Friday 27 May 2022 11:22 AM Ray Liotta dead: Inside luxury resort where he spent his final days trends now

New photos have revealed the inside of the Dominican Republic hotel where legendary actor Ray Liotta spent his final hours before dying in his sleep at the age of 67 on Thursday.

Pictures give a glimpse inside of the luxurious five-star Casas del VXI resort on the island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with the neighbouring nation of Haiti.

The resort is a collection of individual houses and rooms in the capital of Santo Domingo, some of which date back to the 16th century - making them some of the oldest in the city's historical quarter.

Rooms offer butler and concierge service as standard, and boast of enhanced security and privacy measures for guests. Beds start around $300 per night, but the standout feature are the individual houses which come equipped with private pools, patios and dining rooms - with prices only available on inquiry.

Liotta had been staying at Casas del VXI alongside fiancee Jacy Nittolo, 46, while filming a new movie Dangerous Waters - about a sailing-holiday gone awry when a daughter discovers the haunting past of her mother's new boyfriend - when he passed away in his sleep.

Medics were called to the resort but were unable to save him, with his body now taken for a post-mortem. There is no indication yet of his cause of death, but also no suspicion of foul play.

It is thought Liotta had been suffering from poor health when he visited Los Angeles in March, where those who saw him checking into the Beverley Hills Hotel saying he was 'slow and steady' on his feet, 'noticeably pale' and required help to put on his jacket.

But he looked healthier in pictures taken at the start of this month as he strolled through Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles with his fiancee.

Liotta was known to be a smoker, but had started appearing in adverts for Chantix - a stop-smoking medication - telling viewers: 'I tried to quit smoking for years on my own. I couldn't do it. I needed help.'

Meanwhile tributes flooded in for the beloved film star - who also featured in Field of Dreams - with fellow actors and other celebrities paying their respects to him on Thursday afternoon:

His sudden death shocked fans as he was embarking on a huge resurgence in his career recent years, with him staring alongside Taron Egerton in Black Bird later this year.

He also featured in The Many Saints of Newark, Marriage Story and No Sudden Move in more recent years as his acting took off again.

But he was best known for his incredible performance in Martin Scorsese's 1990 gangster classic Goodfellas, where he played Henry Hill while De Niro, 78, took on the role of Jimmy Conway.

Deadline reported the star passed away in his sleep and TMZ claimed there was no foul play suspected.

His publicist Jennifer Allen, from Viewpoint, said the actor died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic, where he was filming Dangerous Waters. Nittolo was on location at the time of his death.

A spokesman for the Dominican Republic's General Direction of Cinema said: 'We understand that he was accompanied by his wife and that the wife asks that you please respect her grief.'

A source who saw the actor in March told DailyMail.com how he looked frail and moved carefully.

They said: 'Ray looked slow and unsteady on his feet. He was noticeably pale and needed help from the valet putting on his jacket. His fiancée was carrying all the bags to help him out.'

The actor most recently spoke on social media in an Instagram post three weeks ago where he plugged his new movie Cocaine Bear.

He wrote: 'Cocaine Bear follows an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a 500-pound apex predator has ingested a staggering amount of the white powder and goes on a coke-fueled rampage seeking more blow — and blood.'

Liotta had been a smoker up until around 2018 where he started appearing in Pfizer's Chantix adverts, which he said helped him pack in the cigarrettes.

In one he says: 'In the movies, a lot of times I tend to play the tough guy. But I wasn't tough enough to quit on my own – not until I tried Chantix.'

A spokesman for the firm previously said the actor had 'wanted to share his story to help others' so joined its cast for the commercials. 

Liotta was born in New Jersey in 1954 but was abandoned by his mother at an orphanage before being adopted six months later.

He went to live with a town clerk and auto-parts shop owner, who insisted he never contemplated acting while growing up in Newark.

After graduating he moved to New York City and worked as a barman until he was cast in soap opera Another World in 1980.

Liotta found fame playing ex-con Ray Sinclair in 1986 black comedy Something Wild, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.

He went on to star as Shoeless Joe Jackson in the 1989 film Field Of Dreams and is best known for his portrayal of Henry Hill in Goodfellas opposite Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci and directed by Martin Scorsese.

Asked why he never worked with Scorsese - a director renown for working with the same cast - again, he said: 'I don't know, you'd have to ask him. But I'd love to.'

While making Goodfellas, tragedy struck when his adoptive mother died of cancer in his arms.

The actor got the news she had taken a turn for the worse in the middle of filming, but he still made sure to finish the scene.

'My mom was sick with cancer during the filming of Goodfellas, and she passed away in the middle of it... It put things in perspective in a really deep way,' he told the Today show last year, while discussing the highly-acclaimed film.

'I was doing a scene Friday. They told me [she was dying]. My knees buckled, but you realize you've got to go back and finish the scene. And I did.'

After wrapping up for the day, he rushed to the hospital and made it just in time to say goodbye. 

'I went back [to the hospital] that night, and luckily I was there when she passed, literally in my arms. I've never really talked about that,' he continued.

