2012-06-16. Retrieved 2012-06-13.