Born in New York City, she began her career modeling in France and began appearing in Italian-language films in the 1980s, including Lina Wertmüller's "Camorra" (1986), which featured Bracco's then-partner Harvey Keitel. Bracco's English-language debut came in " The Pick-Up Artist" (1987), which was followed by roles in "Someone to Watch Over Me" (1987), "Sing" (1989), and "The Dream Team" (1989). Her breakthrough role was that of Karen Hill, wife of mob associate Henry Hill, in Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas" (1990), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture.