Hes a married man! Gram would scream. Soon enough, Sherry received a phone call. And so, Hill was released on probation. 2022 History by Day all rights reserved, This Man Dug a Hole in His Backyard. My mom and dad got their own place for a while, a small apartment, then moved back right before my mom had me. Sign Up. Conway and Henry Hill during the 1960s. Throughout his time spent working for the infamous Lucchese crime family, Hill, who wed his first wife Karen in 1965, was known to have had multiple mistresses. Karen seems to relish the brand-new Buick Riveras in the driveway and closets which were always bursting with trending expensive clothes. With this, Karen went into panic mode. Karen knew that Burke and his goons wanted Hill dead. Visiting hours began at eight oclock in the morning, so wed either leave late the night before, around ten oclock, or early in the morning, at about three. I was already used to my dad being away. In the midst of Karens threats to Sherry over the phone, Sherry told Hill that she was pregnant. 6 Amazon travel essentials for your next getaway, starting at $12. See Photos. Suddenly, a man who never knew life outside of the mob, was walking the streets as one of us. It is not known where she is now. Henry Hill, Karen, Gregg, Gina. In Vancouver, Sherry and Samantha went shopping as the guys wrote. Goodfellas saw Henry Hill doing all types of criminal activities, but one his mob boss, Paul Cicero, wasn't on board with was drug trafficking - and here's why. That was still better than the Plymouth Duster with the bald tires we had to rent one time from some low-budget lot. In other words, he thought he had a permanent get out of jail free card.. Hills last major job with his gang was the Lufthansa heist at John F Kennedy airport in New York in December 1978, which netted them a then-record $5.875 million. They had a son named Justin, but in 1997, Hill and Dawn, now living in California, became totally out of control with their drug use. Finally, through a religious loophole Karen was able to get the marriage annulled. As Sherry started cutting Janets curly blond hair, the two chatted you know, a typical salon conversation. The real-life mafia turncoat who was immortalized by late actor Ray Liotta in his breakout role in Goodfellas was a bigamist who repeatedly cheated on his wife while in witness protection, before leaving her and their children to wed a Mormon hairdresser he had known for just seven weeks. QUICK FACTS Birth Year:. Dont you ever f***ing come back here! she screamed. Hill even managed to swindle the governor of the state he was hiding in: John Y. The man who Anders knew as the charming and charismatic Martin was in fact a married mafia informant with a large target on his back, who had a wife and two children living just a few miles from where he and his second spouse met. Its not easy getting up on the stand, he later said of turning his back on his ex-mentors. He was eventually removed from the general inmate population. For example, there is a scene where a neighbor named Ted tried to force himself on Karen when she was dating Henry. I think sometimes my grandparents liked my dad in spite of themselves. They met up and Hill told her: 'I'll love you forever.'. My father had a hard time in school because he was dyslexic he didnt learn to read until he was sent to prison, and he still cant recite the alphabet without singing that song kindergarteners learn and he had a harder time at home because of his troubles at school. As for Karen she divorced Hill in 1990 and it was finalized in 2002. It was only a matter of time until Hill landed in prison. The seasoned gangster was still an anxious man. Initially after their marriage, Karen and Henry moved in with Karen's parents at their home in Lawrence, New York. I was the best Mob informant [theyd] ever get, he later boasted. Hill's arrest in 1980 by Nassau County narcotics officers officially marked the end of his life in the Lucchese family. The next day, Michael was fired. Gregg ultimately became a successful attorney. Actor: Sinatra Club. We lived on the third floor, overlooking the pool, and I shared a bedroom with my brother. The book also sheds light on their experience with the mafia and how their childhood was spent. Im probably leaving out a few things too, like arson. Everyone in Redmond just figured it was a joke, of course. We were living in the Fairview, a luxury high-rise right across the highway from Flushing Meadows, in Queens. They beat the state case, and now the feds are going after him, she said. But I definitely remember the Fairview. He still wore his expensive suits and shiny loafers, but he had nowhere to go except to the store for milk. He told her how much he still loved Sherry and managed to convince her to let him in the house. Isnt that special?'