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James Burke (July 5, 1931 – April 13, 1996), also known as "Jimmy the Gent", was an American gangster and Lucchese crime family associate who is believed to have organized the 1978 Lufthansa heist, the largest cash robbery in American history at the time. He was believed to be responsible for the deaths of those involved in the months after ...
Apr 19, 2023 · The real-life counterpart to Jimmy Conway was James "Jimmy the Gent" Burke, who (like in the film) was sentenced to prison on the testimony of Henry Hill in 1982, specifically in relation to...
Feb 28, 2024 · The infamous New York City gangster Jimmy Burke, the inspiration for Jimmy Conway in Goodfellas, always had a knack for getting away with things. As an Irish-American, Burke was never formally inducted into a Mafia family.
Mar 3, 2014 · Jimmy Burke was a violent, ruthless criminal who worked with the mafia and committed countless murders and the Lufthansa heist. He was the model for Robert De Niro's character in Martin Scorcese's movie Goodfellas.
Mar 9, 2024 · The story comes courtesy of the 1986 nonfiction bestseller Wiseguy that detailed the life of Lucchese crime family associate Henry Hill, as well as his comrades like James “Jimmy The Gent” Burke and Thomas DeSimone, and their involvement in the infamous Lufthansa heist.
Mar 9, 2024 · James Burke, played by Robert De Niro as “Jimmy Conway” in the film, was the principal architect of the Lufthansa heist. Soon after he was born — in 1931, to an Irish immigrant single mother in New York — Burke was placed into foster care and shifted from orphanages to foster homes and back throughout his childhood.
Jan 20, 2023 · Jimmy Burke, a Lucchese crime family associate, planned and led the 1978 Lufthansa Heist that netted $5.8 million in cash and jewels. He also ordered the killings of several people involved in the caper, including his mentor Henry Hill, who became an FBI informant.
