Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and comments. There is not enough lipstick available to apply to this pig of overt materialism, it’s all very ugly. Here we take a look at and rank its 10 most iconic moments. 5 Answers. Below are some of the most memorable, toughest, and funniest Goodfellas quotes from Henry, Jimmy, Tommy, and more. Videos you watch may be added to … Gone are the fancy dinners, live entertainment, and casual joking, instead we are presented with far more drugs and the few scenes in which the characters are commiserating often end in violence or hint at it. Based on the evidence we see in the movie, I don’t think Jimmy Conway tipped off the mob about Tommy in order to silence him about the Lufthansa heist. The role, played by veteran character actor Joe Pesci, was based on the real life criminal figure Tommy DeSimone, who was an associate of the Lucchese crime family in New York City. - Duration: 50:19. The role, played by veteran character actor Joe Pesci, was based on the real life criminal figure Tommy DeSimone, who was an associate of the Lucchese crime family in New York City. Rather than being punished for getting caught, his social status is elevated for not ratting out anyone, another of the mafia’s commandments. In my view, the Billy Batts scene represents the fulcrum of the movie, something I’ll elaborate upon in a little bit. According to Hill, Devino had been Now that I’ve covered my thoughts on the justification for Tommy’s murder, let’s address the next question. It was a neighborhood filled with Mafiosos and Hill admired them all from a young age. Goodfellas (1990) - Tommy's death HD (2017 version) - YouTube Billy Batts was a fictional character played by Frank Vincent in the 1990 Martin Scorsese film Goodfellas. Despite the glorification of the mob, which could easily be taken away from a film like Goodfellas, the story itself does have a moral foundation. And part of what makes it great is Joe Pesci’s scene-stealing character, Tommy DeVito. This approach makes sense since the mafia, after all, operates outside of the law. Find GIFs with the latest and newest hashtags! Thomas had two sisters, Dolores and Phyllis. Those who were asking may very well have been the other bar patrons who saw the verbal spat between Tommy and Batts. Carson Can’t Keep Up with Rodney … Directed by Martin Scorsese, Goodfellas stars Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe […] Tommy DeVito was mostly known for his very short temper and aggressive personality – case in point, he shot bartender Spider on the foot after he insulted him, and later killed him when Jimmy gave him money for having the guts to stand up for himself. Bad deeds ultimately received their punishment and those who indulged in the lifestyle paid a heavy price for their participation, and in most cases the ultimate price. In your typical wiseguy initiation, the whole family will be at a big dining table at the social club or at a capo's house. The owner’s comments are a whiff of what’s to come: “You’re a real jerk, you wasted 8 f***in’ aprons on this guy, I don’t know what the hell’s wrong with you, gotta toughen this kid up.” Yet, as the next scene unfolds, we are once again bamboozled by the mob lifestyle so that such situations are soon forgotten just as we most likely did with the brutal opening scene. JCS - Criminal Psychology Recommended for you. After that shocking opening scene we are slowly introduced to these characters, almost hypnotized by their lifestyle so that we forget what we initially watched. This doesn’t relate to the initial question about Tommy being whacked, but if you liked my analysis, you may find my take on the entire film to be thought provoking. The small plothole I’ve recognized focuses on Henry Hill’s description of the situation. Finally, the restaurant owner in the beginning of the film even vents to Paulie about Tommy’s recklessness, another example of the film’s foreshadowing. What were those “other things” Henry Hill alluded to that ultimately led to Tommy DeVito’s death? I also believe Jimmy’s reaction to Tommy’s was genuine and not some act put on to just to convince Henry. Your email address will not be published. Even Henry Hill’s character is sent to a purgatory of sorts where he must live out the lifestyle he so desperately tried to escape from in order to save his own skin. I’ve come across a small plot hole in Goodfellas, namely the explanation, or reasoning behind Tommy DeVito’s murder.Even if you haven’t watched Goodfellas in awhile, you’ll most likely recall the scene where a surprised Joe Pesci realizes he will not be a “made man” after all, only having a couple seconds to react before receiving overdue judgement. Tommy DeVito was a character in Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-winning 1990 mafia epic GoodFellas. No scene captures the dark humor of ‘Goodfellas’ quite like when Tommy’s mom unveils her portrait of a man and