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Witness offers inside look at historic ‘Goodfellas’ heist

In this courtroom sketch, Vincent Asaro, 80, third from left, sits flanked by his defense attorneys during opening arguments, Monday, Oct. 19, 2015, at federal court in the Brooklyn borough of New York, in his federal racketeering conspiracy trial for his role in the $6 million, 1978 Lufthansa cargo heist at John F. Kennedy airport. The dramatic robbery was immortalized in the film “Goodfellas.” Asaro is charged, along with his son, Jerome, and three other defendants, in a wide-ranging indictment alleging murder, robbery, extortion, arson and other crimes from the late 1960s through 2013. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
In this courtroom sketch, Vincent Asaro, 80, third from left, sits flanked by his defense attorneys during opening arguments, Monday, Oct. 19, 2015, at federal court in the Brooklyn borough of New York, in his federal racketeering conspiracy trial for his role in the $6 million, 1978 Lufthansa cargo heist at John F. Kennedy airport. The dramatic robbery was immortalized in the film “Goodfellas.” Asaro is charged, along with his son, Jerome, and three other defendants, in a wide-ranging indictment alleging murder, robbery, extortion, arson and other crimes from the late 1960s through 2013. (Elizabeth Williams via AP) In this courtroom sketch, Vincent Asaro, 80, third from left, sits flanked by his defense attorneys during opening arguments, Monday, Oct. 19, 2015, at federal court in the Brooklyn borough of New York, in his federal racketeering conspiracy trial for his role in the $6 million, 1978 Lufthansa cargo heist at John F. Kennedy airport. The dramatic robbery was immortalized in the film “Goodfellas.” Asaro is charged, along with his son, Jerome, and three other defendants, in a wide-ranging indictment alleging murder, robbery, extortion, arson and other crimes from the late 1960s through 2013. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)

By Associated Press 1 min read

NEW YORK (AP) – A turncoat mobster is telling the inside story of a historic heist immortalized in the hit Mafia movie “Goodfellas.”

Gaspar Valenti testified on Tuesday at the federal trial of an aging gangster charged in the $6 million Lufthansa robbery in 1978.

Valenti told a Brooklyn jury he was a mob associate when defendant Vincent Asaro asked him to join a robbery crew for an armed holdup at a cargo terminal at Kennedy Airport.

He testified that it was believed there was $2 million at the terminal. He said when the bandits ended up with $6 million, there was elation. The joy turned to fear that they’d be robbed themselves once word got out about the score.

Valenti testified that he and Asaro each got a $750,000 cut.