Wiseguy Study Guide

Wiseguy Plot Summary

Preview of Wiseguy Summary:

Nicholas Pileggi's non-fiction book, Wiseguy, is the basis for the hit movie, GoodFellas, directed by Martin Scorsese (1990). Wiseguy is the true story of Henry Hill, a member of the Lucchese organized crime family in New York. Henry's heyday takes place during the 1960s and 1970s during which time he works under prominent mob boss Paul Vario in the Brownsville-East New York section of Brooklyn. Henry is drawn to the mafia lifestyle as a young boy, taking a job at Tuddy Vario's cabstand at the age of eleven. The impressionable boy is introduced to the wealth and power that is granted the men in the Varios' employ. As these men are criminals by nature, they have no qualms about luring young Henry into the life. Henry is industrious, clever, and willing to hustle to run whatever errands the men need. He quickly earns the approval of his elders, who allow...
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