One of the Giants Good Fellas FP Santangelo played the utility role for San Francisco in 1999 during his playing days and is currently a talk show host on the San Francisco Giants flagship station 68 KNBR San Francisco (photo by SF Giants)
For Us to Live Another Way Was Nuts
We have taken Martin Scorsese’s classic 1990 film “GoodFellas” and recast the film with historical figures from the San Francisco Giants
By Tony “The Tiger” Hayes
Next month will mark the 35th anniversary of one of the greatest films ever made, Martin Scorsese’s 1990 classic gangster picture “GoodFellas” a gritty mob crime drama that details the life and adventures of former New York City mafia figure Henry Hill and his cohorts in the Lucchese Family.
Generally regarded as Scorsese’s best film, the tour de force was both a box office and critically critical acclaimed masterpiece detailing all aspects of the gangster life from the everyday mundane spaghetti sauce splatters to truly horrifying blood soaked affairs as seen through the eyes of Hill, who rose from a entry level teenage gofer to high-ranking top-earner in the Lucchese crime family from 1955-80.
Adapted from Nicolas Pileggi’s 1985 true crime book “Wiseguy,” the film stars an evocative Ray Liotta as Hill, a calculating Robert De Niro and intense Joe Pesci as Hill’s gangland running mates Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito respectively.
Lorraine Bracco also stars as Hill’s frazzled wife Karen. The movie also features several other unforgettable performances in supporting roles, especially Paul Sorvino as Paulie Cicero and Chris Imperioli as “Spider.”
Known for it’s portrayal of classic East Coast Italian-American culture; unimaginable violence; quick-cut action sequences and a glib dialogue much of which was reported generated through free-wheeling ad-lib rehearsal sessions – “GoodFellas” was a stimulating and satisfying popcorn muncher that flew by, even at it’s extended two hours and 26 minutes running time.
Now – with all due respect to Scorsese’s excellent casting choices – we have decided to repopulate the picture with figures with San Francisco Giants ties.
Henry Hill
“GoodFellas” : Ray Liotta
“GiantsFellas”: Jack Clark
A real-life New York mafia figure, who dreamed of becoming a gangster the way some kids fantasize of becoming big leaguers, Liotta’s Hill is the main character and narrator Scorsese’s film adaptation of “Wiseguys.”
Liotta – who portrayed the ghost of disgraced former baseball star Shoeless Joe Jackson in 1989’s “Field of Dreams” – plays Hill with an alternating burning intensity and charming vulnerability that displays a comedic tinge.
Because of his half Irish/ half Italian heritage, Hill was never eligible to become a full Lucchese Family member no matter how hard he work or how much he earned.
But Hill finds comfort in his adopted Mafia family that he didn’t have in his blood family. Paulie is especially enamored with Henry as fully endorses his assent in the organization.
Similar to Hill’s character, Jack Clark is also half-Italian, half-Irish.
Hill character in the movie says: “For as long as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster.”
And despite growing up in Los Angeles, Clark grew up a Giants fan, favoring the colors Orange & Black over Dodger Blue.
A Giants slugger from 1975-84, Clark was consistently San Francisco’s top ballplayer during his time with Bay City and remains near the top of several offensive categories in the franchise’s west coast history.
But despite his robust productivity for the City by the Bay – 163 home runs, a San Francisco best 26-game hitting steak and two All-Star game berths – Clark is never mentioned as alongside franchise legends Mays, McCovey and Cepeda because the club played poorly for most of the “Ripper’s” time within with the organization – never making the playoffs and contending in just two campaigns (1978, 1982).
Like Hill who could never be a made man in the Lucchese Family due to his Irish blood, Clark was never recognized as a full-heritage Giants great. His uniform no. 22 was even retired to honor another Giants legend coincidentally named “Clark,” the fabulous Will Clark.
After entering the Witness Protection program in “GoodFellas,” Hill is forced into a new mundane lifestyle. He and Karen change their names, move to an anonymous midwest town and become regular people who, in his words, live like “schnooks.”
On the flip side, after Clark was traded to a midwest city in 1985 (St. Louis) he immediately found the greatest success and notoriety of his career, bashing a pennant wii ing three-run home off the Dodgers Tom Niedenfuer in Game 5 of the ‘85 NL Championship Series and going on to help the Cardinals win the ‘85 World Series in a classic seven game series vs. Kansas City.
