Goodfellas is a very well known movie that takes place here in New York City, The film was released September 19,1990 in the USA. The movie is directed by Martin Scorsese. Goodfellas details  the rise and fall of a Brooklyn teenage Henry hill and friends. Laced with heavy violence and drug activity goodfellas still invoked the sympathy for fir a younger whom just wanted success and a good life. While feeling sorry for some of the characters, my own moral standards triggered still, and an urge for the end of lawlessness in this  piece I waited for. 

Henry Hill, a young New Yorker in the late 1950s, born into an Irish/ Italian working class family. It appeared to be a stable home .It also appeared Henry was encouraged and enforced by his father to focus on school. Yet Henry looked up to the” wise guys” in his neighborhood. Henry admired their suits, cars and personas. Henry and others of his neighborhood found their local wise guys to be stand up members of the community. From afar Henry idolized these men and imagines they had developed in NYC. Soon Henry found himself working at his idol’s cab stand. His parents initially liked the fact their son was earning an honest living to their knowledge. Initially. Henry’s job was supposed to be a partime job, but as Henry worked and hung around the cab stand he spend less and less time in school. Now that Henry has basically stopped attending school to become a fulltime wise guy in training. All while Henry’s parents assumed he was in school ,he was In Fact learning what it meant to be a wise guy. Henry slow began to understand why his idols was allowed to park at fire hydrants, and not receive a ticket. Why these gangsters he looked up too was so well respected.  The closer he becomes with his locks the more intertwined he become with crime. As he Henry launches his criminal career and endorses he also make a name for himself.

As time goes by Henry begins to achieve the gangster status he admired immensely about his idols. Finally being part of the inner circle Henry began to indulge in the lifestyle he dreamed of living. Now being able to afford suits from the “scores” he gained, Henry’s new persona caught the attention of his parents, mainly his father who opposed it to no avail. As Henry enhances his skills in criminal activity he also gets married and has children.  At this point the many ruthless crimes which include theft, extortion, distribution of illegal drugs across state lines, insurance fraud and murder, and not to mention a nasty cocaine habit. Suddenly white enjoying the fruits of his illegal labor, he is arrested and sentenced to prison after the feds find drugs in his home.I would think this would be the moment he smartened up and made better life decisions, not only for himself but for his wife and children. If not for his family then perhaps for his girlfriend whom he started having an affair with while dealing drugs. Yet Henry returned from his jail sentence even more determined to life Achieve his goal. Not only does he return to crime and his wise guy lifestyle, he participates in the biggest score of his life, which includes a heist at NYC JFK airport. Although the heist when off without any problems and our movies gangbangers made off with millions of stolen dollars, 

The authorities were closing in on the crew who just could keep things together within itself. Whether out of paranoia or greed, wiseguys turned against each other and murder each other. Finally the authorities had Henry testify against his gang mates for immunity.  What motivated Henry was fear his gang mates would  kill him to cover their own tracks or perhaps out of greed. Ultimately Henry and his family helps the government put his partners on crime away in prison, while they relocate in witness protection.

In my opinion Henry was born into a family who struggled financially and he dreamed of a successful life and happiness. Perhaps Henry saw those qualities in the mobsters he idolized growing up. If those criminals were the only major role models for success, it could explain a lot. It seems to me Henry just wanted the finer things in life and was lead down the wrong path to obtain those things. I also believe if his parents had better opportunities perhaps they could have provided him better opportunities in life. Although Henry wasn’t the worst character in the film he was the most focused on and his character reminded me of many others storylines was similar in my own lifetime. As a black man in American many opportunities are present , yet we are often overlooked. Many black men in lower income or minority communities are systematically targeted and oppressed by our government, society and etc. these issues many earning an honest living hard especially if your reputation has been destroyed before you even become legally old enough to pursue any career. In My opinion after being only the second generation who can participate in a more fair education system, generational curses are hard to break.although Henry isn’t a descendent of oppressed enslaved African Americans, he represents a sensitive disenfranchisement . I felt he and others who turned to crime felt left behind by our nation. I felt they choose to break the law more and more because the gain seems more than the risk.