You asked about Jimmy Conway. If you know this, don't shoot the messenger:

Jimmy Conway was based on James (Jimmy the Gent) Burke. Burke was an orphan who was abused by many foster parents. Lived on the streets many a year. Started doing hits for mob guys at an early age. He loved to steal. Him and his kids used to cheer for the bad guys on TV. Named some of his kids after famous hoodlums, i.e., Jesse James Burke, etc. Burke was the real mastermind of their big jobs like Lufthansa and others. Killed most of his colleagues so he would not have to share the spoils with them. Henry Hill was protected by Paul Vario, so Burke knew he could not kill Henry on a whim. Hill went in to Witsec because he knew that w/o Vario, Burke would have carte blanche to murder hill and/or his family. Henry's testimony helped jail Burke for life. Burke had a daughter who used to visit him, and since Burke was doing time with Bruno Indelicato (Wack-Wack), the kid who was in charge of killing Carmine (Lillo) Galante (famous photo of guy dying with cigar in his mouth). Indelicato struck up a relationship with Burke's daughter, and I think they got married, so Burke was Bruno's father-in-law. Jimmy Burke died an unpleasant death, dying of stomach cancer, not one of the more benign types of cancer. But you are correct, Dutch, Jimmy Burke would make an interesting book. I thought of a good title, "Honor Amongst Thieves."