Henry Hill, James Burke and the Ciaccio Extortion Case FBI Files

Henry Hill, James Burke and the Ciaccio Extortion Case FBI Files

647 pages of FBI Files covering Henry Hill, who was portrayed by Ray Liotta in the Martin Scorsese directed 1990 film "Goodfellas," James Burke, who was the model for the fictional character Jimmy Conway, played by Robert DeNiro in the film "Goodfellas," and their connection to the Gaspar Ciaccio extortion case.

Henry Hill Jr. (1943 – 2012) was an associate of the Lucchese Crime Family, based in New York City. He was active with the Family from 1955 to 1980. His affiliation with the Family ended, when in 1980 he was arrested on narcotics charges and subsequently became an FBI informant. Hill testified in court against many of his former crime associates, resulting in fifty convictions, including those of James Burke and Lucchese caporegime Paul Vario, who was portrayed as Paul Cicero by Paul Sorvino in the film "Goodfellas. “ Hill was placed in the Witness Protection Program but was removed in the 1990's due to drug activity. 

James Burke (1931 – 1996), also known as "Jimmy the Gent," has been credited with organizing the 1978 Lufthansa heist, which was the largest cash robbery in American history at the time. An FBI memo describes Burke as a "known strongarm extortionist who has traveled from New York to Florida in the past for extortionate purposes and is well acquainted with hijacking activities at JFK Airport, Queens, N.Y."  Burke has been linked to 50 murders.

The first page in this document collection is a one-page 1992 FBI memo concerning Henry Hill wearing a wire as part of an investigation into an alleged murder for hire plot in which Hill was to be killed.

The rest of the material dates from 1970 and 1971 and covers the investigation, arrests and trials related to the Gaspar Ciaccio extortion criminal case. 

In the movie “Goodfellas,” Ray Liotta playing Henry Hill is seen threatening to throw Gaspar Ciaccio into a lion's cage at a Tampa zoo if Ciaccio did not come up the money to pay his delinquent gambling debts. In reality no lion was involved.

Hill and Burke in 1970 traveled to Tampa, Florida to help collect gambling debts owed to Burke's friend, union boss Casey “Cosmo" Rosado, by Ciaccio and Dr. Felix LoCicero. Cosmo Rosado, James Burke, Henry Hill and Louis Lopez flew from New York to Tampa the night of October 8 arriving about 9:45 p.m.

Around 10:30 that night, Luis Charbonier and Rosado, accompanied by the others from New York, accosted Ciaccio in his own lounge, the Temple Terrace Lounge. Ciaccio was told to accompany the men to Charbonier's lounge, the Char-Pal. When Ciaccio refused, Burke nudged a gun against his ribs. Ciaccio went along, surrounded by his five abductors. Hill and Lopez, sitting on either side of Ciaccio in the back seat of the car on the way to the other lounge, began beating him. Lopez split open Ciaccio's forehead with a pistol. Hill and Lopez stated that they would kill Ciaccio, but that it would not be worth-while since they wanted their $8,000. At the Char-Pal Ciaccio was placed in the stockroom and beaten some more.

Raul Charbonier called Gaspar's brother, Fano Ciaccio, at the Temple Terrace Lounge. Raul explained to Fano that they had his brother, and they were 'working him over.'  Raul said, 'These fellows are from up North and they want their $8,000.' Fano went to the Char-Pal Lounge to negotiate with Charbonier. After Fano explained he did not have the $8,000, Rosado told him that he could have a week to produce it. Subsequently, Raul Charbonier brought Gaspar back to the Temple Terrace Lounge.

After Gaspar Ciaccio's beating, Charbonier called LoCicero. Charbonier informed LoCicero that they had Gaspar and they wanted to come over to see LoCicero. Charbonier agreed that, if LoCicero would promise to pay his balance in the morning, he would keep away from him. LoCicero agreed. He paid Raul Charbonier $4,000 to cancel his gambling debt.

In November 1970, the United States indicted James Burke, Henry Hill, Louis Lopez, Raul Charbonier and Luis Charbonier on five counts. The charges consisted of (1) making extortionate extensions of credit; (2) using extortionate means of collecting debts; (3) interstate travel in furtherance of extortion; (4) interstate travel for promotion of an illegal gambling enterprise; and (5) use of interstate telephone facilities in an unlawful gambling enterprise.

On November 24, 1970, six days after the federal indictment was returned, Florida state officials charged these defendants with kidnapping, extortion and assault with intent to murder Gaspar Ciaccio. The state case was tried in early March 1971. All defendants were acquitted. 

The federal case was delayed until October 1972. The trial court directed a verdict of not guilty on Count V as to Burke, Hill and Lopez, because no evidence of phone calls by them existed. The jury found the Charboniers guilty on all counts and Burke, Hill and Lopez guilty on Counts I through IV. The court sentenced each defendant to ten years' imprisonment.

Hill was paroled after serving 4 years at United States Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Burke 6 years.

Some documents in the collection make various mentions of individuals in the Tampa criminal underworld and their activities. 

In addition to the material above this collection contains the text of the findings of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit of the Defendant’s appeal. The document contains information surrounding the events leading to the charges and trials.