The actor appeared to shy away from his fame in the 1990s and kept a low profile but made a resurgence in more recent years.

Tributes flooded in for the beloved star on Friday afternoon, with Devon Sawa saying: 'I try not to do the RIPs but Ray Liotta was truly one of my favorites to watch.

'He just has this magnetic draw to his performances, which is part of the reason Goddfellas remains tied with Aliens as my favorite film(s) ever made. This one stung more than usual.'

De Niro said: 'I was very saddened to learn of Ray's passing. He is way too young to have left us. May he Rest in Peace.'

Chase, who worked with him on The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark said: 'This is a massive, unexpected shock.

'I have been an admirer of Ray's work since I saw him in 'Something Wild,' a movie he wrenched by the tail. I was so glad he worked on The Many Saints of Newark.

'I believed strongly in my heart that he could play that double role. He created two distinctly separate characters and each performance was phenomenal.

'Ray was also a very warm and humorous person. A really superior actor. We all felt we lucked out having him on that movie.'

Goodfellas costar Lorraine Bracco, who was his wife in the movie, said: 'I am utterly shattered to hear this terrible news about my Ray.

'I can be anywhere in the world & people will come up & tell me their favorite movie is Goodfellas. Then they always ask what was the best part of making that movie. My response has always been the same…Ray Liotta.'

Josh Brolin said: 'My buddy. My friend. How so soon? Why? I'll miss you. I will think about seeing you at Gold's often, talking about what to do next, how to find something together.

'I always looked up to you — the work was always so good, but the man you were always stood out among the rest of them. Yes, I will miss you, pal. Until we meet again, wherever they say that is.'

Helena Christensen wrote: 'Oh man what an immense actor he was ♥️.' Joe Pantoliano said: 'WHAT!!!! No! Omg! I was watering the lawn this morning and I was thinking about Ray he popped into my head. Oh No! RIP RAY RAY…' 

Viola Davis said: 'RIP Ray Liotta. Loved your work.' Jamie Lee Curtis posted: 'His work as an actor showed his complexity as a human being. A gentle man. So sad to hear.'

Rosanna Arquette wrote: 'I'm really sad to hear that Ray Liotta has passed away. He was an friend back in the day and it's very sad. We had a lot of laughs Rest In Peace My friend.'

Jeffrey Wright said: 'Ray Liotta. Man. Just met dude for the first time last year. GREAT actor. Nice to have had a chance to say that to him. RIP.'

Mangold put: 'Shocked and saddened to hear of Ray Liotta's passing. Beyond the tough guy exterior and the tightly wound emotions of his signature characters, he was a sweet, playful and passionate collaborator and brilliant actor.' 

The actor, who starred in more than 80 films, revealed more about his life in an interview with Esquire magazine in 2016.

He said: 'I'm adopted so I don't really know what I am. Who I consider my mother and father are Italian and Scottish.

'I did find my birth mother and she said she was a mix of something, and when I asked about what my Dad was she wouldn't even talk about it. It was like it never even happened.'

He added: 'If I hadn't have become an actor I'd have gone into construction. I always thought I would be doing construction.

'Those were jobs I had during the summer. My Dad also had a chain of automotive stores.

'I didn't know until after I graduated college that he wanted me to take over the business.

'When he saw that I was interested in something else, he said 'well, I'm sick of doing this' and moved in politics.

'But I never knew that he wanted me to take over. It was in his mind, but I hated it. To this day I hate the smell of rubber.'

Liotta died in his sleep while filming on location in the Dominican Republic for an upcoming thriller called Dangerous Waters.

The feature film co-starred Euphoria and Grey's Anatomy actor Eric Dane, alongside Odeya Rush and Saffron Burrows. Their casting was announced just a few weeks back, at the beginning of May.

The film centers on an out of control sailing vacation that goes off the rails when a teenage girl discovers 'the dark past of her mother's new boyfriend,' according to the synopsis.

Producers were said to have been pitching the project at this month's Cannes Film Festival to potential buyers, Deadline reported.

Dangerous Waters was just one of many projects currently on the docket for Liotta at the time of his shocking death.

The actor can be seen in the upcoming television drama Black Bird and recently completed two films, Cocaine Bear and El Tonto.

In addition to Dangerous Waters, Ray had two other films in production: April 29, 1992 and The Substance.

It is unclear if his role in Dangerous Waters will be recast or if his portion of filming had been completed.

In 2016 he told of his regrets he had in the way he handled his career, including turning down the chance to audition for Tim Burton's Batman movie.

'I wish I'd handled my career differently but, you know, hindsight…' he said at the time.

'When I did my first movie, Tim Burton was getting ready to do Batman and he was interested in me because he wanted it to be edgy and real.

'I thought, 'Batman? That's a stupid idea', even though he had just done one of my favourite movies of all time, Beetlejuice. So yes, I regret not auditioning for that.'

He enjoyed a varied career, also appearing as Frank Sinatra in the 1998 TV movie The Rat Pack.

