Nicholas Pileggi

Nicholas Pileggi (b. 1933) began his career as a crime reporter for the Associated Press and New York magazine. He found fame when his familiarity with the members and workings of the Mafia led to his two bestselling nonfiction volumes about organized crime, Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family and Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas, both of which were adapted into award-winning films directed by Martin Scorsese. Pileggi is also involved in film and television. He served as an executive producer for the Ridley Scott film American Gangster and cowrote the pilot for the CBS TV show Vegas. In 1990, he won a BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on Goodfellas.