Joe Pesci a comedic sidekick and best friend to protagonist detectives Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) in the "Lethal Weapon" sequels, released in 1989, 1992 and 1998. In 1990, he reunited with Scorsese and De Niro for "Goodfellas", wherein he played mobster Tommy DeVito, based on real-life mobster Thomas DeSimone. (Tommy DeVito is also the name of Pesci's old acquaintance from Belleville, New Jersey, and a member of The Four Seasons, but contrary to popular belief, the naming is coincidental.) Old friend Frank Vincent also appears in the film; Pesci's character kills Vincent's character in a rage in
Robert De Niro Festival in 1997, he was awarded an Honorable Prize for contribution to cinema. De Niro would reference "In the Line of Fire", along with "Dirty Harry" (1971) and "Magnum Force" (1973), two more of Eastwood's films, in "Righteous Kill" (2008). He also appeared in the crime drama "Cop Land" (1997). He starred in the police action-thriller "Heat" (1995), along with fellow actor and long-time friend, Al Pacino. The duo drew much attention from fans, as both have generally been compared throughout their careers. Though Pacino and De Niro both starred in "The Godfather Part II" (1974), they shared no screen