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Sandra Corleone
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Sandra Corleone
Sandra Corleone gf1.png
Julie Gregg portraying Sandra Corleone
First appearance
The Godfather
Created by
Mario Puzo
Portrayed by
Julie Gregg
Information
Gender
Female
Occupation
Homemaker
Family
Corleone
Spouse(s)
Santino Corleone (husband, deceased)
Children
4
Relatives
Vito Corleone (father-in-law)
Sandra Corleone is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather, the Godfather film trilogy, and the Godfather video game. She was portrayed by Julie Gregg in the first film.[1]
Contents [hide]
1 Role in The Godfather
2 Role in sequel novels
3 Family Members
4 References
Role in The Godfather[edit]
Born in 1917, she married Sonny Corleone, with whom she had four children:
Francesca Corleone (Born 1937)
Kathryn Corleone (Born 1937)
Frank Corleone (Born 1939)
Santino Corleone, Jr. (Born 1945)
Sonny is a womanizer, and has a mistress, Lucy Mancini, with whom he fathers Vincent Corleone. Vincent would grow up to succeed Michael as the Don of the Corleone family in The Godfather Part III.
In the novel, further details of Sandra's life are given; she is depicted as a large-breasted woman who immigrated from Italy when she was a child. She is unable to tolerate having sex with her husband, due to his extremely large penis; she is aware, and apparently thankful, that he is unfaithful. She and Sonny live in a house in the Corleone Mall. After Sonny's death, she takes her children to live with her parents in Florida.
Sandra appears in a deleted scene in The Godfather Part II, trying to gain her brother-in-law Michael's blessing for her daughter Francesca's engagement. Michael approves but suggests that her fiance change his college studies. In a deleted subplot, Sandra becomes Tom Hagen's mistress, a fact that Michael uses to blackmail Hagen into remaining loyal to the family, despite Sandra urging Hagen to abandon the Corleone family. In the final film, Hagen is depicted as having died years earlier.
Role in sequel novels[edit]
Sandra is a minor character in The Godfather Returns and The Godfather's Revenge, Mark Winegardner's sequels to Puzo's novel. In The Family Corleone, she appears as a teenager, the granddaughter of Signora Colombo, a minor character in the original novel.
Family Members[edit]
Vito Corleone — Father-in-law; played by Marlon Brando in Godfather I, played by Robert De Niro in Godfather II
Carmela Corleone — Mother-in-law; played by Morgana King
Sonny Corleone — Husband; played by James Caan
Constanzia 'Connie' Corleone-Rizzi — Sister-in-law; played by Talia Shire
Fredo Corleone — Brother-in-law; played by John Cazale
Michael Corleone — Brother-in-law; played by Al Pacino
Tom Hagen — Unofficially adopted brother-in-law; played by Robert Duvall
Mary Corleone — Niece; played by Sofia Coppola
Anthony Vito Corleone — Nephew; played by Anthony Gounaris in The Godfather, played by James Gounaris in Godfather Part II, played by Franc D'Ambrosio in Godfather Part III
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "The Godfather (1972)". nytimes.com. Retrieved 2014-07-06.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Corleone
Vincent Corleone
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Vincent Corleone
Vincent Corleone.jpg
Andy Garcia portraying Vincent Corleone
First appearance
The Godfather Part III
Portrayed by
Andy García
Information
Nickname(s)
Vinnie
Aliases
Vincenzo Corleone
Gender
Male
Occupation
Mobster
Title
Boss
Soldato
Family
Corleone
Relatives
Santino Corleone (father, deceased)
Lucy Mancini (mother)
Fredo Corleone (paternal uncle, deceased)
Michael Corleone (paternal uncle)
Connie Corleone (paternal aunt)
Vito Corleone (paternal grandfather, deceased)
Vincent Santino Corleone (né Mancini) is a fictional character in the 1990 feature film The Godfather Part III, in which he is portrayed by Andy García,[1] who was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance. Vincent is the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone and his mistress Lucy Mancini. He eventually succeeds his uncle Michael as head of the Corleone family. Retroactive continuity ("retcon") was employed to create the character's existence for The Godfather Part III, as it is evident from Mario Puzo's original novel that Lucy did not conceive a child with Sonny.
Coppola has said that Vincent is, roughly speaking, an amalgamation of the five Corleone family males. Coppola describes Vincent as having Vito's cunning, Michael's ruthlessness, Fredo's sensitivity, Sonny's fiery temper and Tom Hagen's absolute loyalty.
