Former mobster Henry Hill was the inspiration for one of the most significant gangster movies ever made, Martin Scorsese‘s Goodfellas. He passed away in a Los Angeles hospital on Tuesday at age 69 due to an undisclosed long term illness. Hill was an FBI informant who helped put dozens of criminals behind bars. In Goodfellas, Hill was portrayed by Ray Liotta, and the story followed his rise within the criminal underworld. The film made Hill a celebrity of sorts and on the 20th anniversary of Goodfellas Hill discussed his downward spiral, saying, “We partied five, six nights a week and I was making $15,000 to $40,000 a week. That was just my end. But I was a degenerate gambler. I could lose $40,000 in a week.” Hill eventually betrayed the mob and was placed in the witness protection program with his family. ~Stacy Raivich