Henry Hill, born on June 11, 1943, and died on June 12, 2012, was an American gangster associated with the Lucchese crime family of the Cosa Nostra. He was immortalized in the book “Wiseguy” by Nicholas Pileggi, published in 1985, and in Martin Scorsese’s film “Goodfellas” in 1990. Hill, of mixed Sicilian and Irish descent, began his criminal career early, doing odd jobs for the local underworld.

Henry Hill was associated with the Lucchese crime family under Paul Vario. He became an informant for the FBI after participating in criminal activities, including the 1967 Air France robbery. Sentenced to 6 years in prison in 1970, he engaged in drug trafficking while incarcerated and was released in 1978. Hill took part in the infamous Lufthansa airline heist in 1978 with James Burke. Despite warnings from Vario, Hill continued drug trafficking, leading to arrests in 1980. Convinced that his former associates were trying to kill him, Hill became an informant and contributed to the arrest of 50 individuals, including Vario and Burke. He frequently changed addresses for his safety but was expelled from the witness protection program in 1987. Hill confided in journalist Nicholas Pileggi in 1985, inspiring the book “Wiseguy” and the film “Goodfellas.” Passionate about cooking, Hill wrote a cookbook, created a website, and sold memorabilia based on his criminal experience. He published a book on the best ways to hide a corpse, detailing macabre methods.

He claimed never to have killed anyone but added, “I was present when people got killed. I dug a lot of holes.” Thus, he published the book titled “The Best Ways to Hide a Corpse,” with the number one method being the “lime burial.” For this, the body must be buried at least 4 feet underground, covered with lime to quickly dissolve the remains and mask the odor.

Henry Hill died on June 12, 2012, in Los Angeles from a heart attack caused by lung cancer linked to smoking.