Tommy DeVito
“GoodFellas”: Joe Pesci
“GiantsFellas”: John Montefusco
Based on real-life underworld figure
Tommy De Simone, Pesci’s portrayal of Tommy DeVito as a dapper, hair-trigged psycho killer earned the Italian-American showman an Academy Award in the Best Supporting Actor category.
Pesci’s unnerving “I’m funny how, I mean funny like I’m a clown. I amuse you?” scene is the most memorable in a film chockablock with unforgettable scenes.
Tommy flys off the handle over the mundane: murdering a made man over a verbal insult, wasting a bartender for giving him a little lip and brazenly ambushing a mob cohort for failing to maintain pinkie ring etiquette.
DeVito is eventually cornered and popped himself when his penchant for unpredictable violence became a liability for the Lucchese family.
Now, Montefusco never beat anyone to death with a baseball bat during his six years with San Francisco, but he did utilize a Louisville Slugger in his Giants major league debut, bludgeoning a home run and pitching nine innings of one run ball to earn the win in a 9-5 comeback at Dodger Stadium (9/3/74).
A New Jersey native like Pesci, Montefusco burst on to the Candlestick Park scene in the mid-1970s with the swagger of a John Gotti/Juan Marichal collaboration.
Nicknamed “The Count” by Giants broadcaster Al Michaels, the brash and outspoken Montefusco quickly caught the attention of Giants fans with his fabulous pitching abilities- capturing Rookie of the Year honors in 1975 and pitching a No-Hitter in 1976 – and a cocksure attitude that spawned a string of bold predictions that occasionally thrust Montefusco into national news stories.
But the 1976 All-Star also had a dark and volition side. In 1980, the righty tried his hand at dugout fisticuffs with manager Dave Bristol, the pitcher receiving a bruised ego and a black eye.
After his playing days concluded, Montefusco was accused of abusing his former wife resulting in several serious domestic abuse felonies charges. Due to an excessively high bail, Montefusco spent a long stretch in jail as he awaited trial. Montefusco was eventually acquitted of the most serious of the charges and sentenced to three years probation.
Jimmy Conway
“GoodFellas” : Robert De Niro
“GiantsFellas” : Rich Aurillia
Based on real-life New York gangland figure Jimmy Burke, Conway is played by a suave Robert Di Niro.
Conway headed up the major caper of “GoodFellas” – the multimillion heist of cash from a Lufthansa airliner at New York’s JFK airport.
Though he presented himself as articulate and genteel, Conway was also a criminal mastermind capable of turning brutally violent when the occasional calls for it. out.
Deadly serious about the mafia’s code of “omertà” Conway tells Hill: “…never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut.”
At one point Conway considers the Hills as close as blood relatives, vacationing and hitting the New York hot spots with them.
But Conway eventually becomes paranoid – liberally whacking other crew members he’s afraid may turn on him.
Hill appears to be next on his list. But before Conway can act on his fears, Hill turns states evidence and sends Conway upstate to the Graybar Hotel.
We’ve chosen Aurillia, the popular former Giants shortstop to play Conway for his New York roots and close resemblance to De Niro when the film was made.
A well-spoken, thoughtful player who took his duties of speaking to the media to heart during his playing days with the Orange & Black, Richie’s locker was the first destination for reporters looking for someone to talk after a tough loss or any general topic revolving around Barry Bonds on going drama.
Paulie Cicero
“GoodFellas” : Paul Sorvino
“GiantsFellas” Joe Altobelli
Based on Lucchese family capo Paul Vario, the fatherly Cicero christened Henry Hill into mob life as a fresh faced teen, hiring the high school dropout as a gofer and numbers runner.
Sorvino’s Cicero was dedicated family man, preferring his wine and Italian delicacies over typical gangsters stuff like whacking guys.
“Vinnie, don’t put too many onions in the sauce,” Paulie says.
Cicero only got his hands messy when he was busy in the kitchen.
Later in the film Hill turns on Cicero providing testimony that will send him to prison.
Played by veteran New York actor Sorvino with calm reassurance, we have chosen Altobelli, also a native New Yorker himself to take on the Cicero role.
Unlike his Los Angeles Dodgers counterpart at the time and fellow East Coaster, Tommy Lasorda, Altobelli was a mellow Italian-American who rarely raised his temper in the dugout.
But like Sorvino’s unhurried character in “GoodFellas” Altobelli got results – to a point.
