Best Goodfellas Quotes: 19 Top Quotes From The Goodfellas Film

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Ever since its release in 1990, Goodfellas has been regarded as one of the best movies ever.

With a cast that includes Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, it is no wonder why this mobster movie has made such an impact on cinema.

Best Goodfellas Quotes

What Is Goodfellas?

Goodfellas is a 1990 crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese. The screenplay was written by Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese.

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It is based on the true story of mobster Henry Hill, as told in Nicholas Pileggi's book Wiseguy.

Jimmy Conway Goodfellas Quotes

Jimmy Conway, played by Robert De Niro in the film Goodfellas, is a person who has done some terrible things and he knows it.

In this article you will find quotes from Jimmy that are both insightful and humorous.

Jimmy Conway is based on real-life Lucchese associate James "Jimmy the Gent" Burke, who was born July 5, 1931 and died April 13, 1996.

The movie is based on a true story and spares no detail in relaying how Jimmy Conway became one of America's most notorious mobsters.

Jimmy Conway was born to Irish immigrants who were living in Brooklyn, New York.

Henry Hill

Henry Hill, a former Lucchese crime family associate in the 1970s and 1980s, is well known as the main character in Martin Scorsese's 1990 film Goodfellas.

His story was told in Nicholas Pileggi's 1985 book Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family, the basis for the film. Hill later wrote books of his own, including Gangsters and Goodfellas, but not titles such as "Goodfellas: A True Story" or "Goodfellas: The Hardest Life In America."
After his 1980 arrest, Hill became an FBI informant; his testimony led to dozens of convictions, including of Paul Vario and James Burke.

The life of a mobster is often glamorized in the media. Movies like Goodfellas depict gun-wielding, wiseguy gangsters as cool and collected.

But what's it really like to live with that lifestyle? Probably not so glamorous.

In an interview with 60 Minutes correspondent Mike Wallace, Henry Hill recalled his experience living in that world for 20 years.

Hill talked about how he liked to be called "goodfella," but also discussed how he was eventually arrested on drug charges.

Goodfellas Quotes From Jimmy Conway And Tommy Devito

In the movie Goodfellas, there are many powerful quotes from Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.

These quotes offer a glimpse into what life may have been like for those in the mafia.

The most memorable lines often come from Tommy DeVito (played by Joe Pesci)—especially the tense "Funny how?" exchange—and from Jimmy Conway, including:
"F**** You! Pay Me."

Goodfellas Quotes From Karen Hill

The movie was a box office hit grossing about $46 million domestically. It earned six Academy Award nominations and won one: Joe Pesci for Best Supporting Actor.

These are some of the best lines tied to Karen Hill in Goodfellas by Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese.

Karen's narration captures the paranoia of mob life—you can't let anybody get too close—and the awareness that everybody knew the risks.

Favorite Goodfellas Quotes

The movie Goodfellas has some of the best lines in cinematic history.

The film is based on true events, so you know these quotes are for real.

Please enjoy these quotable quotes that have become classics in their own right!

For a refresher course on all things mafia, I have compiled some of the roughest Goodfellas quotes that will make you laugh and cringe at times.

The quotes of the wise, witty, and downright crazy characters from one of the most iconic movies ever made.

"F**** You! Pay Me."
"You're Really Funny!"
“As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.”
“One day, some of the kids from the neighborhood carried my mother’s groceries all the way home. Do you know why? It was outta respect.”
“Never rat on your friends, and always keep your mouth shut.”
“I’m gonna go get the papers, get the papers.”
“You’d be late for your own f****’ funeral … What the fuck you lookin’ at? Come on, make that coffee to go. Let’s go.”
"When We Wanted Something, We Just Took It!"