Nicholas
Pileggi's biography of New York mobster Henry Hill was first
published in 1985 to critical acclaim. The intro of the 2009
paperback edition by Bloomsbury- penned by Total Film Deputy Editor
Jamie Graham- describes how a number of people “waved it under the
nose” of Mean Streets director Martin Scorsese, who was sick of the
sight of gangster films by that point. Eventually he succumbed to
pressure and was awed in much the same way as I was.
It's a
gripping tale of a poor teen kid thrilled by the mob, who lives the
dream once he has his foot in the Mafia’s door- until, of course,
he gets busted. Through Pileggi, Hill, his wife Karen and various law officials, we follow the ups, downs, romances and dodgy dealings
right up to his submersion in the US government's Witness Protection
Scheme. As in many adaptations, there's a lot in the book that they
just couldn't fit in the film or wouldn't have passed over well so
those familiar with the film will still be in for some surprises.
Addictive, opulent and brutally honest.
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