Karen Friedman Hill
| Karen Friedman Hill | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Karen B. Friedman January 16, 1946 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Socialite |
| Spouse(s) |
Henry Hill (1965–2002) |
| Children |
Gregg Hill Gina Hill |
Karen Friedman Hill (born January 16, 1946)[1] is an American socialite, known for her involvement in the mafia through her husband Henry Hill, who was an associate of the Lucchese crime family. The events of their life were chronicled in the 1990 film Goodfellas and several books. [2]
Personal life
She was born in New York City and raised on Long Island around the Five Towns, the daughter of Jewish parents. She has two sisters, Ellen and Cheryl.
She met Henry Hill through mutual friends, and at the time of their meeting she was working at a dentist office. Her parents did not approve of their relationship at first, and later insisted that he convert to Judaism, which he did. They eloped in North Carolina in 1965 when Karen was 19, and later had a formal Jewish ceremony. The couple had two children, Gregg Hill and Gina Hill. Initially after their marriage, Karen and Henry moved in with Karen's parents in their home in Lawrence, New York.
Through the 1970s, the Hill family was involved in organized crime, through which they became very wealthy and lived extravagantly. Henry Hill then became an informant to the FBI, which caused Karen and the children to enter the Witness Protection Program, where they were given new identities, and lived in numerous locations through the 1980s.
Later life
She remained out of the limelight once the family came out of the Witness Protection Program. Karen and Hill eventually parted ways, last living together in Rockville Centre. Their divorce was finalized in 2002, and he died in 2012. After their divorce, he had gotten remarried and had another child.[3]
She continues to use an alias to protect her identity, as do her two children. Her children released a book in 2004 titled On the Run: A Mafia Childhood, that tells their own version of their experience with the mafia. In the book, Gregg and Gina discuss how their maternal grandparents, and Karen's two younger sisters, Cheryl and Ellen, helped take care of them, when Karen and Henry were out dealing in crime.
Further reading
- Wiseguy, 1986 ISBN 978-1439184219
- On the Run: A Mafia Childhood, 2004 ISBN 978-0446527705
Portrayal in media
Lorraine Bracco was cast to portray Karen Friedman Hill in the 1990 film Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese, with a script based on the 1986 book written by Nicholas Pileggi. Bracco did not meet with Hill prior to filming.[4]She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Hill.
The film created more interest in the women involved in and affected by the mafia, as opposed to only the men. Television series such as Mob Wives reflect the public interest in organized crime families.
References
- ↑ Karen Hill public record accessed 5/26/2015
- ↑ The Real Goodfellas accessed 6/26/2015
- ↑ Henry Hill, Mobster and Movie Inspiration, Dies at 69 accessed 5/26/2015
- ↑ A Mafia Wife Makes Lorraine Bracco a Princess accessed 5/26/2015