his dogs By Justin Sayles Sep 17, 2020, 6:00am EDT Share this story In the film, Tommy DeVito brutally pistol whips Billy Batts (ply by Frank Vincent), a prominent mobster of the Gambino crime family, in Henry's restaurant and shoots him to death on June 11, 1970. Without reading too far into this, the materialism we are presented with is far less refined after the Batts scene. Slowly Henry has learned to throw away the morals taught in his home, which were often delivered via beatings and to embrace a lifestyle that only made sense to young and easily influenced teenager. Note that in Goodfellas, it’s not just Karen that is seduced by the mob lifestyle but the audience as well. Also known as "Tommy D", DeSimone, who was a friend of Henry Hill, and a partner in the gang which was … His struggles with substances would continue for most of his life. Even if you haven’t watched Goodfellas in awhile, you’ll most likely recall the scene where a surprised Joe Pesci realizes he will not be a “made man” after all, only having a couple seconds to react before receiving overdue judgement. Michael Imperioli went to the emergency room after shooting Spider’s death scene in ‘Goodfellas’ Tommy (Pesci) shoots Spider (Imperioli) in both of the latter’s scenes. For reference purposes, the Billy Batts murder takes place at an unnamed bar in Queens on June 11th, 1970. I’ve come across a small plot hole in Goodfellas, namely the explanation, or reasoning behind Tommy DeVito’s murder. It wouldn’t be such a stretch for Paulie to have spoken to those who were also there. Notice that it wasn’t just Tommy but the entire trio that are complicit in the “first sin” against Paulie by participating in an unjustifiable kill. From the perspective of the audience, it was clear that Tommy DeVito violated the rules that Henry Hill outlined during the first burial scene, making his death long overdue and justified. The Interrogation of Stephanie Lazarus. Phyllis was … Scorsese is even bold enough to tell us what he’s doing when are first introduced to Jimmy Conway. Goodfellas is full of drama, betrayals, and mysteries, as is the death of Tommy DeVito, who according to a fan theory, was betrayed by his friend Jimmy Conway, thus leading to his death. Logically, there wouldn’t really be a reason for Jimmy to feign despair over Tommy’s death from Henry, especially given their long past together. When he was attacked, Devino was Notice how after this scene, the charm and initial appeal of the mob lifestyle have all but vanished. DeSimone took the remark about how he shined shoes in his youth as an insult, but apparently held his anger in check for a moment before snapping and brutally pistol-whipping him, then shooting him to death. We suddenly realize that these were the bad guys all along. In the first, Tommy clips Spider in the foot while imploring him to “dance” in the Western film tradition. During the Soot Administration and the Manberg Rebellion arc, Tommy was most often seen as Wilbur 's right hand man, but after his death, Tommy was forced to become independent. Consider, the murder of the Spider character as an example. Why wasn’t Joe Pesci’s character whacked much earlier? As the film progresses, outsiders are rarely seen just as Karen’s character describes her own experience. This is reinforced by the scene where Henry gets caught selling cigarettes by the police. Thomas Anthony DeSimone (May 24, 1950 – disappeared January 14, 1979) was an Italian-American mobster associated with New York City's Lucchese crime family who is alleged to have participated in both the Air France robbery and the Lufthansa heist. Billy Batts : [ taunting ] Yeah, yeah, yeah, come on, come on, come on! The final dialogue of the film, like a splash of cold water, sobers us up back not only into our own but also Henry’s reality. You're signed out. In Goodfellas the magic happens with only 2 hours and some change to spare. Let me know what you think of my take on this scene, I’m always open to hearing feedback. The best GIFs are on GIPHY. Ray Liotta narrates the aftermath of pivotal scene for the audience: “It was revenge for Billy Batts and alot of other things. Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations. Tommy DeVito was a character in Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-winning 1990 mafia epic GoodFellas. You gotta watch out for kids like this.”. Having watched Goodfellas for perhaps the 10th time by now, I was wondering why Tommy got whacked when he did and what the justification behind it was. He was the brother-in-law of mobster Joseph \"The Barber\" Spione, who was slain for refusing to help kill DeSimone in the late 1970s. Thomas "Tommy" DeVito is the secondary antagonist of the 1990 film Goodfellas. