Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas tells a true story, and it takes some unexpected turns throughout its third act leading up to the end. In 1990, Martin Scorsese brought another gangster film with Goodfellas, based on the 1985 nonfiction book Wiseguy, by Nicolas Pileggi. With a script by Scorsese and Pileggi, Goodfellas chronicles the rise and fall of mob ᴀssociate Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta), from his days as a teenager running errands for Paul Cicero (Paul Sorvino) and his people to becoming a member of their crew.

While working for Paulie, Henry met many big names in the mob, becoming especially close to Jimmy “The Gent” Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci). Together they committed various crimes for years, including the infamous Lufthansa heist in 1978. In his personal life, Henry met and married Karen Friedman (Lorraine Bracco), but as he got more and more involved with the mob, his marriage drastically declined. By the end of Goodfellas, Henry was kicked out of Paulie’s crew and became an FBI informant, ratting on his former friends in exchange for protection for himself and his family.

Why Paulie Ended His ᴀssociation With Henry Hill

Paulie Had Rules That Shouldn’t Be Broken

Although Paulie’s crew committed a variety of crimes, there was one thing where he drew the line: drug dealing. The reason why Paulie didn’t want his crew to deal drugs was because, above all, he cared about the privacy and safety of his crew. Although Goodfellas doesn’t explicitly explain this, it does show why Paulie was so strict about drug trafficking through Henry’s actions and the consequences of them in the third act of the movie. Paulie knew that if any of his men got involved in drug dealing, they would become easy targets to become informers.

As the leader of the “family”, Paulie was well aware of the risks that he and his crew were at all the time. At the beginning of Goodfellas, Henry explained that Paulie didn’t use the phone, and instead, they made calls on public phones and everyone pᴀssed messages to Paulie through his brother, Tuddy. Paulie was surely aware of RICO conspiracy charges and wiretaps, so he did what he could to protect himself, his crew, and their “businesses”. Henry was aware of Paulie’s rule against drug dealing, but he got into it when they were sent to prison.

When a member of the “family” is sent to jail, they no longer have the support of the crew, and Henry needed to support his family. That’s what led Henry to start dealing drugs, but the problem was that he continued doing it when he got out of prison, as he found that it was a very profitable business, and even got Tommy and Jimmy involved in it, too. Henry’s business eventually caught the attention of the authorities and he was arrested, proving Paulie’s fears and rules right. Paulie, understandably betrayed, ended his ᴀssociation with Henry and gave him $3,200.

Why Henry Hill Became An FBI Informant In Goodfellas

Henry Hill Had No Other Choice Left

Henry siding with the FBI and ratting on his friends was a direct consequence of his drug business. Once Paulie kicked him out of his crew, Henry was left without any protection, and even his closest friends, like Jimmy, could go after him at any moment. After the FBI caught him and Paulie kicked him out, Henry feared Jimmy was planning to kill him. In an attempt to buy some time or, at least, figure out what Jimmy had been planning against him, Henry met Jimmy at a diner where he knew he would be safe.

Jimmy asked Henry to travel on a hit ᴀssignment to Florida, but Henry knew well that it was a trap, and if he agreed to it, he wasn’t going to come back. Henry had no other choice than to agree to become an FBI informant and enroll with his family in the witness protection program, as they were no longer safe. However, this included ratting on Paulie and Jimmy, and Henry gave enough testimony and evidence in court to have them convicted. Henry, Karen, and their daughters were moved to a nondescript suburban neighborhood, with Henry’s voiceover talking about his unhappiness in leaving the perks of gangster life and now being an average “schnook”.

Was Jimmy Going To Kill Karen Hill?

Karen Knew Something Bad Was Going To Happen

Another key moment that led to Henry and Karen’s decision to enroll in the witness protection program was Jimmy trying to kill Karen. Following the end of Henry’s ᴀssociation with Paulie, Karen went to Jimmy for help, and he told her he had some Dior dresses he wanted her to check out, and she could take as many as she wanted. However, Jimmy tried to lead her into an abandoned store where two men were working in the shadows, and she immediately realized she was in great danger.

Karen left as fast as she could, and though she didn’t tell Henry what happened on screen, it’s understood she did at some point, which also made Henry understand his family had become Jimmy’s next target. The reason why Jimmy tried to get rid of Henry and Karen was because he was also involved in Henry’s drug business, but Paulie wasn’t aware of it. Jimmy kept his spot in Paulie’s crew, and wasn’t going to let Henry ruin that by revealing he was part of the business too.

Why Tommy DeVito Was Killed (& Who Did It)

Tommy DeVito Was Tricked, But He Had It Coming

One of the most shocking moments in Goodfellas is Tommy DeVito’s death. Out of the three friends and ᴀssociates – that’s Henry, Tommy, and Jimmy – only Tommy was fully Italian, with Henry being half Italian and half Irish and Jimmy being full Irish. Because of that, only Tommy could qualify to become a “made man”, which, if it happened, could greatly benefit Jimmy and Henry by ᴀssociation. However, when Tommy arrived at the ceremony, there was no one there, and he was sH๏τ from behind by Tuddy Cicero, Paulie’s brother.

Tommy’s death was as retribution for the murder of Billy Batts, a “made man” from the Gambino crime family. Per the rules of the mob, “made men” can’t be killed without authorization from the family’s boss, and Tommy impulsively killed Billy Batts out of anger after he teased him about his past as a shoe shiner. Tommy and Jimmy, who helped him kill Batts, knew well that the unsanctioned murder of a “made man” would invite retribution and, along with Henry, got rid of Batts’ body. However, someone must have tipped the Gambino crew about what happened to Batts.

