In the 1950s, a young man named Henry Hill becomes fascinated by the world of organized crime in New York. Since childhood, he dreams of being part of the mafia, and when he finally joins a group of gangsters, he feels as though he has found his place in the world. As he rises through the ranks of crime, he befriends iconic figures like Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito, who teach him the rules of this dangerous yet alluring lifestyle.
Throughout the film, we follow Henry's transformation as he experiences the ups and downs of a criminal life: from managing heists and making deals with corrupt authorities to facing betrayal and the decay of his world. Loyalty, betrayal, and personal ambition are recurring themes, and as Henry sinks deeper into the criminal lifestyle, he begins to realize that things are not as glamorous as they once seemed.
Over time, tension rises when wrong decisions and paranoia put his life and that of his loved ones at risk. As the FBI delves into his activities and his priority shifts to survival, Henry must confront the grim reality of what it means to be a "goodfella" in a world where betrayal lurks around every corner.