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Kindle Price: | $13.99 Save $5.00 (26%) |
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Wiseguy: The 25th Anniversary Edition Kindle Edition
This is the true-crime bestseller that was the basis for Martin Scorsese’s film masterpiece GoodFellas, which brought to life the violence, the excess, the families, the wives and girlfriends, the drugs, the payoffs, the paybacks, the jail time, and the Feds…with Henry Hill’s crackling narration drawn straight out of Wiseguy and overseeing all the unforgettable action. “Nonstop...absolutely engrossing” (The New York Times Book Review).
Read it and experience the secret life inside the mob—from one who’s lived it.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherSimon & Schuster
- Publication dateSeptember 27, 2011
- File size1793 KB
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B004T4KRCY
- Publisher : Simon & Schuster; Reprint edition (September 27, 2011)
- Publication date : September 27, 2011
- Language : English
- File size : 1793 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 323 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #36,334 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Nicholas Pileggi (born February 22, 1933) is an American producer, author and screenwriter.
Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by David Shankbone [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.
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Top reviews from the United States
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I believe most of the time if a movie is adapted from a book, they're going to have to shorten the movie, therefore leaving out potential plot points and facts that could give us a little more backdrop on the film. I believe the vibe I got from 'Goodfellas' was a much differant vibe then I got from 'Wise Guy'. While I enjoy both, I think if I want a ride through fast mob hits, handsome faces by leading actors, and charming scenes of suited gangsters while cultural music hits relevant to the time period play in the backgroud, I'll stick to the television.
Smooth operations, well planned heists, and crooked thieves reel me in with this page turner from Nicholas Pillegi. The facts are all there, from Luftsana, to point shaving schemes. This book lays out the hard, nitty-gritty bones of mobster life. The book describes it all; how to get money was to hustle; how the men surrounding the book's main character, Henry Hill, were all vengeful, coniving and murdering.
While I don't feel pity for the man once named Henry Hill, (well, he has changed his name multiple times under Federal Witness Protection guidlines, but if I'm correct he has returned to his former moniker, Henry Hill) I do feel pity for the people who had been swept up in the seemingly glamorous lifestyle; mothers, children, friends. I loved this book, I got a great deal of information that was otherwise lacking in 'Goodfellas', and the author seemed to jump from narration to Henry's point of view with great fluidity. I liked the writing style, I liked the size of the book (fits in a purse or bag beautifully),and the story is just as you'd imagine: unflinching, bloody, interesting, and thrilling. I could not put this book down once I opened it. I'm glad I purchased it.
Top reviews from other countries
Embora na superfície exista este romantismo, não é preciso procurar muito para verificar que os criminosos não possuem nenhum código de honra qdo precisam salvar a própria pele.
Uma leitura que prende e vale a pena
For those who have seen the film Goodfellas (like I have) and enjoyed the movie (and I haven't met many people who haven't) then this is essential reading as this book gives more detail and also highlights some of the variations that Scorsese has made in the film in comparison to this. I think it makes both the movie and this book even more interesting though.
For those that haven't seen the movie, this book describes the activities of how the Lucchese crime family in New York operated between the 50's-80's from the point of view of street level gangster who turns informant, Henry Hill. Henry Hill was unique in that he had access to many levels and areas of organised crime despite not being a 'made man'. From a young age he was involved in hijacking, robbery, gambling, loan sharking, arms dealing, drugs, extortion, the list goes on. He was friends with Paul Vario (a boss within the Lucchese crime family) and his family (in terms of both genetic and in an organised crime sense), as well as his 'mentor' and friend, Jimmy Burke (a gangster who specialised in hijacking and theft) and other crime figures. This book also has commentary from his wife, Karen Hill, adding a different dimension to the story.
Everything seems to fit together perfectly in this book. How Henry grows up with the mafia, how he hustles, his different schemes, how he meets the different people who influence his life, Paul Vario, Jimmy Burke, Tommy DeSimone, Karen Hill, his time in prison, drugs, murder, his decision to become an informant. I haven't found another book of this genre that comes close to being as readable and entertaining.
This book is from the point of view of a 'street mechanic', someone who knows how everything works and that is what makes it a cut above other books of this genre that are mostly journalistic crime hypotheses or old mafia bosses trying to justify a life of greed and self indulgence as if their crimes are a work of art.
My only regret is that it has taken me over 30 years to read this book (it was published in 1985!) but I shall be purchasing Pileggi's book Casino on the strength of this book. It has a helluva lot to live up to!!