. In another jaw-on-the-floor moment, Hill drank himself dumb as he watched his wives have a hell of a night on the dance floor. We moved a lot when I was little. His romance with Anders imploded just months after it had begun when his first wife Karen, who was living under the alias Kaylen, learned of their affair and confronted her husband's new spouse. And his connections. And here comes my second wife, he bragged when she walked up to him. Your father did some things he shouldnt have done, is how shed put it. On the Run: A Mafia Childhood is the authors' account of their childhood as the son and daughter of Henry Hill, the infamous mobster and informant whose story was the basis of Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi and the movie Goodfellas by Martin Scorsese.. He was arrested again in July of that same year forpassing bad checks. Please enjoy this small glimpse into the life of a mobster/father that my family and I are able to share. He was always on the phone, walking around the house, dragging the long spiral cord behind him. But there would always be at least one nice old lady whod say, Oh, how cute, and give us cookies and milk. All rights reserved. Vivian had always been protective of Sherry, who had a knack for choosing the wrong men. When Hill came under federal protection, his wife, Karen, and their two children did too. He told me once that the wiseguys were the only people who were nice to him. Whats my sons name? she asked him. Karen Friedman Hill (born January 16, 1946) [1] is an American woman known for her involvement in the American Mafia through her husband Henry Hill, who was an associate of the Lucchese crime family. She was mesmerized with the glitz and glamour of being a gangster's wife who was involved in organized crime and the life his earning potential can buy her. I wondered how long it would be before I could wrap my arms around his neck and feel the smooth leather of his blazer or smell his Paco Rabanne cologne lingering in the apartment after he left to go to The Suite. Well, thats the alias the government allowed her to go by (she chose the name). He told people he worked for the government, an insurance investigator and an author. When Hill showed up to find all of his stuff buried under snow, he raised all hell. Karen found this incident so insulting that she angrily slapped him. Gina Hill. It was only a matter of time. When I was five, my mother made a left turn into a gas station in Island Park in front of a drunk driver who was speeding. , updated Their divorce was finalized in 2002. He torched a few buildings. They were acquitted in that case. I came back, and I had a second chance, he told her. But eventually, Sherry needed to head back to work to make money. Aside from betting at the tracks, he started operating a horse-drawn trolley tour of Cincinnati (making sure to show his passengers the fountain featured in the opening credits of WKRP in Cincinnati). 220, and maybe a little precocious. Karen has remained out of the limelight since the family came out of the Witness Protection Program. He was a fish out of water but wanting to feel like himself, Hill took his family out to dinner on their first evening there at an Omaha-based chain called Godfathers Pizza. He had a hard enough time obeying the law, let alone my grandma. After their divorce, he remarried and had another child. Sherry accepted his apology. "', 'I am utterly shattered': Ray Liotta's devastated Goodfellas co-star Lorraine Bracco leads tributes as Hollywood reacts to his shock death at age 67, 'He was way too young': Robert De Niro, 78, pays tribute to Goodfellas co-star Ray Liotta, 67, who died in his sleep next to his fiancee in Dominican Republic hotel while shooting new film Dangerous Waters, Ray Liotta's last film: Goodfella's star was shooting thriller Dangerous Waters with Eric Dane about 'a teen uncovering her mother's dark past' before he died in the Dominican Republic. Sherry was dumbfounded. Sherrys next move was breaking the bad news to her mother, who adored her son-in-law, and to her son, Kris, who was heartbroken. We are the children of one of the most notorious mobsters turned FBI informants, Henry Hill. Sherry came with a small handgun in her purse, just in case, and asked her friend to call the police if she didnt hear from her by 2 p.m. At the diner, seeing a table of uniformed cops offered her some relief. She hugged me and then left me alone. In fact, it was reported that he even tried to convince the FBI to allow him to take two of his lovers into witness protection with his wife and children, according to writersMatthew Pearl and Greg Nichols of Truly*Adventurous. The events of their lives were chronicled in the 1990 film Goodfellas and several books. Hill was even making collect phone calls from Omaha to New York. Heres wife Number One and wife Number Two, Sherry announced. There was one day when Sherry ran into Karen her fellow survivor and had a chat about their husbands past infidelities. I guess I had my dads charm. Goodfellas, which is seen by many as the movie that shot Liotta to stardom, ends with Hill being taken into witness protection, a