John Gotti personally executed the real-life Joe Pesci 'Goodfella' on the night he was due to be 'made' - after the victim tried to rape a fellow gangster's wife, new book reveals 

  • New book The Lufthansa Heist by gangster Henry Hill out August 1
  • Reveals the role John Gotti played in the infamous 1978 robbery
  • Also details how Gotti murdered hit man Tommy DeSimmone
  • Gotti shot the rival gang member three times in the head on the night DeSimmone was to be inducted into the Lucchese family, book says
  • Audacious crime inspired the hit film Goodfellas
  • DeSimmone is played by Joe Pesci in the 1990 film  

By Dailymail.com Reporter

Published: 09:48 EST, 12 July 2015 | Updated: 02:44 EST, 13 July 2015

A new book about the notorious $5 million Lufthansa robbery in 1978 - which inspired the hit film Goodfellas - has revealed for the first time the role that John Gotti played in the heist, and how the personally killed rival Tommy DeSimmone.

The book, The Luftansa Heist - released August 1 - has been written by gangster Henry Hill, who claims to have received the information surrounding the death of hit man DeSimmone from Sal Polisi, a friend of Gotti's he met in Witness Protection.

Hill collaborated on the 1986 book Wiseguy, which was adapted to film in 1990 and renamed Goodfellas, but says he held back the story of Gotti killing DeSimmone, fearing retribution, The New York Post reported Sunday. 

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Gambino: 'Dapper Don' John Gotti personally murdered infamous hit man Tommy DeSimmone, of rival gang the Lucchese family, because of his involvement in the Lufthansa robbery and for assaulting the wife of another gangster, Henry Hill, who is releasing a new book

Gambino: 'Dapper Don' John Gotti personally murdered infamous hit man Tommy DeSimmone, of rival gang the Lucchese family, because of his involvement in the Lufthansa robbery and for assaulting the wife of another gangster, Henry Hill, who is releasing a new book

Revelations: A new book by gangster Henry Hill (right) has revealed details about the death of hit man Tommy DeSimmone (left), whose body was never found 

Gotti, the 'Dapper Don' of the Gambino crime syndicate, died of throat cancer in prison in 2002.

The infamous Lufthansa heist saw gang members steal around $5 million in cash and $875,000 worth of jewelry at JFK airport in 1978, brutally attacking airport workers guarding the cash. 

At the time it was the biggest heist in US history and none of the money was ever recovered.

The theft was planned by Hill and Jimmy 'The Gent' Burke, who worked under Lucchese family crime boss Paul 'Paulie' Vario.

In Goodfellas, Hill was played by Ray Liotta, Burke by Robert De Niro, and Vario by Paul Sorvino.

Being a Gambino, Gotti was not believed to have any involvement in the heist.

However Hill's book reveals that the airport was considered shared turf between the Lucchese and Gambino families, so Gotti was cut in on the heist.

Over a meeting at Prudenti's Vicin' O Mare, an Italian restaurant in Long Island City, Queens, Hill and Burke agreed to give Gotti $200,000 of the proceeds.

In return, Gotti would organize a warehouse where the cash and the jewelry could be moved from the getaway van to a 'switch car' to further throw the police off the scent.

American mobster John Gotti - pictured left in 1990 - who became the boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City is a major figure in The Lufthansa Heist, a new book released on August 1

Classic: The Lufthansa robbery inspired the critically acclaimed film Goodfellas, starring Robert de Niro, Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta 

Classic: The Lufthansa robbery inspired the critically acclaimed film Goodfellas, starring Robert de Niro, Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta 

Gotti would then destroy the van at an auto-salvage yard he ran in Brooklyn.

Gotti, who at the time was still at a 'captain' in the Gambino family, did not tell his bosses about the $200,000 and kept the money for himself.

He then blew the cash gambling at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens.

During the heist, the robbers wore ski masks to hide their faces, but DeSimmone lifted his to wipe away some sweat.

The mask was off long enough for a witness to see his face and help police do a suspect sketch, which enraged Burke and Vario.

However they needed DeSimmone to murder a list of people involved in the heist to cover up any loose ends.

DeSimmone was ordered to kill Parnell 'Stacks' Edwards, who was supposed to deliver the getaway van to Gotti to be destroyed the heist, but instead left it parked in Canarsie, Brooklyn, where police found it.

However DeSimmone and Edwards were close friends who had known each other since they were young.

DeSimmone was told by Vario he would become an official member of the mob if he killed Edwards, so DeSimmone shot his friend in the head five times.

Scene: Police cordon off an area around a stolen black van discovered in front of 595 East 95th Street in Brooklyn in 1979, following the Lufthansa heist

Scene: Police cordon off an area around a stolen black van discovered in front of 595 East 95th Street in Brooklyn in 1979, following the Lufthansa heist

Meanwhile, the Gambinos had wanted DeSimmone dead for years because he had killed two of their good men.

When Gotti heard that DeSimmone was up for a promotion, he had a meeting with Vario, and asked permission to take out DeSimmone.

Vario knew the police would soon be on their tale because of the sketch of DeSimmone the police got from the robbery.

Also DeSimmone had recently tried to sexually assault Hills's wife, Karen, while Hill was in prison.

The bigger issue was that Vario was having an affair with Karen at the time.

Vario gave Gotti permission to kill DeSimmone, The Post reported.

On the night that DeSimmone was meant to be unducted into the mob, he was driven to Belmont in The Bronx by Vario's son.

The heist inspired the hit movie Goodfellas, released in 1990, starring (L-R) Joe Pesci, Ray Liota and Robert de Niro

The heist inspired the hit movie Goodfellas, released in 1990, starring (L-R) Joe Pesci, Ray Liota and Robert de Niro

DeSimone wore 'a double-breasted black Bill Blass suit, a starched blue shirt and beige silk tie',according to Hill's book.

He was taken to the basement of Don Vito's restaurant, where a group of men were playing cards.

DeSimmone was shocked to see Gotti there, under the impression it was just be a Lucchese affair for his big night. 

'Welcome, Tommy. Congratulations!' Gotti said. 'Pull a chair up to the table and sit comfortably. This is not an ordinary day in your life, I want you to know.'

DeSimone sat down. Within three seconds, 'Gotti pulled out a silencer-equipped .38 Colt Magnum from his inner breast pocket and drilled three bullets into DeSimone's cranium. PAH . . . PAH . . . PAH.

'DeSimone's head blasted forward, and with the thud of a ­10-pound boulder slumped onto the card table, blood seeping and leaching onto the green felt ­tabletop.

'Gotti buttoned his camel cashmere overcoat, straightened the lapels and walked out of the room with a vaunting stride,' the book said.

Henry Hill collaborated with Nicholas Pileggi on Wiseguy, the 1986 book that was the basis of Goodfellas

Henry Hill collaborated with Nicholas Pileggi on Wiseguy, the 1986 book that was the basis of Goodfellas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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