A former gangster who inspired one of the main characters in Goodfellas is in Newcastle tonight for a screening of the film 21 years to the day of its British release. Dan Robinson reports.

GANGSTER, grass and the original Goodfella Henry Hill had quite a story to tell as a host of jailed Mafia hoods can confirm.

Now, the man played by Ray Liotta in the classic Martin Scorsese film is coming to Tyneside to tell it again.

Widely regarded as one of the most accurate portrayals of organised crime in post-war America, Goodfellas swaps seamlessly between ice-cold coolness and brutal violence.

But for Hill, whose notorious exploits were chronicled in the classic 1990 film, the exposure took his life to dizzy new heights.

After a life in the mob, he infamously became an FBI informant and sent some 50 fellow crooks to prison – some for the remainder of their lives.

The inevitable bounty on his head meant witness protection and an existence confined to the wilderness was his only hope of clinging to his life – yet, the 68-year old has rarely stayed out of the spotlight since the release of the film all those years ago.

Tonight, 21 years to the day of its release in Britain, Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle marks the next stop on an exhaustive hit list for Hill who’s embarked on an extensive tour, retelling his story to the world, to celebrate the film’s anniversary.

This is a first visit to the city for Hill, who was eventually kicked out of the witness protection programme, as he vows to set the record straight on Mafia life in a Q&A session following a private screening.

He will even be demonstrating life outside crime as he exhibits his own artwork illustrating gangster life, including an image with a strong resemblance to the iconic opening scene of the film.

Hill said: “I’m really looking forward to visiting the North East for the first time and celebrating this anniversary of the film’s release with the Geordie people.

“After the film I’ll be telling the real story exactly as it happened and anyone coming along to Tyneside Cinema can expect to learn just what it was like to be a real-life Goodfella and the effect it’s had on my life.”

In some quarters the one-time wiseguy still has a price on his head, and Neil Jackson, the event’s promoter, said careful discussions were held with the former gangster before arrangements were made.

Neil said: “As far as I am aware he is in no danger over here so we are not worried in any way about that. We spoke about it and he’s quite confident that he’s going to be OK.

“But there will be a number of people for and against the event because of that. It will stir different emotions in some people.

“Some people will want to learn more about him and listen to his stories, but some people probably will think he’s a grass and won’t want anything to do with him.

“Whichever way you look at it, I think it’s a fascinating story.”

Scorsese’s gangster flick reinvented a genre already illuminated by such definitive chapters as The Godfather, Scarface and Once Upon a Time in America and has achieved that rarest of feats in standing the test of time.

Adapted from the 1986 book Wiseguy, it won countless awards and was nominated for six Oscars.

It managed to both glorify the gangster image – Liotta’s character attests to “living in a fantasy” – while sickening audiences in equal measure with its graphically-depicted murders.

Newcastle has seen its fair share of villains – including heavyweight boxer-turned-mobster Viv Graham – but none of their violent anecdotes could ever live up to the presence and status of Hill and his peers in their heyday.

Throughout the 60s and 70s, a feast of sex, drugs and champagne saw Hill living a Hollywood life as a respected associate of the feared Lucchese crime family.

Witnessing murders, carrying out mass heists and wholesaling drugs saw him riding both the crest of a money-spinning wave and crashing to the pits of prison and paranoia.

His life in the mob ended when, after being arrested over a drug charge and facing a life term which would no doubt end prematurely with assassination, he turned in his associates and entered witness protection.

This was arguably only the start of a life of terror for Hill as he and his family evaded a Mafia manhunt.

But he will come out of hiding once again to tell us about a Hollywood life that he once said was “better than being President of the United States”.

Tickets for tonight’s privately organised screening, including the Q&A and a chance to see artwork by Henry Hill, cost £25, with a VIP ticket package available priced at £90 which, in addition, will include an opportunity to meet and chat to Hill afterwards and have photographs taken and signed. For information visit www.gm2projects.com  or call 0191 229 9631.