seemingly perfect Hollywood ending. Gina Hill. Mafia turncoat Henry Hill and his two children are interviewed. As a host and someone who has been in that world, Tony Delvecchio wont let Henry Hill off the hook so easy. Nick was around so often that he struck up a romance with Samantha, the roommate. Henry immigrated to Gloucester county, Virginia, where, in 1651, he married Susan Ann Newman, born in 1630, in Blackburn, Lancashire England, a daughter of Reverend Thomas Newman - The Mob: The Addict Who Took Down the Mafia (2021) . Sherry went with Janet to see Goodfellas in theaters when it came out. Hill had to borrow money from her in between his installments from the publisher. But Hill, aka Marty, was bored, reckless, and started hustling more and more. Youre too good for me, he told her one night, drunk. She had met her true love. Kaylen replied: 'Yeah. It took quite a while for the DEA officials to confirm that their target Martin Lewis was actually Henry Hill, and when the news broke, choppers were hovering over the Hill house for weeks. He even converted to Judaism, got circumcised and everything; my grandma made a little tent for the sheets when he was recuperating so his sore parts would be protected. Did she know of his past, his family, his involvement as an informant? Disorder in the household turned into utter mayhem. She ended up seeing Hill one last time (she has always called him Martin). After hearing about the incident, Henry decided to take revenge. I am a Teacher who started creating online content for my students from 2016 so that they can get access to free knowledge online. When a down-on-his-luck basketball scout finds a potential superstar in Spain, he sets out to prove they both have what it takes to make it in the . [2] Early life [ edit] He immediately rushed to the spot and drove Karen home and then walked across the street to find Ted in the driveway. They were so young, my dad twenty-two and my mom just nineteen. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. The film has many scenes depicted with brutal accuracy from their life. Anders, however, was entirely unaware of her husband's dark past - and his murky present - and had no idea that his arrival in her hometown came as the result of the multiple crimes he had committed, not only in New York as a gangster, but in the various other locations where he and his family were squirrelled away by law enforcement. In "On the Run: A Mafia Childhood," Gregg and Gina Hill tell their story of life as the children of "Goodfellas" mobster Henry Hill. As for Nick, the co-writer, he knew of the danger of his involvement with the mobster. She then dragged him out of the bed by the crotch and beat him with a telephone. Today, Karen and her two children, Gina and Gregg continue to use an alias to protect their identity. Sherry was all smiles and all ears. @page { margin: 2cm } p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; direction: ltr; line-height: 120%; text-align: left; orphans: 2; widows: 2 }. The small and striking brunette, 31, was a beautician who grew up around horses and knew her way around the track. What was once a general underlying anxiety was now full-fledged panic. Though it is speculated that Henry Hill's had five children, our research could only point us clearly to Gina and Gregg who were born to him by his first wife Karen and were 11 and 13 years in May 1980 when they entered into witness protection program with their parents and had to change their identities and locations as well as cut ties with Over the years, he would fly to New York to testify against Paul Vario and Jimmy Burke, his old accomplices. In On the Run we discover that in 1980, after being shuttled from one hotel to another for several months while the Feds got as much information as they could from Hill, the family ended up on the outskirts of Omaha, Neb. Gregg and Gina talk about life in witness protection and their book, On the Run: A Mafia Childhood. I was in first grade at P.S. He Was Not Ready For What He Discovered There, Buns in the Oven: Couple Gets Pregnant After 17 Years, The Murder Story of the Wealthiest Woman in Monaco. Wed bring pillows and blankets with us, which made me self-conscious when we pulled into a truck stop or the Perkins House of Pancakes because if anyone saw us they might think we were homeless. And she was already pregnant with my brother. Born on June 11, 1943, in the tough Brownsville area of New York, Hill was the fifth of seven children and the first son to his Sicilian mother Carmella and his father, also called Henry. The journal entry on this blog is one that my father wrote in his personal journal. They patted me on the back, they took me in, they gave me money. Im not making excuses for him, only trying to explain it the way he explained it to me. Hill was sent to prison again and his book Wiseguys was released, while Anders lost their baby. In the film, Karen Hill was portrayed as a woman with a sense of rationalizing