After taking over a talent depleted club in 1977, Altobelli had the Orange & Black riding high in the standings for most of 1978. The Giants’ shocking rise earned the native New Yorker “Manager of the Year” that season.
But like Cicero who eventually went to prison in the film when Hill turned on him, it all went sour for Altobelli in 1979 when the club plummeted back to earth and players spoke out disparaging about Joe’s laize faire skippering style. A hit was placed on Joe and he was replaced mid-season by Dave Bristol.
Karen Hill
“GoodFellas” : Lorraine Bracco
“GiantsFellas” : Renel
Like Karen, the devoted wife of Henry Hill who stuck with her man despite years of skirt-chasing and mob related nonsense, Renel was a popular Top 40 disc jockey who surrendered her radio career to devote more energy to being the Giants high-energy signature Oracle Park PA announcer for nearly a quarter century before being unceremoniously dumped in 2024.
Rebel is perfect to read the lines: “Our husbands weren’t brain surgeons, they were blue-collar guys. The only way they could make extra money, real extra money, was to go out and cut a few corners.”
In “GoodFellas,” Bracco’s “Karen” was “good Jewish girl” who alternately appalled and stimulated by the gangster lifestyle.
Eventually she becomes more than a typical stand on the sidelines mob wife, actively assisting Henry in drug trafficking, racketeering and money laundering.
Karen eventually loses the standard protective status given mob wives when she testifies against other Luccese family members.
Like the unconventional “Karen”, Renel was hardly your standard public address announcer. With her stylized player introductions , Renel brought an urban dee-jay style to the announcers cat-bird never heard before in a sports setting.
The PA announcer at Third & King since day one in 2000, Renel introduced a myriad of events at the ballpark ranging from the heartbreaking – the return to baseball after the 9/11 terrorist attacks – to Barry Bonds record breaking home run chase to four World Series. Renel was also a tireless booster of Giants baseball and its various charities away from the ballpark.
Similar to Karen who gave up everything to enter witness protection status with her husband, Renel who knows where all the bodies are buried in Giantsland, and surely has all the behind the scenes dirt on the Bonds PED scandal never exposed any dirt on the Orange & Black higher-ups, even after getting unceremoniously getting kicked to the curb after wisely or not after speaking out negatively about the team’s chief shareholder’s conservation political leanings.
Billy Batts
“GoodFellas” : Frank Vincent
“GiantsFellas” : Johnny Antonelli
A Gambino Family made man with an ability to get under peoples skin with his verbal jabs, Batts tweeks Pesci’s Tommy so relentlessly – calling him “shoe shine boy” – that the quick to temper rival gangster goes medieval on Batts ass – killing him in a blood soaked rampage before Hill and Conway help De Vito dispose of Batts’ body by burying it in a remote upstate cow pasture.
The part of Batts is played by veteran mob movie veteran Vincent in “GoodFellas.”
For our G -Man remake we’ve chosen fellow New Yorker and Italian-American former Giants pitcher Johnny Antonelli.
The Rochester, New York legend never told Giants fans to “go home and get your shine box”, no, he did worse… criticizing San Francisco’s legendary Fog.
An original San Francisco Giant who played with the club in New York, Antonelli also got in trouble with his mouth as a San Francisco Giant when he grumbled out loud about the wind and cold summers of the City by the Bay while trying to pitch at both Seals Stadium ( “a minor league bandbox”) and Candlestick Park, suggesting pitchers get paid extra to toil in the ‘Stick’s notorious biting chill and gusty conditions.
Compared to Batts, Antonelli got off good. Instead of getting eradicated and turned into compost, the Giants simply traded Johnny when the local booing got so intense it became a national story.
But when you consider the fact the opinionated southpaw was shipped to Cleveland, maybe, just maybe, he would have been better off taking his chances with an incensed Pesci.
Spider
“GoodFellas”: Michael Imperioli
“GiantsFellas” : F.P. Santangelo
An unassuming young bartender nicknamed “Spider” is a briefly appearing, but unforgettable “GoodFellas” character. Played by Michael Imperial of “Sopranos” fame, Spider is terrorized by Tommy who accidentally shoots the young mixologist in the foot while making him “dance” like a scene out of a Western. Eventually he offs him the next time they meet when, an exasperated Spider tells the sociopath mobster to go “f— himself.”
In the “GiantsFellas” remake the part of Spider is performed by former San Francisco utility-man F.P. Santangelo.
