Henry Hill, the "Goodfella," Dies

Henry Hill, whose life was the subject of the book Wiseguy, which became the basis of the film Goodfellas, starring Ray Liotta, has died. Mr. Hill passed away in a Los Angeles hospital at the age of 69. More here from MSNBC. com, here from the Washington Post. The earnings from the book were the subject of a famous and hard-fought First Amendment lawsuit between the publisher Simon & Schuster and the New York Crime Victims Compensation Board over the state's "Son of Sam" law. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the statute, ruling that it unconstitutionally burdened a particular category of speech based on its content.

Mr. Hill sold "Goodfellas" items on his website. As of today, one can still purchase mugs (the kind that hold liquid), aprons, mousepads, and books, and get updates about him on the site.