How Did Tommy DeSimone Really Die? The Goodfellas Mystery
Mobsters DailyTommy DeSimone was murdered in January 1979, almost certainly by members of John Gotti's Gambino crew, in revenge for DeSimone's unsanctioned murders of made man Billy Batts and of Ronald 'Foxy' Jerothe — and his body was never found.
Two murders nobody sanctioned
The real story behind Tommy DeVito's real-life model is a lesson in protocol. Batts was a made Gambino soldier; killing him without permission was a death sentence whenever the family chose to collect. Jerothe was a Gotti protege. DeSimone, a Lucchese associate, had signed his own warrant twice. Henry Hill later said Tommy was lured to a house on the promise of finally being made — the same cruel joke the film uses when it explains why Tommy was killed in Goodfellas.
DeSimone's empty grave is the darkest trivia in the whole Goodfellas catalogue, which is why the Tony Soprano Ugly Christmas Sweater belongs in every November rewatch: Tony in a black-and-white stencil, gabagool included, with the holidays coming fast.
Never found, never forgotten
Unlike the film's quick burial, the real DeSimone simply vanished in early 1979, weeks after the Lufthansa heist. No body, no funeral, no grave — his mother reportedly kept hoping for years. The Gotti crew denied it forever, but nobody in that world doubted who collected the debt.
Frequently asked questions
When did Tommy DeSimone die? He disappeared in January 1979, shortly after the Lufthansa heist, and was never seen again.
Who killed Tommy DeSimone? No one was ever charged, but Gotti's Gambino crew is widely believed responsible, in revenge for Batts and Jerothe.
Was Tommy DeSimone really going to be made? Henry Hill claimed the murder was disguised as a making ceremony — the same story the film tells.
Keep reading: The Lufthansa heist true story · Goodfellas' Christmas party scene · Jimmy Conway's real story · Did Tommy Really Shoot Spider in Goodfellas?
From the shop: Get Your Shinebox Mob Quote Tee — the insult that started it all, printed for every Goodfellas fan.
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