Henry Hill

On the Run: A Mafia Childhood
$7.50
After first reading Nick Pileggi's "Wiseguy", and then seeing Goodfellas, I was left with an almost decent impression of Henry Hill. After reading this book by his children, I was left with an intense dislike of the man. We are led to believe that he had two daughters in the movie, and the reason is his son wanted nothing to do with his father at that point. Gregg and Gina Hill not only were yanked from their lives, friends and grandparents after his father was arrested for drug dealing, but were then yanked two more times because of their selfish, brutal father. His mother almost gives up their location when she refuses to stop contact with his grandparents, risking everyone's lives. Henry also risks their lives with his criminal activities which he never stops. Gregg struggles to try to identify with and respect his father, but it becomes impossible with a man who beats his wife, uses IV drugs, embarrasses him in public with his loud mouth and swearing, and continues to endanger his family with his actions. Gina struggles to love her father, making excuses for his horrible behavior, hoping he will turn into the father she desperately wants. Of course, he never does, and ruins things forever when he beats her, too. His verbal abuse, constant physical abuse, his disrespect for anything law abiding, his disgusting drug use, and his mistreatment of a wife who stood by him for years is heart breaking to read. Finally, Gregg, who has the decency and sense his father never had or never will have, realizes his father will never be a decent father or human being and leaves the family at 17 years old with nothing but the clothes on his back. You will never be able to watch Goodfellas again the same way, because you will realize Henry's portrayal is romanticized for the screen, and he is actually a true loser in every sense of the word.

Wiseguy
$7.99
Henry Hill was a criminal, snitch, con artist, drug addict and betrayer of people that were more or less family to him so you have to take a lot of what he says in this book with a grain of salt. If you have seen the movie Goodfellas then this is the book that film was based on. The only difference I noticed between the two was the book goes into how they were running a points shaving/gambling scam with Boston College basketball players. As untrustworthy as Hill is the book itself is a fascinating/entertaining read and I don't doubt that the overwhelming majority of this book is true.

Gangsters and Goodfellas: The Mob, Witness Protection, and Life on the Run
$14.95
I was surprised that the book was so close to the movie, although "Gangsters and Goodfellas" continues Henry Hill's story where the movie ended and left us all hanging, the debriefings were the stories from the movie. It's an interesting update on Hill's life after the mob. I think that it's a well-written book. I mean we aren't seeking a novel or literature when we choose to purchase it and it is all about the story. I have no respect for informants and would not normally purchase a book written by one, however, Henry Hill knew that they intended to whack him and he was left with no choice. He wasn't willing to die for the cause!

Hill's activities while in the Federal Witness Protection Program make the point that government informants are often no better than those that they inform on or set-up, and are sometimes worse. I'd recommend this book as I view Hill as a straight shooter that tells it like it was. What a life!

The Violin-Makers of the Guarneri Family (1626-1762)
$26.95
This is a wonderful comprehensive book about the Guarneri violin-makers. Since I own two Guarneri-labeled violins and wanted to know whether either was made by that family, this book answered my questions. The fate of most genuine Guarneri violins is already known(they were destroyed by fire or other means or are owned by private individuals or are in museums). In the case of my two violins, there is a 'fictictious' label (as the authors describe and show in a photo), in both of my violins. That was disappointing to learn but it enabled me to buy a very nice-sounding violin at minimal cost (my second so-called 'Guarnerius') from the late 1770's even though it was apparently not made by the Guarneri family. If you own a violin with a Guarnerius label, it would be quite useful for you to own a copy of this book to determine its authenticity. The enormous and detailed research done by the Hill family makes this book well worth its reasonable price (at least at Amazon.com) where I bought my copy this year.