We realize that the Santangelo casting is against type – he’s usually the one doing the boasting and bullying – just check his track record in Washington. But Santangelo is also extremely annoying, especially in his current part-time broadcasting gig with the Orange & Black – Tommy would find Frank-Paul the perfect foil.
Tommy’s Mother
“GoodFellas” :Catherine Scorsese
“GiantsFellas”: Mike Murphy
Before heading out to the sticks to dispose of Billy Batts remains, the boys stop by Tommy’s boyhood home, to secure a few shovels and the odd bone saw. Despite their quiet entry, the guys invariably wake Tommy’s elderly mother, played by Scorsese’s own precious mom Catherine.
Despite her knowledge of the boys vocation she hilariously treats them like kids home from school and promptly throws together a midnight snack and thermoses of coffee for their nocturnal wanderings.
For more than 60 years, equipment man Mike Murphy was the Giants on the spot homemaker. Besides mending torn uniform pants, “Mother Murphy” always had plenty of tummy filling snacks at the ready for the kids in Orange & Black.
Frankie Carbone
“GoodFellas”: Frank Sivero
“GiantsFellas”: Joey Lucchesi
Lucchese Family member Carbone, took part in the Lufthansa caper and was paid off shortly afterwards. But instead of lying low as instructed by Conway, Frankie began flaunting his new found wealth, buy expensive jewelry, a flashy new cadillac and a very luxurious mink fur coast for his wife. A livid Conway rips the coat away from Carbone’s better half and demands he stop acting so suspiciously.
Shortly thereafter, Carbone is found frozen stiff as a two-by-four hanging in the back of a refrigerated delivery truck.
“… it took them three days to thaw him out for the autopsy,” Hill tells the audience.
Similarly to what it felt like after collecting a “Croix de Candlestick” pin after a frosty extra inning night game.
We have cast current Giants left-handed relief pitcher Joey Lucchesi aka “Joey Fuego” in the Frankie Carbone role primarily because he has the name of a guy Scorsese would likely cast to play a guy name “Frankie Carbone.”
Morrie Kessler
“GoodFellas”: Chuck Low
“GiantsFellas” : Casey Schmitt
Based on real-life wig shop owner and mob cohort Martin Kidman, Morrie is a comical TV pitchman for men’s hair pieces – he’s the company’s owner AND a client – Morrie is also a degenerate gambler and mob associate who helped setup the airliner heist and is played with comedic flair by Chuck Low.
Unfortunately Morrie is is also rubbed out when Conway grows tired of the annoying persistent grumbling by Morrie regarding his payout for the airline robbery.
We’ve tabbed current Giants infielder Casey Schmitt to act out lines like, “Don’t buy wigs that come off at the wrong time.”
A zany guy in his own right, Schmitt was recently the victim of a tragic buzz cut and is one of a few people that would actually benefit from one of Morrie’s beaver resembling wigs.
Tony “Stacks” Edwards
“GoodFellas” : Samuel L. Jackson
“GiantsFellas”: Joe Pittman
The only featured black character in “GoodFellas,” Stacks serves as the getaway driver for the Lufthansa take down. But when he falls asleep and police find the van before it’s properly disposed of, Conway orders “Stacks” to be whacked by Tommy fearing the vehicle will be traced back to “Stacks” and he’ll spill the beans.
This was Jackson’s last minor role before his breakout turn in Quinton Tarantino’s 1994 blockbuster crime drama “Pulp Fiction.”
We’ve named #forevergiant Joe Pittman – 17 games in 1984 – for the role of “Stacks” – not only did the late infielder resemble Jackson, facially and build wise, his nickname “Shoes” sounds close of “Stacks.”
Coincidentally, Pittman tragically passed in 2014 at age 61 while working a construction job in… Lake Jackson, Texas.
Lois Byrd
“GoodFellas” : Welker White
“GiantsFellas” : Alyssa Nakken
A blonde tomboy, Lois is another minor “Good Fellas” character who leaves a lasting impression. Not only is Lois, the Hill’s babysitter, but she also serves as their drug courier! Lois screws up a major deal by refusing to travel to the airport until after returning home to get her “lucky hat.”
Just as Lois was the first infant caregiver/drug mule presented on the Silver Screen, Nakken was the first woman to serve as a first base coach in a major league game (4/12/22) when she filled in for ejected coach Antoan RIchardson.
Tony the Tiger Hayes does He/She was a Giant? features at http://www.sportsradioservice.com
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