JFK Airport

The site where cargo trucks vanish and the greatest heist in mob history unfolds.

In Martin Scorsese's 1990 biographical gangster film Goodfellas, John F. Kennedy International Airport serves as a critical setting for the criminal activities of Henry Hill, Jimmy Conway, and Tommy DeVito. The airport is not merely a backdrop but the site of major heists that propel the narrative forward. Specifically, the trio excels in stealing cargo trucks from JFK before committing the massive Air France Robbery in 1967. Later, it becomes the location for the Lufthansa vault raid in 1978, an operation organized by Jimmy Conway that yields six million dollars in cash and jewelry. These events at JFK mark the peak of Henry Hill's criminal success before his eventual downfall.

Quick Facts

Key films

Goodfellas (1990)

Character association

Henry Hill
Jimmy Conway
Tommy DeVito

Lore & Background

The airport functions as a hub for the crew's most audacious crimes, beginning with their rise through carjacking and stealing cargo trucks from JFK Airport. This success leads to the 1967 Air France Robbery. However, the location is most infamous for the Lufthansa vault raid in 1978. Jimmy Conway organizes a crew to steal six million dollars from the vault at JFK. The aftermath of this specific event at the airport defines the film's turning point: after some members purchase expensive items against orders and police find the getaway truck, Jimmy kills most of the crew. Only Henry Hill and Tommy DeVito are spared initially, but the violence initiated by the heist ultimately leads to Tommy's murder in 1979.

Reader's Guide

For viewers analyzing Goodfellas, focus on JFK Airport as the engine of the plot's escalation. Note that the crew steals cargo trucks there before the 1967 Air France Robbery. The pivotal moment occurs in 1978 with the Lufthansa vault raid at JFK, resulting in a six million dollar theft. Observe how the airport setting facilitates the transition from successful criminals to hunted fugitives; the discovery of the getaway truck by police triggers the massacre of the crew. The location is central to understanding why Tommy DeVito is killed (retribution for Batts) and why Henry Hill eventually becomes an informant, as the fallout from these airport-based crimes destroys his protection.