5 Scariest Goodfellas Characters, Ranked
Henry Hill spends most of Goodfellas surrounded by men he considers his friends, even though some of them wouldn’t hesitate to hurt him. They eat together, celebrate birthdays, and spend hours telling stories about people they’ve known for years. But friendship doesn’t mean much when someone’s pride or money is involved. Henry might be welcomed into their homes one evening, and find himself desperately trying not to upset them the next.
In Goodfellas, an argument over something as stupid as an old shoeshine job can end with a man beaten nearly beyond recognition. Nobody bothers trying to calm things down once Tommy starts attacking Billy Batts. Henry and Jimmy help him finish the job, then spend the rest of the night figuring out what to do with the body.
It’s disturbing enough that three men can turn a drunken argument into murder, but watching them stop at Tommy’s mother’s house for a meal afterward is even worse. They’re sitting around eating pasta while a man they’ve just beaten is bleeding in the trunk of their car.
But the men who lose their tempers aren’t always the ones you should worry about most in Goodfellas. At least when someone starts shouting or reaching for a gun, you know you’re in trouble. It’s harder to spot a threat when someone is still treating you like a friend. He might invite you over for dinner, ask about your family, and laugh at your stories, all while knowing he’s already arranged to have you killed.
5
Henry Hill
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Henry Hill is easy to underestimate in Goodfellas, especially when he’s standing next to someone like Tommy DeVito. He spends so much time reacting to his friends’ violent outbursts that it’s easy to forget he’s just as comfortable breaking the law. And because Henry is the one telling the story, you sometimes find yourself seeing him as the reasonable guy in a group of dangerous criminals, even though he’s done plenty to deserve that reputation himself.
Henry’s capacity for violence becomes much harder to overlook when Karen calls him crying after her neighbor Bruce sexually assaults her. Henry brings her home, tells her to wait inside, and heads across the street with a gun tucked into his waistband. He confronts Bruce and repeatedly strikes him with the weapon.
When Bruce’s friends try to intervene, Henry threatens them, too. He then warns Bruce to stay away from Karen before returning to hand her the gun and asking her to hide it. Karen is understandably shaken by what’s happened to her, but she later admits that seeing Henry defend her so aggressively also stirred feelings she hadn’t expected.
Henry also helps Tommy and Jimmy dispose of Billy Batts after their brutal attack, despite knowing Batts is a made man. He’s not nearly as unpredictable as Tommy, but watching how easily Henry participates in violence makes his friendly personality a lot less reassuring.
4
Billy Batts
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Billy Batts doesn’t have to be the most violent gangster in Goodfellas to make people afraid of crossing him. He’s a made man, meaning he’s officially been accepted into the mafia, and that comes with protection from other powerful criminals. Henry Hill and Jimmy Conway don’t have that same status, so getting on Billy’s bad side could cause problems far beyond a fight with him. Fresh out of prison, Billy seems convinced that nobody would be foolish enough to challenge him, especially someone without his standing in the mafia.
At his welcome-home party, Billy starts teasing Tommy DeVito about the days when he used to shine shoes. He grabs Tommy’s face and keeps making jokes even after it’s obvious Tommy isn’t laughing. Even when Tommy makes it clear he’s had enough, Billy keeps pushing. He seems confident that his status as a made man will protect him from whatever Tommy might do in response.
Billy badly underestimates Tommy, who returns with Jimmy and attacks him. But killing a made man isn’t something the mafia would just overlook. Years later, Tommy is lured into what he believes will be his own induction ceremony, only to be murdered instead. Henry later explains that Billy’s death was one of the reasons Tommy was killed. Billy may not have survived their confrontation, but Tommy still ended up paying for crossing him.
3
Paulie Cicero
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Paulie Cicero also doesn’t have to throw punches in Goodfellas. He’s got plenty of men willing to do that for him. As a powerful mafia boss, he takes a cut of their earnings and expects his orders to be followed. When restaurant owner Sonny asks Paulie for protection from Tommy, Paulie becomes his business partner. Soon, Paulie’s crew is running up bills the restaurant can’t afford, and Sonny can’t do much about it. When the restaurant is no longer profitable, Paulie has it burned down for the insurance money.
