Henry Hill
Henry is the real-life gangster whose story is at the center of the film. He tells us that even as a child all he ever wanted to be was a gangster, and we see him work hard to make this dream a reality, ascending the ranks of the Lucchese family and making a lot of money along the way. Abused by his hotheaded father, Henry seeks out a more loving and accepting paternal order, as well as an easy way to get rich quick without having to work. He earns the trust of mob by exhibiting its main virtues: a willingness to keep his mouth shut, a disrespect for the law, and a wily knack for crime. Although he is part-Irish and thus can never become a made man, Henry is fully integrated into the mafia hierarchy, and Paulie loves him like a son. While he is violent and can be cold-blooded in his duties as a mob member, he is far less bloodthirsty and violent than Jimmy or Tommy, and doesn't volunteer himself to whack anybody. That being said, he is an abusive and unfaithful husband, is desensitized to the violence surrounding him, and he has an unsettlingly short temper.
Henry's downfall in the mob begins when he becomes addicted to the drugs he is trafficking. He becomes sloppy, overextended, and paranoid. Eventually, when he is caught, he has no choice but to become an informant, as without the protection of the government he and his family would surely get whacked by the Lucchese family. While he sees the Witness Protection Program as a way out, his decision to rat on his friends doesn't sit well with him, and he immediately misses the life of a gangster. Resentful of the suburban life of a "schnook" that he must undertake in the Witness Protection Program, Henry reveals that in his heart of hearts, he's a criminal. Henry is the film's protagonist, but he is also a very ethically ambiguous character, attracted more to the violence of the mob than to a simple, lawful life.
Jimmy Conway
James "Jimmy" Conway is based on the real-life associate of Henry Hill, Jimmy Burke. He is part Irish and part Italian in heritage, so in the same ethnic boat as Henry and similarly excluded from becoming "made." Jimmy is a heist mastermind with ambition, audacity, and a frighteningly short fuse. After pulling off the biggest heist in mob history, he becomes increasingly paranoid about getting caught. Smart and discreet, he becomes frustrated at his teams' flashy consumption and has many of his conspirators killed to cover his tracks. He is a warm and affable man with those he trusts, but he is also quick to become mistrustful. He and his wife become very good friends with Henry and Karen, and they do much of their socializing together. After Henry goes to jail, however, Jimmy feels he can no longer trust him, and subtly begins to pull away his loyalty.
Tommy DeVito
Tommy DeVito is based on real-life gangster Tommy De Simone, a psychotic killer and self-described "mean cat," whose mood changed on a dime. Tommy DeVito is the kind of person who can be laughing with an associate one minute, and in the next holding a gun to their head. He is short-tempered, irrational, and potentially psychopathic. He kills Billy Batts over a minor taunt, and guns down an innocent young bartender for giving him a little attitude. Later, when Spats messes up following the Lufthansa heist, Tommy kills him in a brutal bloodbath. His violent responses rarely match the actual stakes of the situation, which eventually makes him a liability to the Lucchese family. He is a full-blooded Italian and, comically enough, a mama's boy. His love for his mother and her cooking strikes a comically dissonant chord with his vicious violent streak. He is whacked by the Lucchese elders when they decide that his murder of Billy Batts poses too much of a threat.
Paulie Cicero
Paulie is based on Lucchese boss/mobster Paul Vario, who was also jailed as a result of the testimony given by Henry Hill. Paulie Cicero is the main mob boss, and the years when he had to get his own hands dirty are long gone. Whenever he wants something done, or someone killed, he has underlings carry it out for him. Paulie can protect or he can have killed, and his protection is genuine and respected. He likes Henry, which is why he gives him so many warnings before finally cutting ties. Paulie is portrayed as a warm, paternal figure to Henry, a man who appreciates fine Italian cooking and the good life.
Karen Hill
Karen is the nice Jewish girl who falls in love with Henry. Raised in a good family in a middle-class neighborhood, Karen is simultaneously repulsed and turned on by Henry's gangster activities. She knows what he does for a living, and turns a blind eye to it because she is so attracted to him. In order to marry Henry she lies that he is half Jewish so that her family will accept him. While she is disturbed by the life of a mob wife at first, noting the tackiness and brutal lives of the women around her, she is quickly seduced by the lifestyle as Henry's racketeering becomes more lucrative and she feels more involved in the mafia herself.
The first time Karen learns Henry is cheating, she becomes livid, pulling a gun on him and throwing him out of the house. The second time he cheats, she has a more pragmatic attitude and becomes involved with his drug trafficking operation. Karen is scrappy, tough, self-respecting, and loving. She also has a short temper, and refuses to let Henry off the hook too easily.
Billy Batts
Batts is a made man in the rival Gambino family whose public altercation and subsequent murder by Tommy De Vito gets Tommy killed by his own bosses. Billy Batts makes fun of Tommy for having once been a shoe shine boy, which upsets Tommy so much that he kills him in a bloody mess.
Tommy's Mother
Tommy's mother is a loving and comically providing Italian mother, and although she constantly warns her son to be careful she knows full well what he does for a living and seems proudly approving. Tommy is a mama's boy and she treats him more like ten-year-old boy than a violent criminal.
Frank Carbone
Another gangster who helps with the Lufthansa deal. When he enters the restaurant soon after the host with his girlfriend, she is wearing a mink coat, which makes Jimmy uneasy. Ripping the coat off the date's shoulders, Jimmy advises Frank to return the coat to avoid looking suspicious. Frank agrees, but is later found dead, hanging in the back of a meat truck.
Sandy
Henry's second mistress, who helps him with his drug deals, does quite a bit of drugs herself, and often nags him about not giving her enough of his time.
Lois Byrd
Lois is Henry and Karen's babysitter, who doubles as a drug courier. She looks the least likely person to ever be working as a drug courier, which is why she seems like a good choice for the job. However, she is also young and ditzy, refusing to leave for the airport with the drugs until she has gone home to pick up her lucky hat. She gets arrested with Henry and brought in for questioning.
Tuddy Cicero
Tuddy is Paulie's brother and right-hand man. When anyone wants to get word of something to Paulie but is not highly ranked enough to get a meeting with him, they take their information to Tuddy instead.
Morrie
A member of the mob and a wig salesman who is known by the men as a "ball buster." He nags Jimmy so persistently about getting his share of the Lufthansa heist earnings that Jimmy has him killed unexpectedly.
Spats
The only black man who works as a member of the mob. After he screws up an element of the Lufthansa heist, Tommy goes to his apartment and shoots him in cold blood.