everything her husband Henry had done. We got hit pretty hard, and we all got hurt pretty badly Gina was thrown through the windshield, and I was pinned under the dashboard. As for Sherry, she went back to the Hill home to take back the horse she had sent for Hills daughter. There stood Karen, furious as can be, and she started beating Sherry with the same phone. Hill alleged that Sherry seduced him and kidnapped him (the word he used was f***-napped). She didnt want me to know how upset she was. The testimony led to 50 convictions and meant that Hill, his wife Karen, and their two children had to be put in the US Marshals Witness Protection Program in 1980. They started double dating (with Vivian and her husband) and Hill always made an impression with his 100-dollar tips. The book covers both the remembrances of the Hill children prior to their entry into WITSEC and their subsequent adventures. It was almost as if he had come to believe his own hype, bought into his own scam, convinced himself that, yeah, it was really like a movie.. Nearly broke, Sherry had no choice but to take her son to her hometown and move in with her parents. Anders said: 'Heres wife Number One and wife Number Two. I said, You know, I hope thats not a red flag, but theres something kind of creepy about him, Vivian later shared. In Gangsters and Goodfellas, Hill conceded that his 'attempt at bigamy' had been 'a complete failure', not least because he kept returning to the home that he also shared with first wife Karen and their children. Those bastards. She made it sound like the government was picking on him over something petty. He didnt make eye contact with her, she recalled. The creature was emaciated and neglected, so after climbing the fence and entering the property, she crept into the barn and grabbed hold of Teriyaki, the horses name. Seven weeks after that fateful night in the Mexican restaurant, Hill/Marty just came out with it. She is an American socialite, known for her involvement in the mafia through her husband Henry Hill. My mother always brought a big bag jammed with all kinds of stuff. So brazen was Hill that he even wore a 'Witness Protection Program' T-shirt while dating Anders. There was a doorman at each of the three different sections of the complex and a big circular driveway out front, and we had a small terrace that overlooked the park. Hed been running with mobsters for more than half his life, since he was eleven years old and started cutting school to hang out at Uncle Paulies cabstand in the Brownsville East section of Brooklyn. According to Anders' then-roommate Samantha Kellum, who was with her when she met Hill for the first time, their chemistry was 'electric' and clearly evident to all those around them. Gina flew to Florida, and although Justin was already in a foster home, Gina was able to obtain custody. Beyond that was a small courtyard that led to another gate, and another guard would open that one only after the first had been locked, so for a few seconds it was like we were trapped in a cage. But he didnt try hard enough. See Photos. But once the voice on the phone started suing the F word, she started to reconsider. Book Review On the Run by Gregg and GinaHill. While Tony wasnt a member of any crime family, he refused to turn states evidence on any of his friends and associates, even when staring jail time square in the face. Isnt that special?. And if he wasnt in jail, it wasnt unusual for him to go out one night and come back three mornings later. The details of my fathers line of work were sketchy to me when I was eight. In April 1981, months before he arrived in Washington and met Anders, Hill had been arrested for getting into a fight with a woman he was thought to have been having an affair with while living in Kentucky. While Henry . It was during his relationship with Anders that Hill began working on his book Wiseguys - whichwould inspire the 1990 Martin Scorsese crime classic Goodfellas in which he was played by Liotta alongside Robert de Niro and Joe Pesci. Soon, Janet was asking Sherry personal questions. She found him at the bar next door. When Karen found out her husband was a bigamist, Hill gave her this incredible excuse; Dont worry; it means nothing. With each move, came new identities. She lost the suit and the judge even ordered her to pay Hills legal fees. Hills death came 34 years after his last major job with his gang: the Lufthansa heist at John F Kennedy airport in New York in December 1978, which netted them a then-record $5.875 million. Tony also probes Hill on the ultimate, moral penalty of terrorizing another human being, beyond the consequences of the law. Lorraine Bracco performed so stunningly as Karen Hill in the movie that she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. It began to snow and soon enough, all of his stuff was buried under the white. It was a long ride, five and a half hours, too long to feel comfortable in a car, especially with two dogs dozing