When it comes to the very basic details of Hill's life, "Goodfellas" does have a pretty good track record. Hill (played by Ray Liotta in the film) did become connected to the Luccheses when he was around 13 years old, and continued working on and off for the family until 1980 when he entered the Witness Protection Program. On top of that, Hill's involvement in the 1978 John F. Kennedy International Airport heist is a true story. However, some of the details are fudged, according to NPR.
This formula ostensibly applies to the entirety of "Goodfellas." For many films based on a true story, the filmmakers alter minor details — for example, Hill is portrayed in the movie as having two daughters, but in real life, he had a son and daughter with his first wife Karen. The movie also hyperbolized certain dramatic aspects and invented situations to make the whole story more entertaining. For instance, "Goodfellas" completely omits Hill's brief stint in the military (via The New York Times). On top of that, Tommy DeVito's (Joe Pesci) iconic "are you calling me funny?" sequence never actually happened. In the end, "Goodfellas" is just another case of real-life events being mythologized into good stories for the purposes of entertainment.
