title: Gangsters and Goodfellas: The Mob, Witness Protection, and Life on the Run
author:  Henry Hill 
description: <b>Henry Hill</b> helped authorities bring convictions against over fifty major criminals, both in the US and abroad. While in Witness Protection Program, his life inspired the best-selling book <i>Wiseguys</i> and the hit film <i>GoodFellas</i>. He is the co-author of <i>The Wiseguy Cookbook</i> and <i>A GoodFellas Guide to New York</i>. He lives in the United States.<br /><b>Gus Russo</b> is a freelance author and investigative reporter, who has contributed to numerous documentary films. He has written two previous books, <i>Live by the Sword</i> and <i>The Outfit</i>. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
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  Prologue
  
  
  
  
  
  Let me begin by saying that I’m just the author of this book. I just happened
  to hear and put down on paper the most incredible stories of the most
  incredible people I know. They belong to a different breed of men, they are
  alphas, they are fearless, and they are borderline crazy. They are goodfellas
  from Bensonhurst.
  
  
  Believe it or not, when you meet them in person, they are the nicest people
  around; they laugh a lot, they have that cool old-school Italian swagger and
  attire that fascinates people so much. But don’t mistake their kindness for
  weakness—they will beat you senseless in seconds, throw your body into a
  dumpster and go back to drinking with their buddies like nothing happened.
  
  
  Some of them go away for several years; some just never get caught. A lot of
  controversy surrounds them: rumors, tall tales—some of them are true, some are
  created by the vivid imagination of the crowd. But once a goodfella enters the
  room, everybody feels his presence. And even