Nicholas Pileggi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicholas Pileggi
Pileggi in 2010
Born	(1933-02-22) February 22, 1933 (age 92) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Screenwriter journalist
Genre	True crime
Subject	Organized crime
Years active	1950s–present
Notable works	Wiseguy (1985) Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas (1995)
Spouse	Nora Ephron ​ ​ (m. 1987; died 2012)​

Nicholas Pileggi (born February 22, 1933) is an American author, screenwriter, and journalist. He is well-known for writing the 1985 non-fiction book Wiseguy. He also helped write the movie script for Goodfellas, which was the 1990 film based on his book. For his work on Goodfellas, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Early Life and Journalism

Nicholas Pileggi was born and grew up in Brooklyn, New York City. His father, Nicola Pileggi, was an immigrant from Italy. He was a musician who played the trombone and also owned shoe stores. Nicholas's mother, Susie, was born in America.

In the 1950s, Pileggi started his career as a journalist. He worked for news organizations like the Associated Press and New York magazine. For over 30 years, he focused on reporting stories about important events and people, often those involved in organized groups.

Writing and Film Career

Pileggi in 1986

Pileggi became very interested in how certain organized groups worked. He is most famous for writing Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family in 1985. This book was later made into the popular movie Goodfellas in 1990. Pileggi helped write the screenplay for the movie.

He also wrote the book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas. This book was also turned into a movie called Casino in 1995. Both Goodfellas and Casino were directed by Martin Scorsese. Scorsese also helped Pileggi write the screenplays for these films.

Pileggi also co-wrote the movie script for City Hall (1996), which starred Al Pacino. He was an executive producer for the film American Gangster (2007). This movie was based on the life of a person named Frank Lucas. Pileggi also wrote another book called Blye, Private Eye in 1987.

In 2012, Pileggi helped create a TV series for CBS called Vegas. He co-wrote the first episode of the show.

Personal Life

Nicholas Pileggi was married to Nora Ephron. She was also a well-known author, journalist, and filmmaker. They were married from 1987 until her death in 2012. The journalist Gay Talese is Pileggi's first cousin.

Notable Works in Film

Pileggi has worked on several films and TV shows. Here are some of his roles:

Books Written

• Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family (1985)
• Blye, Private Eye (1987)
• Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas (1995)

See also

In Spanish: Nicholas Pileggi para niños