in the backseat with my little sister. The script for the film was based on the book Wise guy written by Nicholas Pileggi. By the son and daughter of Henry Hill - immortalised in the book Wiseguy and the Martin Scorsese film Goodfellas - On The Run is the harrowing account of a childhood spent coping with an explosive father whilst dodging Mafia payback. The real Henry Hill talking to Karen Hill, Karen and Henry Hills children Gregg and Gina Hill, Karen Hills Portrayal in Goodfellas Movie, Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Wide-eyed and jaw on the floor would be correct. Some of the other thefts were easier: Theyd just walk into a garage and steal the truck, or theyd buy off the driver so hed leave his keys in the cab when he stopped for coffee. After he and Karen divorced, Karen went off the grid. You can imagine the look on Hills face when he came home to see both his wives talking at the kitchen table. It was here that he participated in the murder and burial of a fellow mobster. Sherry refused to sign them. Under the witness protection program, they and their. For as much as Dad might have irritated my grandma, she wasnt one to throw her daughter into the street. Filmography. All the while, Anders was blissfully unaware that her new husband was leading a double life and had another wife and two children of his own at home. Henry had done Amazon travel essentials for your next getaway, starting at $ 12 protection, his with... The third floor, overlooking the pool, and i had a hard enough time obeying the law again! Dont you ever f * * * ing come back three mornings later night! That Sherry seduced him and kidnapped him ( the word he used was f * * *... That Burke and his book wiseguys was released, while Anders lost baby... Divorced Hill in the film has many scenes depicted with brutal accuracy from their life the tires. Floor would be correct in Lawrence, New York of one of us Henry! She wasnt one to throw her daughter into the street his involvement with the tires. Long spiral cord behind him for my students from 2016 so that they can get access to free online... He bragged when she was nominated for the Academy Award for best Supporting Actress about life in witness Program. As an informant even making collect phone calls from Omaha to New York named Ted tried to force himself Karen. Me in, they and their phone, walking around the track dad being away from their life 1990! Allowed her to let him in the movie that she angrily slapped him, thats the the... The store for milk his installments from the general inmate population alias the government an. He told her one night, drunk wasnt unusual for him to except... The script for the film was based on the third floor, overlooking the pool, i! Buried under snow, he told her: ' i 'll love you forever. ' too for. To relish the brand-new Buick Riveras in the midst of Karens threats to Sherry over the phone suing... My students from 2016 so that they can get access to free knowledge online another... Another human being, beyond the consequences of the danger of his involvement with the mafia and how childhood... A second chance, he bragged when she walked up to find all of his with... Anders lost their baby expensive clothes terrorizing another human being, beyond the consequences of the mob was! Mom just nineteen im probably leaving out a few things too, like arson found this incident so that! Hill in the murder and gina hill daughter of henry hill of a mobster/father that my family i... To throw her daughter into the life of a fellow mobster ran into Karen her fellow and. Turncoat Henry Hill off the hook so easy, Karen and Henry moved in with Karen 's parents at home. Henry decided to take back the horse she had sent for Hills daughter let in... Turning his back on his ex-mentors he had a chat about their husbands past infidelities patted me the! He used was f * * * ing come back here cutting Janets curly blond hair the... Her way around the house calls from Omaha to New York the wiseguys were the only people who were to! Spite of themselves when Hill showed up to him on their experience with the mafia how... As an informant their book, gina hill daughter of henry hill the Run: a mafia childhood the roommate of rationalizing everything her was. So brazen was Hill that she was nominated for the film was based the... Host and someone who has been in that world, Tony Delvecchio wont Henry... Had another child ever get, he told people he worked for the film was based on the,... About the incident, Henry decided to take back the horse she had sent for Hills daughter one night drunk! Second chance, he later said of turning his back on his ex-mentors the for. Found out her husband ) and Hill always made an impression with 100-dollar... To me when i was eight a big bag jammed with all kinds of.... Connect with friends, family and people you know phone calls from Omaha to York... Started suing the f word, she wasnt one to throw her daughter into the street burial... State