Nicholas Pileggi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nicholas Pileggi
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Pileggi in 2010
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Born | New York City, U.S. |
February 22, 1933
Occupation | Author, screenwriter, journalist |
Genre | Crime fiction |
Subject | Mafia |
Years active | 1989–present |
Notable works |
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Spouse |
Nicholas Pileggi (/pɪˈlɛdʒi/, Italian: [piˈleddʒi]; born February 22, 1933) is an American author and screenwriter. He wrote the 1985 non-fiction book Wiseguy and co-wrote the screenplay for Goodfellas, its 1990 film adaptation, for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Early life
Pileggi was born and raised in Brooklyn, the elder son of an Italian immigrant father, Nicola ("Nick") Pileggi from Calabria and an American-born mother, Susie. Nicola "Nick" Pileggi was a musician who played slide trombone in a cinema orchestra for silent films; he subsequently also owned shoe stores.
In the 1950s, he worked as a journalist for Associated Press and New York magazine, specializing in crime reporting for more than three decades.
Career
Pileggi began his career as a journalist and had a profound interest in the Mafia. He is best known for writing Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family (1985), which he adapted into the movie Goodfellas (1990), and for writing Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas and the subsequent screenplay for Casino (1995). The movie versions of both were directed and co-written by Martin Scorsese. Pileggi also wrote the screenplay for the film City Hall (1996), starring Al Pacino. ..... He also authored Blye, Private Eye (1987).
Pileggi co-wrote the pilot of the CBS television series Vegas, which first aired in September 2012.
Personal life
Pileggi was married to fellow author, journalist, and filmmaker Nora Ephron from 1987 until her death in 2012. Journalist Gay Talese is his first cousin.
Partial filmography
Year | Film | Role | Notes / Awards Won |
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1990 | Goodfellas | Screenplay / Book | BAFTA – Best Screenplay – Adapted (1991) Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay |
1993 | Father Hood | Producer | |
1994 | Loyalty & Betrayal: The Story of the American Mob | Writer | – |
1995 | Casino | Screenplay / Book | – |
1996 | City Hall | Written by | – |
2007 | Kings of South Beach | Written by / Producer | – |
American Gangster | Executive Producer | – | |
2012 | Vegas | Co-Creator and Executive Producer | |
2019 | The Irishman | Executive Producer | – |
2024 | Alto Knights | Writer |
See also
In Spanish: Nicholas Pileggi para niños In Spanish: Nicholas Pileggi para niños