Goodfellas never revealed who ordered Tommy’s murder, but Tuddy being the one who pulled the trigger is a key detail. In real life, it’s believed that Paul Vario (Cicero in Goodfellas) told the Gambino family that Tommy killed Batts, as he had already caused too many problems for him and the crew. In addition to that, Vario had an affair with Karen Hill while Henry was in jail, and she told him Tommy once tried to rape her. Vario had many reasons for wanting Tommy killed, so he told the Gambino crew about Batts’ murder.

What Tommy Shooting At The Camera At The End Of Goodfellas Means

Tommy’s Final Appearance Is A Homage To A Film Classic

Tommy makes one final appearance in Goodfellas after his death in a quick scene right at the end, as the camera shows Henry’s new neighborhood. Tommy appears shooting directly at the camera, just like in the 1903 silent movie The Great Train Robbery. In an interview with the American Film Insтιтute, Scorsese confirmed he was paying homage to The Great Train Robbery, adding that the 1903 movie and Goodfellas have the same plot.

Scorsese explained that, in his movie, there are “a bunch of outlaws who do this incredible robbery” (the Lufthansa heist), kill each other, and they are caught by the police at the end, just like in The Great Train Robbery. The 1903 movie ends with a bank robber shooting at the camera, though without interrupting any other scene in the movie, unlike Tommy’s appearance at the end of Goodfellas.

What Happened To The Real Goodfellas?

The Real Goodfellas Had Similar Fates

Goodfellas ends with cards explaining what happened next to Henry, Paulie, and Jimmy, but there was more in the following years. Henry and Karen Hill separated in 1989, but as he continued to get into trouble while in witness protection (with ᴀssault, conspiracy, burglary, and three DWIS), they were expelled from the program in the early 1990s. Henry and Karen’s divorce was finalized in 2002, and in 2001, Henry was arrested again on narcotics-related charges while living under a new idenтιтy.

Henry was arrested in 2004 when drug paraphernalia and illicit substances were found in his luggage, and again in 2009 for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, attributed to his substance-use disorder. Henry wrote a couple of books, gave various TV interviews, appeared in documentaries, and opened his own restaurant in 2007 (but closed a month later due to a fire). Henry Hill pᴀssed away in 2012 due to complications related to heart disease.

Jimmy Burke (Conway in Goodfellas) was convicted of conspiracy and sentenced to 12 years in prison in 1982 for his involvement in the 1978-79 Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal. While in prison, Henry testified that Jimmy killed a drug dealer in 1979, so he was sentenced to 20 more years in prison in 1985. Jimmy would have been eligible for parole in March 2004 but, while serving at Wende Correctional Facility in New York, he developed cancer and died in April 1996 at Roswell Park Cancer Insтιтute.

Paul Vario was sentenced to four years in federal prison, and while serving his sentence, he was indicted in a racketeering conspiracy involving extortion. Henry’s testimony sentenced Paul to 10 years for extortion, and he died in 1988 from lung failure. None of them were arrested for the Lufthansa heist, despite their involvement in it being well known.

How The Goodfellas Ending Was Received

The Complex Finale Continues To Be Dissected

The Goodfellas ending has been a focal point of discussion and critical analysis since its release in 1990. The final scenes prompted a vast range of reactions, all of which highlight the complexity and cultural impact of Martin Scorsese’s gangster movie. The Goodfellas ending, with its abrupt shift from the high-octane life of organized crime to the humdrum of suburban existence, serves as a poignant commentary on the appeal of the power and luxury that life in the mob can bring.

Upon its 1990 release, Goodfellas garnered widespread acclaim, with particular emphasis on its unflinching portrayal of mob life and the jarring reality check presented in its finale. Renowned critic Roger Ebert lauded the film and, especially, its ending, writing in his 1990 review:

“At the end of the film, Henry (Ray Liotta) still misses the old days. His money is gone, most of his friends are ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, and his best friend was preparing to kill him, but after he finds safety in the federal witness protection program, he still complains.”

Ebert’s observation highlights one of the key thematic strengths of the Goodfellas ending – Henry’s enduring nostalgia for his former life despite its inherent dangers and moral compromises. This aspect of the ending of Goodfellas added an extra layer of thematic complexity, one that continues to be celebrated to this day.

However, while it’s considered by many to be among the best films ever made, the praise for Goodfellas hasn’t been entirely universal. When it comes to the final moments, some critics have interpreted the Goodfellas ending as a deliberate subversion of traditional moral closure. Maurizio Viano, in his 1991 review of Goodfellas (originally for Film Quarterly), noted:

“The film’s ending… gives quite a different feeling… There is no sign of moral growth. The story has not produced an awakening in the character, but only unashamed nostalgia for a child’s fantasy.”

Viano’s analysis mirrors that of several other critics too, who find that the Goodfellas ending betrays viewers. Instead of being a story of redemption, portraying Henry’s longing for his past reflects his stunted moral development, which in turn undermines his character arc.

Of course, Goodfellas has been re-reviewed and analyzed again and again in the decades since it was released. Overall, the Goodfellas ending continues to be celebrated for its masterful storytelling and the audacious choices exemplified in its ending. Modern critics often view the ending of Goodfellas as a bold statement on the banality that follows a life of crime, with Henry’s descent into ordinary witness protection life serving as a stark contrast to his previously glamorous existence.

Both when it was released in 1990 and the present day, the Goodfellas ending has spawned an incredibly diverse range of critical interpretations. These include both praise for its unvarnished realism and criticism of its perceived lack of moral resolution. However, rather than being a negative, this splitting of opinions reflects the film’s complexity and its success in challenging audience expectations, ensuring its place as one of the most important movies ever made.

Source: AFI.