The assassinations, betrayals, and power plays
Michael Mann based Heat on the real Neil McCauley, a professional thief killed in a police shootout. But the Hollywood version was far more romantic than reality.
Casino’s Nicky Santoro was terrifying on screen. The real Tony Spilotro was worse. His brutality started years before Las Vegas — and the movie barely scratched the surface.
Robert De Niro’s Jimmy Conway was terrifying on screen. The real Jimmy Burke was worse. After the Lufthansa heist, he systematically eliminated everyone who could connect him to the crime.
In Goodfellas, Stacks Edwards was killed for sleeping through the van cleanup. The real story of Parnell ‘Stacks’ Edwards reveals a man whose downfall started long before the Lufthansa heist.
Louis Eppolito was a decorated NYPD detective by day and a Lucchese family hitman by night. He even landed a small role in Goodfellas while secretly working as a mafia assassin.
