Nicholas Pileggi

Nicholas Pileggi
Pileggi in 2010
Born (1933-02-22) February 22, 1933
New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation Producer, author, screenwriter
Years active 1989–present
Spouse(s)
Nora Ephron
(m. 1987; d. 2012)
Parent(s) Nick Pileggi
Susan (Defaslo) Pileggi

Nicholas Pileggi (/pɪlɛɡiː/; born February 22, 1933) is an American producer, author and screenwriter. He is best known for writing the non-fiction book Wiseguy and co-writing 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 New York City, the elder son of an Italian immigrant father, Nicola ("Nick") Pileggi from Calabria and an American-born mother, Susie. He has a younger brother, Dominick. Nicola "Nick" Pileggi was a cinema musician for silent films and later owned a shoe store.[1][2]

In the 1950s, he worked as a journalist for Associated Press and New York Magazine, specializing in crime reporting for more than three decades;[1] this would provide the background upon which he later drew as a writer of factual books and fictional films related to the Mafia.[3]

Career

Pileggi began his career as a journalist and had a profound interest in the Mafia.[1] He is best known for writing Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family (1986), 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 co-written and directed by Martin Scorsese.[4] Pileggi also wrote the screenplay for the film City Hall (1996), starring Al Pacino. He served as an Executive Producer of American Gangster (2007), a biographical crime film based on the criminal career of Frank Lucas. He also authored Blye, Private Eye (1987).[5]

Pileggi co-wrote the pilot of the CBS television series Vegas, which first aired in September 2012.[1]

Personal life

Pileggi was married to fellow author, journalist, and screenwriter Nora Ephron from 1987 until her death in 2012.[1]

Partial filmography

Year Film Role Notes / Awards Won
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[6] Writer –
1995 Casino Screenplay / Book –
1996 City Hall Written by –
2007 Kings of South Beach Written by / Producer –
American Gangster Executive Producer –
2016 The Godmother Producer –

Books

  • Pileggi, Nicholas (1995). Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas (First ed.). Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-684-80832-1.
  • Pileggi, Nicholas (1985). Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family (First ed.). Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671-72322-4.
  • Pileggi, Nicholas (1976). Blye, Private Eye (First ed.). Playboy Press, Chicago. ISBN 978-0-87223-475-8.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Adams, Tim (2013-02-03). "Nicholas Pileggi: the mob, Nora Ephron's death and Vegas". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  2. ↑ Profile, filmreference.com; accessed June 15, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Nicholas Pileggi : Biography". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2017-06-16.
  4. ↑ Vlastelica, Ryan (September 18, 2015). "Goodfellas turned Wiseguy's simple prose into cinematic gold". AV Club.
  5. ↑ "BLYE, PRIVATE EYE: The Real World of the Private Detective by Nicholas Pileggi". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  6. ↑ Loynd, Ray (July 25, 1994). "'Loyalty and Betrayal': An Inside Look at the Mafia". Los Angeles Times.
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