Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas is widely celebrated for its gritty, realistic portrayal of mob life, but less often discussed are its deep-rooted ties to Long Island. While the film largely follows the rise and fall of Henry Hill within the New York City crime world, several key moments and real-life connections tie the story directly to Long Island.
Hill himself was known to have lived in Rockville Centre during his time in the witness protection program, which came up during a 1996 appearance on The Howard Stern Show. Hill was also documented as living and working in Island Park.
A scene depicting Henry (played by Ray Liotta) and his associates at a lavish beach club was filmed at an actual beach club in Atlantic Beach, the Catalina Beach Club on Park Street.
Additionally, exterior shots along Rockaway Turnpike in Lawrence, which runs adjacent to Long Island’s Five Towns area and JFK Airport, appear in the film. Housing exteriors shown are implied to be in the Five Towns area, but some have documented these homes to actually be in Westchester and New Jersey.
Researched by Darren Paltrowitz on June 27, 2025.