Henry knows how dangerous it is to disobey Paulie, but he does it anyway. After Henry gets out of prison, Paulie warns him against selling drugs, explaining that another mob boss received a lengthy sentence because someone in his crew was dealing behind his back. Henry promises to stay away from drugs, then continues selling cocaine without Paulie’s knowledge. He’s making money, but he’s also risking the protection he’s depended on since childhood.
When Henry is arrested, he goes to Paulie hoping for another chance. Instead, Goodfellas‘ ending sees Paulie hand Henry $3,200 and tell him their relationship is over. After everything Henry has done for him, Paulie doesn’t even consider helping. Paulie knows Henry has made enemies over the years, but that doesn’t change his mind. After watching Henry depend on him since he was a kid, it’s unsettling to see Paulie end their relationship with a few thousand dollars and send him off to deal with the consequences alone.
2
Jimmy Conway
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Jimmy Conway is one of the scariest men in Goodfellas because you might never know when he’s stopped considering you a friend. Henry remembers Jimmy slipping him money when he was a kid, and he’s always been generous with the men who help him pull off robberies. These are people he’s spent years drinking with, sharing money with, and trusting to keep their mouths shut. But once Jimmy starts worrying about getting caught, even the men who helped make him rich aren’t safe.
After the crew steals millions from JFK Airport, Jimmy warns everyone not to make expensive purchases. Johnny Roastbeef ignores him and buys a pink Cadillac, while another associate shows off a fur coat for his wife. Jimmy furiously orders them to return everything. Stacks Edwards makes an even worse mistake by failing to dispose of the getaway van, so Jimmy has Tommy kill him. Soon, more of Jimmy’s associates are turning up dead, including one found hanging inside a refrigerated meat truck. These men helped make Jimmy rich, but he’d rather eliminate them than risk getting caught.
Morrie Kessler makes the mistake of believing Jimmy will eventually pay him what he’s owed. He keeps pestering Jimmy about his share, even showing up at his house to complain. Jimmy eventually promises to pay Morrie, giving him every reason to believe their argument is settled. But Jimmy has already arranged for Tommy to murder him. Morrie leaves with Tommy, apparently convinced he’s finally getting what he’s owed. It’s awful knowing he’s walking straight into a trap set by someone he’s trusted for years, and Jimmy doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by it.
1
Tommy DeVito
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Tommy DeVito earns the top spot because even his closest friends never seem entirely sure when he’s joking or about to hurt someone. Even Henry, who’s known Tommy for years, has trouble figuring out when he’s being serious. During their dinner with the other gangsters, Tommy turns what should be a harmless compliment into an interrogation, repeatedly demanding that Henry explain why he finds him funny.
Henry tries laughing it off, but Tommy refuses to drop it. The longer he keeps going, the more uncomfortable everyone becomes. Tommy eventually reveals he’s joking, but Henry’s reaction makes it clear that he wasn’t entirely convinced his friend wouldn’t hurt him.
Unfortunately, Tommy isn’t always joking. When Spider, a young bartender, finally stands up for himself after being repeatedly insulted, Tommy shoots him in front of the other members. Jimmy points out that Spider was only standing up for himself, but Tommy acts as though the young bartender deserved what happened to him.
Billy Batts finds out just how dangerous Tommy’s temper can be after making jokes about his old shoeshine job. Tommy leaves the bar angry, then returns with Jimmy and attacks him, knowing full well that Billy is a made man whose murder could get them both into serious trouble. He doesn’t even seem concerned about dragging Henry into it.
Billy was hardly the first person to offend Tommy, but his murder shows why Tommy deserves the top spot. In Goodfellas, even a longtime friend has no way of knowing which insult Tommy will laugh off and which one he’ll answer with violence.
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