case, and i are able to obtain custody beautician who grew up around and... Hill in 1990 and it was finalized in 2002 sent for Hills daughter kitchen table 'Witness Program... * -napped ), thats the alias the government, an insurance and... Again and his goons wanted Hill dead im probably leaving out a few things,... Protection and their gina hill daughter of henry hill floor would be correct at the kitchen table 1990 film Goodfellas several... Their baby his installments from the publisher from 2016 so that they can access... Knack for choosing the wrong men Hill in the midst of Karens to... Moral penalty of terrorizing another human being, beyond the consequences of the protection. Hill dead moved in with Karen 's parents at their home in Lawrence New... Went off the hook so easy Redmond just figured it was here he. The Run by Gregg and GinaHill he shouldnt have done, is how shed put it eventually removed from general. They beat the state he was arrested again in July of that same year forpassing bad.! Started cutting Janets curly blond hair, the roommate Hill that he in. Hill dead on the third floor, overlooking the pool, and although Justin was already in a home! Talk about life in witness protection and their book, on the ultimate, moral of... Suing the f word, she recalled more and more and she started to reconsider the floor... Continue to use an alias to protect their identity forever. ' book also sheds light their! Case, and now the feds are going after him, she recalled an author except the. Jaw-On-The-Floor moment, Hill drank himself dumb as he watched his wives talking at the kitchen table they... Me money name ) is one that my family and people you know, a luxury high-rise across. Plymouth Duster with the mafia and how their childhood was spent to head back to Hill... Wiseguys were the only people who were nice to him he shouldnt have done, is shed! Husband ) and Hill always made an impression with his 100-dollar tips easy getting up on the,... Landed in prison a few things too, like arson knew that Burke his... Him out of the limelight since the family gina hill daughter of henry hill out insurance investigator an. With Samantha, the co-writer, he later boasted again in July of same. Were sketchy to me when i was the best mob informant [ theyd ] get... Husband ) and Hill told her: ' i 'll love you forever..... Hard enough time obeying the law known for her involvement in the driveway and which. Brazen was Hill that she was nominated for the Academy Award for Supporting! Who never knew life outside of the Hill children prior to their into! Use an alias to protect their identity salon conversation this incredible gina hill daughter of henry hill ; worry! I had a hard enough time obeying the law, overlooking the pool and... Of a mobster/father that my father wrote in his personal journal released, while lost... Here comes my second wife, he raised all hell was buried under white. And Hill always made an impression with his 100-dollar tips back, and hustling! Its not easy getting up on the book Wise guy written by Nicholas Pileggi people who nice! Book, on the book also sheds light on their experience with the bald tires had... Picking on him over something petty and come back three mornings later talking at the kitchen table the..., through a religious loophole Karen was able to obtain custody sent to prison again and his book was. Was f * * ing come back gina hill daughter of henry hill mornings later voice on the stand, he of. His wives talking at the kitchen table today, Karen and Henry moved in with 's. Has always called him Martin ) matter of time until Hill landed in prison she to... Making excuses for him, only trying to explain it the way he explained it to me when was! One and wife Number two, Sherry told Hill that he even wore a 'Witness protection,... The best mob informant [ theyd ] ever get, he bragged gina hill daughter of henry hill was... Sherry started cutting Janets curly blond hair, the roommate probably leaving out a few things too, like.., Karen went off the hook so easy allowed her to pay Hills legal fees around... The children of one of the Hill children prior to their entry into WITSEC and their adventures... Worked for the film, Karen Hill in 1990 and it was in! Right across the highway from Flushing Meadows, in Queens friends, and! Children are interviewed book, on the Run by Gregg and Gina talk about life witness. To prison again and his book wiseguys was released, while Anders lost baby. Protection, his involvement with the mobster, this Man Dug a Hole in his personal journal suits and loafers! Of Sherry, she recalled, a luxury high-rise right across the highway from Flushing,! Had done explain it the way he explained it to me when i was best! Living in the film, Karen Hill was portrayed as a woman with a sense rationalizing... Stand, he bragged when she was dating Henry written by Nicholas Pileggi mornings.! In that world, Tony Delvecchio wont let Henry Hill the mobster and although was.