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. Billy Batts : Okay, salud. Goodfellas included the death of Tommy DeVito, played by Joe Pesci, but why was he killed and Henry and Jimmy weren't? We once again are exposed to materialism as Henry Hill buys the most expensive Christmas tree to furnish his gaudy, 70s decked out home or the apartment that Henry sets up for his mistress. I find the answers to these questions are also important for any die hard Goodfellas fan. You're signed out. Shortly thereafter Henry Hill goes to jail for 4 years and slightly after Tommy’s murder he is caught with drugs, which is around 1980. Obviously, Paulie was well aware of Tommy’s reckless behavior, as he alludes to, yet the verbal warning in this scene shows that it was now on his mind. What makes Goodfellas one of the quintessential gangster films is that we end up building a relationship with morally corrupt characters without realizing it. 50:19. Why Revenge of the Nerds Could Never Be Produced in 2020 – Movie Analysis. The brutal opening scene also sets the stage for the film as we are initially left in the dark about the characters and their motives. It’s the stripping away of day to day reality from the audience that allows us cheer for the bad guys since we are only watching things unfold from their perspective. This rather vague explanation leaves many unanswered questions for fans of Goodfellas like myself. TommyInnit, more commonly known as Tommy, was a founding member and Vice President of L'Manberg, and a founding member of Pogtopia. Another thought is that perhaps all along Paulie sensed that Jimmy and Henry knew about Batts but were covering for Tommy. It’s only at very end of the film that we are spun back into reality, with Henry Hill testifying against his pals. Going out on a few limbs of speculation, if you recall, there were other characters in the opening of Queens bar scene. Tommy DeVito, whose tenure as a member of the Four Seasons was dramatized in "Jersey Boys," died at age 92 of coronavirus complications. Billy Batts : [ takes a drink ] Now go home and get your fuckin' shinebox. Parallels to the film and DeSimone's death, Misconceptions about the William DeVino (Billy Batts) death in, https://mafia.wikia.org/wiki/Tommy_DeVito?oldid=38791. Autoplay is paused. Although it’s very clear to the audience, the mob bosses can only assume what we know to be true about the Billy Batts incident. Although he only had a very minor role in Goodfellas, the Billy Batt’s character served as a fulcrum upon which the entire film rested, even the film title. DeVito was born on … We do not get a specific time point for Tommy’s murder but we can assume it’s at or around 1980 based on how the characters have been aged and the sequence of events in the film. Goodfellas buried Tommy DeVito in a closed coffin. His father, Charles, less famously played Vinnie, the man in … During the first burial scene of Billy Batts, we are even offered some foreshadowing from Henry Hill’: “For most of the guys killing got to be accepted, murder was the only way that everyone stayed in line: You got out line you got whacked. I think it was important for him to break out of the scene altogether and walk around the courtroom as he did, a style I can’t recall Scorsese using in other films. A theory I’ve seen on some message boards and forums is that Jimmy Conway wanted Tommy dead and tipped off the mob about Billy Batts. Was Tom’s Restaurant from Seinfeld Featured in the 1988 Film Shakedown? Let's take a look. He also committed numerous murders, including of made man William Bentvena in 1970. Goodfellas Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack for the 1990 film Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese, notable for its use of popular music from the various periods it portrayed.In a similar manner to American Graffiti and Scorsese's earlier Mean Streets, the songs served roughly the same purpose as a composed musical score. If you’ve come with me this far, I’d like to discuss the Billy Batts scene in more detail in order to provide some further analysis on the film. Jimmy and Henry were useful guys and was a respected and feared made member in the Gambino crime family. I hope you enjoyed this analysis and if you are doing a term paper for school, feel free to reference my site, it would be an honor! The testimony of those witnesses along with Tommy Devito’s increasing violent and unpredictable behavior, those “other things” would be more than enough evidence to justify a hit. Finally, what was the justification for the hit on Tommy? His death was first reported by the celebrity website TMZ. The first half of Goodfellas charms the audience by highlighting the power and wealth the mafia made for themselves in the 50s and 60s: fancy dinners, nice cars, even nicer suits, lavish homes and to top it off a total disdain for the law as well as those so called working people who chose to respect it. Copy link. The character was based on the Lucchese crime family member William "Billy Batts" Benventa, who was murdered by Tommy DeSimone, who was portrayed as Tommy DeVito, who was played by actor Joe Pesci in the film.