Billy Batts’ murder has lasting consequences; goodfellas is full of terrifying gangsters, and these 5 are its scariest

Friendship and sudden violence

Henry Hill spends much of Goodfellas among men he calls friends. They share meals, celebrate birthdays and swap stories, but pride or money can quickly turn a gathering dangerous.

A dispute over Tommy DeVito’s old shoeshine work escalates when Tommy attacks Billy Batts. Henry and Jimmy Conway join in, then deal with the body; afterward, they stop at Tommy’s mother’s house to eat while Batts remains in their car.

Henry’s violence behind charm

Henry can seem reasonable beside Tommy’s unpredictable outbursts, partly because he narrates the story. Yet his own actions show that he is comfortable with crime and violence. After Karen tells him that her neighbor Bruce sexually assaulted her, Henry takes a gun across the street and repeatedly hits Bruce with it. He threatens Bruce’s friends, warns Bruce to stay away, then gives Karen the weapon and asks her to hide it.

Billy Batts and mafia standing

Billy Batts is a made man, with the protection that comes from formal acceptance into the mafia. Henry and Jimmy lack that status, leaving them exposed to wider consequences if they cross him.

At a welcome-home party, Billy mocks Tommy about shining shoes and keeps taunting him. Tommy later attacks him with Jimmy’s help, but the killing has lasting consequences: Henry explains that Batts’ death was among the reasons Tommy was eventually killed.

Paulie’s power over others

Paulie Cicero is presented as a powerful mafia boss who takes a share of his men’s earnings and expects obedience. He does not need to throw punches when others are ready to act on his behalf.

Restaurant owner Sonny asks Paulie for protection from Tommy. The supplied account ends as it begins describing Paulie’s response, so it does not provide further details about what he does.