In 2004, Liotta made his Broadway debut in dramatic comedy Match and appeared on the big screen in comedies such as 2010's Date Night and two Muppets movies, and dramas including 2012's The Iceman and 2014's Sin City: A Dame To Kill For.

Despite his immensely varied career, Henry Hill is still a character audiences continued to associate him with. But it was an association the actor did not mind, saying: 'People ask if I'm bothered by that but no, Goodfellas will be a top 10 movie for years and years, it seems.

'I have kids coming up to me like the movie's just come out that week… That and Field Of Dreams. I get a lot of Field Of Dreams lovers too.'

In recent years Liotta appeared in Marriage Story and No Sudden Move and starred alongside Taron Egerton in the upcoming Apple TV series Black Bird.

He also starred in Sky's Shades Of Blue, a crime drama set in New York which starred Jennifer Lopez as a detective and single mother of a teenage daughter who faces a difficult predicament when the FBI catches her in an incriminating position.

In 2021 Liotta starred in the Sopranos prequel movie The Many Saints Of Newark, after turning down a role in the original film.

He recently finished filming Cocaine Bear, a film directed by Elizabeth Banks which is scheduled to be released in February next year.

The actor was also reportedly due to star in The Substance alongside Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley.

In addition to his acting roles, Liotta was also the narrator of documentary series The Making Of The Mob, and starred in a number of music videos including for David Guetta's song Lovers On The Sun.

Liotta leaves behind his daughter Karsen, whom he shares with his ex-wife Michelle Grace, and his fiancee Nittolo.

by Lillian Gissen for DailyMail.com

The news of Goodfellas star Ray Liotta's sudden death today sent shockwaves through Hollywood - prompting an outpouring of tributes from stars around the world, including several of his surviving co-stars from the gangster movie that shot him to stardom.

But while Liotta, who passed away in his sleep in a hotel in the Dominican Republic, is best remembered for his work on the big screen and his dominance of the mob movie genre, behind the scenes, his life was as dramatic and, at times, tragic, as many of the characters he portrayed.  

The legendary actor - who is best known for playing mob leader Henry Hill in Goodfellas - passed away in bed on Thursday on the Caribbean island of Zona Colonial.

He was in the midst of filmign the upcoming flick Dangerous Waters, which is being directed by John Barr and is also set to star Eric Dane, Odeya Rush, and Saffron Burrows.

An emergency service team reportedly rushed to the building, but he could not be saved; his body was transferred to the forensic institute of Santo Domingo and there is no suspicion of foul play. 

In the wake of his sudden passing, FEMAIL has taken a look back at his impressive career - including how he overcame tragedy to become a global superstar. 

Liotta, who has a grand list of more than 120 acting credits, was left at an orphanage by his mother when he was a baby. 

He was adopted at age six by a New Jersey couple, and for decades he struggled to come to terms with the fact that his biological mother had given him up.

Decades later, with the help of his ex-wife, Michelle Grace, the star was able to find and reunite with his birth mom, however, he later called their meet up 'disappointing,' adding, 'Thank God I was adopted.'

Liotta faced heartbreak once again while making the 1990 gangster movie Goodfellas - when his adoptive mother died of cancer while he was holding her.

However, despite being plagued with tribulation in his family life, the star flourished in his career - landing a huge array of roles throughout his decades-long profession as an actor.

He was also able to find love late in life, falling for a former hairstylist named Jacy Nittolo, 46, during the pandemic, whom he was gearing up to marry before his tragic death.

A spokesman for the Dominican Republic's General Direction of Cinema confirmed the news, stating: 'We understand that he was accompanied by his [fiancée] and that the [fiancée] asks that you please respect her grief.' 

The actor had been spotted out and about in Los Angeles back in March, where onlookers told DailyMail.com exclusively that he appeared 'noticeably pale' and 'needed help from the valet putting on his jacket.' 

The source added that he was 'slow and steady on his feet,' and that Nittolo had to help him by carrying all his bags from the car to the hotel. 

But the acclaimed movie star looked healthier in pictures taken at the start of this month, as he strolled through Pacific Palisades with his fiancée. 

From how having a crush on a cute girl inspired him to get into acting to how he prevailed despite being abandoned by his birth mom as a baby and his adoptive mother dying in his arms - FEMAIL has recapped Liotta's extraordinary life.

Ray Liotta's childhood: How being abandoned by his mom as a baby plagued him for years to come

Liotta was born in Newark, New Jersey, on December 18, 1954. His mother left him at an orphanage as a baby, and he was adopted at the age of six by a Scottish township clerk and an Italian auto-parts store owner named Mary and Alfred Liotta. His sister, Linda, was also adopted.

Throughout his childhood, both of Liotta's parents ran for local office but neither of them won. 

He previously told NJ.com that he spent most of his time as a kid playing sports - including basketball, baseball, and football - and 'pretend games' like 'army.'

He was brought up as Catholic but later said he didn't consider himself religious, since he remembered church as being a 'scary place.'

'We did go to church, we were not raised in a strict home. We went to church every Sunday but we had a horrible priest,' he told the read more from dailymail.....