-- Joe Pesci, who became a star with his unforgettable portrayal of psychotic killer Tommy DeVito, was also, in a way, miscast (though for completely different reasons from the Liotta-Hill case).

DeVito was based on Tommy DeSimone, an associate of Henry Hill in the Lucchese crime family.

There were at least two things wrong with the film’s depiction of DeSimone:

The film seems to suggest that Hill and DeVito were peers who grew up together. In reality, DeSimone was about 10 years younger than Hill (i.e., a completely different generation and outlook).

Moreover, DeSimone was tall, broad-shouldered and (unusually for a mobster) wore a moustache and long hair (the polar opposite of Joe Pesci).

Of course, Pesci wasn’t trying to portray the real Tommy -- having grown up with gangsters in his native Newark, N.J., Pesci likely based his characterization on the wiesguys he personally knew (and it succeeded beyond his wildest dreams).