Why did they wait so long to kill Tommy?
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chouse1020 — 9 years ago(October 26, 2016 07:36 PM)
I was thinking the same thing, that the Gambinos would be angry that Vario would keep information about who killed Batts
Yeah, that would be the major hole in Henry's recollection, and as others have pointed out, Henry was a total liar - so who knows. It could be one of the real things he didn't embellish too much, or it could be a complete figment of his imagination.
If the Gambinos thought that Paulie had kept that information from them for years, one would expect that they would then have had a sit down with the Luchesse leadership.
Perhaps the Luchesse boss wouldn't allow the Gambinos to whack Paulie due to his status as a great earner, but if that were the case, at the very least I'd think they would demand a major "tax" on Paulie.
So how did Vario find out? Vario would have to protect his associates because they were good earners.
Vario definitely would want to protect his people, however the instant that protecting one of his guys who was out of line could impact his own standing, I think we all understand that it was a quick decision to "allow liquidation" in order to remain alive and in good standing. -
putter_b — 9 years ago(October 27, 2016 11:08 AM)
As I had stated before
Tommy was a wildcard that Paulie hated. Jimmy and his crew would intentionally get rid of Tommy if Paulie was going to be coming around. Tommy had 2 brothers, both were rats and both were murdered because of it. With that in mind, Paulie didn't trust Tommy and knew that eventually Tommy was going to be a problem.
I am not sure if Paulie knew that Tommy killed Batts, the Gambino's couldn't prove it one way or the other. BUT they could prove that Tommy killed Foxxy, who was John Gotti's protege'. That is what more or less did Tommy in. -
chouse1020 — 9 years ago(October 29, 2016 08:16 AM)
With that in mind, Paulie didn't trust Tommy and knew that eventually Tommy was going to be a problem.
Yeah, even for that group of people Tommy was way too wild.
I don't think that it was his willingness to commit violent acts, but his stupidity in doing them so publicly that kept him on their radar to always be aware of him.
When he started whacking "people with powerful friends" it was just a matter of time before they clipped him.
I'd love to watch actual surveillance footage of them making the decision to get rid of him - and even them doing him in. Tommy in the film was actually a pretty sane guy compared to the brute he was in real life, plus he was a pretty huge guy and not the little weakling like Pesci is. -
chinaglenn — 9 years ago(October 26, 2016 05:25 AM)
Interesting conversation.
I was thinking the same thing, that the Gambinos would be angry that Vario would keep information about who killed Batts, who was a "made man" of the Gambinos, while the Goodfellas gang were Luchesse, and like being said before, Tommy was not made, and Gotti or whomever else did not need permission from upstairs to kill him.
How the Gambinos found out that it was Tommy was left out of Goodfellas altogether. In the film, Tommy and Jimmy murdered Batts with Henry as an accomplice. So obviously Tommy, Jimmy and Henry stayed silent for their own protection, and Paulie asking Henry later if he heard anything about this Batts guy because the Gambinos kept pestering him about it. So how did Vario find out? Vario would have to protect his associates because they were good earners. -
cabal24 — 9 years ago(October 26, 2016 07:29 AM)
A few people on the thread are saying Tommy tried to rape Karen Hill and she was having an affair with Paulie and thats what caused Paulie to give him up. Im not too sure I buy that.
I mean, its possible it could have happened but the only person to say that was Henry Hill and even that was in the 2nd book. Though I suppose nobody ever asked Vario or Karen Hill.
Keep in mind Henry was incapable of telling the truth. Seems to me that a major detail like that would have been said in Wiseguy. There really isnt a reason to hide it- its not like he was protecting Tommy's honor or anything. I think Henry made it up because it gave him more to say in another book.
What I think happened was that Tommy said/did something to cross the line with Paulie later on and it was probably over money. Or maybe the Gambinos were really turning up the heat on Vario and he had to give somebody up.
But the real answer to the question is who knows with these guys. -
t-basham69 — 9 years ago(November 04, 2016 07:46 PM)
I'm finding that hard to believe too, because that's one of the 'cardinal sins' of the mafiahaving an affair with another member's/associate's wife. Of course, it could only apply to made men, and since Henry was only an associate, that's why Paulie went ahead with it.
But remember the narration in the movie, when Tommy is whacked: "It was revenge for Billy Battsand a lot of other things."