Billy Batts Wasn’t Killed Over a Joke — Goodfellas Got It Wrong

Описание: Goodfellas made you believe Billy Batts died over an insult. The truth is far more calculated.

In June 1979, William “Billy Batts” Bentvena, a made member of the Gambino crime family, was beaten, stabbed, and buried in a shallow grave in Queens. The movie version says Tommy DeSimone snapped over a joke about shining shoes. But the real story involves economic turf wars, territorial control, and Jimmy Burke’s cold calculation.

When made men return from prison, they reclaim their rackets. Unless someone decides they’re worth more dead than alive.

What You’ll Discover:

• The real timeline of Billy Batts’ murder on June 11, 1970
• Why Jimmy Burke participated in killing a made man
• How prison releases disrupted Mafia income structures
• The economic motive Goodfellas completely ignored
• Tommy DeSimone’s revenge murder orchestrated by John Gotti
• Henry Hill’s testimony and what it revealed about Burke’s role
• The forensic details of how Batts’ body was discovered in 1976

Key Figures:

Billy Batts (William Bentvena) — Gambino soldier, murdered age 49
Jimmy Burke — Lucchese associate, mastermind behind the killing
Tommy DeSimone — The triggerman who paid with his life
Henry Hill — Witness and cooperating informant
John Gotti — Ordered Tommy’s execution 9 years later

This isn’t just about one murder. It’s about how the Mafia operates when Hollywood cameras aren’t watching.

When a man’s return from prison threatens the power structure that formed in his absence. When insults are convenient cover for financial motives. When rage becomes a tool for elimination.

Verified Sources:

Nicholas Pileggi’s “Wiseguy” (primary source material)
FBI case files on William Bentvena homicide investigation
Henry Hill’s federal testimony transcripts

Subscribe to MAFIA TALKS for weekly deep dives into the untold stories of organized crime. We go beyond the movies. We find the truth.

#Goodfellas #BillyBatts #TommyDeSimone #JimmyBurke #MafiaHistory #TrueCrime #OrganizedCrime #GambinoFamily #MobStories #MafiaDocumentary #CrimeHistory #NewYorkMafia #HenryHill #JohnGotti #MafiaKillings