The True Karen Hill Story Goodfellas Leaves Out (But Subtly References)

Goodfellas tells the story of Henry Hill and parts of the story of his wife, Karen Friedman Hill, but there’s one important aspect of Karen’s story that the movie left out. Goodfellas follows Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), an associate of the Lucchese family who worked for Paul Cicero as well as alongside some notable gangsters at the time, such as Jimmy “The Gent” Conway and Tommy DeVito. Goodfellas also covered Henry’s marriage to Karen (Lorraine Bracco), and the various highs and lows of their relationship.

Although Karen was initially troubled by Henry’s criminal activities, she was eventually drawn into the glamorous lifestyle that came with being a mobster’s wife and even got involved in some of Henry’s shady drug businesses towards the end of Goodfellas. However, there’s one important part of Karen Hill’s real story that wasn’t included in Goodfellas: her affair with Paul Vario (Cicero in the movie). While it is surprising the film would avoid addressing such a dramatic aspect of the story, Goodfellas does subtly hint at the truth.

Why Goodfellas Left Out Parts Of Karen Hill’s True Story

Henry Hill Revealed The Truth And Its Connection To Tommy’s Death

According to Henry Hill himself in his memoir Gangsters and Goodfellas, while he was in jail after being sentenced for extortion in 1974, Tommy DeSimone (DeVito in Goodfellas) beat up and attempted to rape Karen, but at the time, Karen was having an affair with Paul Vario. After learning about what Tommy tried to do to Karen, Paul reportedly had Tommy killed by telling the Gambino crime family that Tommy was the one who killed Billy Batts.

While Karen and Paulie’s affair wasn’t included nor mentioned in Goodfellas, it was subtly referenced in the scene where Paulie and Jimmy confront Henry about him cheating on Karen after she told them about it. Paulie told Henry he was going to talk to her, saying he knows “how to talk to her, especially her”, which is seen as a subtle reference to the real-life affair between them.

The reason why this part of Karen Hill’s story was left out of Goodfellas could be simply because this is the story of Henry, not her, and if she was given the spotlight at certain points, it was more for context about the crew’s lifestyle and how they are gradually seduced by it, and also as a complement to Henry’s story.

Karen’s affair with Paulie wouldn’t have really helped or added to the plot of Goodfellas, and it would have taken away the mystery and speculation around Tommy’s death, which continues to be an unsolved case in real-life. Karen Hill filed for divorce in 1990 and it was finalized in 2002, and she has since lived her life as far from the spotlight as possible, while Henry Hill passed away in 2012.

What Else Does Goodfellas Leave Out About The True Story?

Another Key Gangster Was Omitted From The Movie

While Goodfellas is a gripping account of the real-life activities of these mob figures, as with any movie based on a true story, it makes some changes to the facts and leaves out some key elements. In many cases, these changes are in order to make for a more streamlined and effective story. However, like Karen’s affair with Paulie, some details were left out of the film that seem like they would have been exciting to include.

The movie brings to life several real-life crime figures that were involved in the story, but Goodfellas leaves out John Gotti’s part in the history. Gotti followed a similar trajectory as Henry Hill in the movie, starting out doing errands for some of the bosses before moving up. He was in the same circles as Hill and the others but shares a close connection to the story as he was also suggested by some to be responsible for Tommy DeSimone’s death.

There is another interesting detail left out about what happens after the movie is over. Goodfellas ends with Hill reluctantly accepting his new life in witness protection. However, in reality, that did not last as he was eventually kicked out of the program for telling too many people who he was and his connection to the mob. This could have been an interesting way to end the story as it cements that Hill could not let go of the gangster life, even when it put him in jeopardy.