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Initially, Scorsese hesitated to dive into a traditional mafia narrative. But upon reading Hill's biography, his enthusiasm ignited. He was keen to showcase an authentic representation of the mafia lifestyle shaped by his own experiences growing up in New York's Little Italy.
To preserve the film's fidelity, Scorsese hired real mobsters as extras and focused on keeping the central characters close to their real-life counterparts. The film opens with a powerful narrative: as far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster. This line sets the tone for the life of Henry Hill, who joined organized crime at a young age and spent over three decades climbing the criminal ranks.