Ray Liotta Robert De Niro Paul Sorvino and Joe Pesci star in Goodfellas

Entertainment Pictures/Alamy Stock Photo

30 Years Later, How Well Do You Know 'Goodfellas'?

Test your knowledge of Martin Scorsese's classic gangster film

Donald Liebenson

Published September 11, 2020

11 Questions

"I'm funny how, I mean funny like I'm a clown? I amuse you?” If you know this great line hurled magnificently by Joe Pesci, you're a Goodfellas fan. But did you know that Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning masterpiece based on Nicholas Pileggi's true crime classic, Wiseguy, turns 30 years old this month? Like many of us, you've likely seen this classic a number of times (and it's streaming right now on pretty much every major platform), but how well do you really know it? Take our quiz and determine whether you're made or whether we're going to have to turn our back on you.

30 Years Later, How Well Do You Know 'Goodfellas'?

[ {
  "question" : "It is impossible to imagine anyone other than Ray Liotta and Lorraine Bracco as mob informant Henry Hill and his wife, Karen. But two other big stars at the time were floated for these roles. Who were they?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Charlie Sheen and Meg Ryan",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Tom Cruise and Madonna",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Tom Hanks and Bette Midler",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "John Travolta and Melanie Griffith",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Michael Keaton and Mary Steenburgen",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "According to Glenn Kenny’s new book, 'Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas,' Warner Bros. executive Terry Semel floated the idea of casting Tom Cruise and Madonna. Producer Irwin Winkler thought Cruise all kinds of wrong for the part. As for Madonna, “We wouldn’t even discuss,” he said.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "As far back as he can remember, Henry Hill wanted to be a gangster. What was his first mob job?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Selling illicit cigarettes",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Parking cars",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Bus boy",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Running numbers",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Stealing cars",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Henry parked cars for the mobbed-up cabstand across the street from his house: “Here I am, this little kid, I can’t see over the steering wheel and I’m parking Cadillacs.”",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "The climax of the iconic three-minute Copacabana nightclub Steadicam shot stops on Henry and Karen being given a front row table to see what entertainer?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Tony Martin",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Al Martino",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Henny Youngman",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Vic Damone",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Myron Cohen",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Henny Youngman, “King of the One-Liners,” opens with his signature joke, “Take my wife, please.”",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What’s the name of the bar that gets torched by Henry and Joe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "The Bamboo Lounge",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Old Luna Restaurant",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Salerno’s Restaurant",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Gino’s Pizzeria",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "The Three Clubs",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The tiki-themed Bamboo Lounge also got a shout-out in 'Swingers' from Vince Vaughn, who tells a Vegas-baby cocktail waitress to meet him there.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What’s the heist that “made” Henry?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "American Airlines",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Air France",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Lufthansa ",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Idlewild Airport",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "JFK International Airport",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Air France: “We walked out with $420,000 without using a gun.”",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "‘Goodfellas’ depicts a handful of on-screen whack jobs. Who is not killed on screen in the movie?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Billy Batts (Frank Vincent)",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Paulie Cicero (Paul Sorvino)",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Morris Kessler (Chuck Low)",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci)",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Spider (Michael Imperioli)",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Paul Sorvino’s mob boss Paulie survives, but Henry’s turncoat testimony sends him to prison.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Who is the scene-stealing actress who plays Tommy DeVito’s mother?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Joe Pesci’s mother",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Nicholas Pileggi’s mother",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Robert De Niro’s mother",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Martin Scorsese’s mother",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Ray Liotta’s grandmother",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Scorsese’s mother Catherine’s credits include 10 of her son’s films. Fun fact: The painting she shows her son — of a man in a boat with two dogs — was based on a photo from a 1978 issue of 'National Geographic.' The painter? Author Nicholas Pileggi’s mother.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Which artist is heard most on the ‘Goodfellas’ soundtrack?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Tony Bennett",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Frank Sinatra",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Eric Clapton",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "The Rolling Stones",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "The Ronettes",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Eric Clapton is heard on “Layla,” “Sunshine of Your Love” and on George Harrison’s “What Is Life.” Tied with Clapton is drummer Jim Gordon, who also plays on “Layla” and “What Is Life,” and is also the drummer on Harry Nilsson’s “Jump into the Fire,” which kicks off the nerve-shattering May 11 sequence.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "As many times as you’ve seen ‘Goodfellas,’ it’s probably always a surprise when a certain future star pops up in a bit part. Who is he?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Samuel L. Jackson",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Nicolas Cage",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Philip Seymour Hoffman",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Alec Baldwin",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Steve Buscemi",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Samuel L. Jackson appears as Stacks, an ill-fated patsy in the Lufthansa heist.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Another young actor who doesn’t live to see the end credits went on to take his place in one of the screen’s premier crime families. Who was he?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Jamie Hector",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Joe Mantegna",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Michael Imperioli",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Margo Martindale",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Ron Perlman",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Michael Imperioli portrays the unfortunate Spider, who gets on Tommy’s bad side. He is best known as Christopher, Tony Soprano’s nephew on 'The Sopranos.' In one episode, an impatient Christopher shoots a bakery employee in the foot, just as Tommy did to Spider before he ultimately kills him. “It happens,” Christopher says in a nod to 'Goodfellas.'",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "How many times is the f-word used in ‘Goodfellas’?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "300",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "225",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "422",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "506",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "192",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "No, we don’t mean f as in “funny.” The other f-word is reportedly spoken 300 times. With the film’s 148-minute run time, that’s an f-word about every two minutes! Scorsese out-effed himself in 'Casino,' where the f-word is used 422 times, and then in 'The Wolf of Wall Street,' where it is employed a staggering 506 times.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

Quiz Progress

0 Correct

0 Incorrect