Karen Friedman Hill: The Woman Behind The Goodfellas Gangster

Karen Friedman Hill is best known as the wife of Henry Hill, the notorious mobster whose life story inspired the 1990 film Goodfellas.

But who was she, and what happened to her after the movie ended?

Here are some facts about Karen Friedman Hill that you may not know.

Karen Friedman Profile Summary

Karen Friedman Hill Life Before Crime

Karen Friedman Hill was born on January 16, 1946, in New York City.

She was raised in the Five Towns area of Long Island.

She came from a Jewish family and worked as a dental hygienist.

Friedman met Henry Hill in 1965, when she was 19 years old, on a double date arranged by Paul Vario Jr., the son of a local crime boss.

Marriage: Karen Friedman Hill and Henry Hill eloped to North Carolina in 1965.

Here the marriage requirements were less strict.

They later had a Jewish wedding service in New York, after Henry Hill converted to Judaism at the request of Karen’s parents.

However, Henry Hill later claimed that he never actually converted and only lied about it.

She was unaware of Henry Hill’s criminal activities at first.

At the beginning of their marriage, Karen Friedman Hill was largely clueless about her husband’s illegal dealings with the Lucchese crime family.

Based on lies he told her, she thought he was a bricklayer and a low-level union official.

She later learned the truth when he was arrested for beating up a man who owed him money.

She also discovered that he had a mistress and a drug habit.

Karen Friedman in Crime

Karen Friedman Hill eventually became an accomplice in her husband’s crimes.

She helped him hide guns, drugs, and money.

Karen participated in the infamous Lufthansa heist in 1978, which netted $5 million in cash and $875,000 in jewelry.

She also had an affair with Paul Vario, Henry Hill’s boss, and was nearly raped by Tommy DeSimone, one of Henry Hill’s associates.

In 1980, Henry Hill was arrested on a narcotics-trafficking charge, and faced a long prison sentence.

He decided to become an informant and testify against his former partners in crime.

He and Karen Friedman Hill entered the U.S. Marshals’ Witness Protection Program, along with their two children, Gregg and Gina.

They changed names and relocated to undisclosed places, including Seattle, Cincinnati, Omaha, Butte, and Independence.

Karen Friedman Divorce

Henry Hill was expelled from the witness protection program in 1987, after being convicted of cocaine trafficking in Seattle.

He continued to struggle with drug addiction and legal troubles, and appeared in several documentaries and books about his life.

Karen filed for divorce in 1990, after 23 years of marriage.

The divorce was finalized in 2002.

She continued to use an alias to protect her identity, as did her children.

Henry Hill remarried and fathered another child.

He died in 2012, at the age of 69, from heart failure12

Friedman Books and Films

Karen and her children released a book in 2004, titled On the Run: A Mafia Childhood.

It tells their own version of their experience with the mafia.

In the book, Gregg and Gina recall their grandparents and Karen’s sisters, Sandy and Adrianne, caring for them during Karen and Henry’s criminal activities.

They also reveal how they coped with the constant fear, stress, and isolation of living under witness protection.

Lorraine Bracco portrayed Karen Friedman Hill in the 1990 film “Goodfellas,” directed by Martin Scorsese, based on Nicholas Pileggi’s book “Wiseguy.”

The film achieved critical and commercial success, earning six Academy Award nominations, including one for Bracco as Best Supporting Actress.

The National Film Registry, maintained by the Library of Congress, preserves “Goodfellas” as one of the greatest gangster movies of all time.

Conclusion

Karen Friedman Hill is a fascinating figure who lived a life of crime, danger, and drama. She was the woman behind the Goodfellas gangster, and her story is worth telling.

FAQs

How old is Karen Friedman Hill?

A: Karen Friedman Hill is 77, born on January 16, 1946.

Q: Where does Karen Friedman Hill live?

A: Karen Friedman Hill resides under an alias in witness protection since 1980, due to her husband’s FBI cooperation.

Q: Is Karen Friedman still married to Henry Hill?

A: No, they divorced in 2002 after 23 years. Henry Hill remarried and passed away in 2012.

Q: What crimes did Karen Friedman Hill commit?

A: She aided her husband in various crimes, including hiding guns, drugs, and the Lufthansa heist in 1978.

Q: How did Karen Friedman Hill meet Henry Hill?

A: They met in 1965, eloped to North Carolina, and had a Jewish wedding in New York.

Q: How many children does Karen Friedman Hill have?

A: Karen has two children, Gregg and Gina, who entered witness protection with them and co-authored “On the Run: A Mafia Childhood.”

Q: What is Karen Hill’s ethnicity?

A: Karen is Jewish, hailing from Long Island, New York, born to Morris and Ruth Friedman.

Q: Who played Karen Friedman Hill in Goodfellas?

A: Lorraine Bracco portrayed Karen in the critically acclaimed film “Goodfellas.”

Q: How accurate is Goodfellas to Karen Friedman life?

A: “Goodfellas” is based on Henry Hill’s life, with some fictional elements and dramatizations.

Q: What happened to Friedman Hill’s family?

A: Her parents supported her and cared for her children while she was involved in the mafia.

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