Contents [hide]
1 Fictional character biography 1.1 The Godfather Part III
1.2 Abandoned sequel
2 Family
3 References
Fictional character biography[edit]
The Godfather Part III[edit]
Born as Vincent Mancini in the late 1940s, he is the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone and Lucy Mancini, and is not included as one of the Corleone family. When his uncle, Michael Corleone, offers him employment in one of the family's legitimate businesses, Vincent declines, preferring to work for Joey Zasa, who by then is running the remains of the Corleone criminal empire in New York City. Vincent attempts to endear himself to his uncle by trying to protect him from rival Mafia families, but the aging Michael sees that Vincent has inherited Sonny's temper and fears he will suffer his father's fate. Michael takes him under his wing with the encouragement of his sister, Connie.
Vincent saves Michael from an assassination attempt orchestrated by Zasa. Later that night, Michael is sent to the hospital with a diabetic stroke. Believing Zasa will take another run at Michael, Vincent then personally murders Zasa (with Connie's and Neri's approval). Michael is angry at Vincent for acting without his approval, and is troubled by Vincent's burgeoning romance with Michael's daughter (and Vincent's cousin) Mary. Michael fears that Vincent's growing involvement in the "family business" will put Mary in danger.
When Michael realizes that his old ally, Don Altobello, has turned against him, he has Vincent spy on Altobello, making him think that he wants to strike out on his own. It is there that Vincent learns the real mastermind in the plot against his uncle is Licio Lucchesi, a powerful Italian politician.
Vincent reports back to Michael, asking for permission to strike back. Michael not only tacitly agrees, but formally retires as Don and names Vincent his successor. Vincent's time spent with Michael has made him into a new man: much wiser, patient, and aware of his status as the new Don. His first act as Don is to order the deaths of Lucchesi, Frederick Keinszig and Archbishop Gilday. In return for being elevated, Vincent ends his relationship with Mary. The same night the romance ends, however, Mary is killed in an assassination attempt on Michael. An enraged Vincent quickly kills the assassin responsible, Mosca, with a single shot to the chest.
Abandoned sequel[edit]
What follows in Vincent's story, according to author Mario Puzo and director Francis Ford Coppola, is not exactly known. However, on The Godfather Part III's DVD commentary,[citation needed] Coppola explains that both he and Puzo had envisioned a storyline of which would deal with Vincent's reign as head of the Corleone family. Vincent, in opposition to the morals of his predecessors, was to have heavily involved the family in the drug trade driving the Corleone clan back into corruption and eventual decline. Vincent's story ends with Vincent being hunted down and killed in a manner similar to the death of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, and presumably bringing about the permanent end of the Corleone crime family.
This proposed film, titled The Godfather Part IV or The Godfather: The Final Part, would also have flashbacks to Vito Corleone's early days as a Don, and the childhood days of Sonny, Fredo, Michael and Connie Corleone, when they discover exactly the nature of their father's business. The film would also have portrayed the early days of Tom Hagen, Luca Brasi and Johnny Fontane, and Vito's first meeting with Hyman Roth. According to Coppola, Puzo had composed a rough draft alternating between Vincent's reign as boss and the "Happy Years" of 1926–1939. Leonardo DiCaprio, Luis Guzmán, Ray Liotta, and García himself have all expressed interest in doing this film. However, this project has lain dormant since Puzo's death in 1999.[citation needed]
Family[edit]
Sonny Corleone — father
Lucy Mancini — mother
Francesca Corleone — paternal half-sister
Kathryn Corleone — paternal half-sister
Frank Corleone — paternal half-brother
Santino Corleone, Jr. — paternal half-brother
Vito Corleone — paternal grandfather
Carmela Corleone — paternal grandmother
Tom Hagen — adopted paternal uncle
Fredo Corleone — paternal uncle
Michael Corleone — paternal uncle
Costanzia "Connie" Corleone — paternal aunt
Anthony Corleone — paternal cousin
Mary Corleone — paternal cousin/lover
Victor Rizzi — paternal cousin
Michael Rizzi — paternal cousin
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "The Godfather, Part III (1990)". nytimes.com. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
Preceded by
Michael Corleone Head of the Corleone crime family
1980–unknown Succeeded by
Unknown
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Corleone
Mary Corleone
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Mary Corleone
Mary Corleone GF3.jpeg
Sofia Coppola portraying Mary Corleone
First appearance
The Godfather Part II
Last appearance
The Godfather Part III
Created by
Mario Puzo
Portrayed by
Sofia Coppola
Information
Gender
Female
Family
Corleone family
Children
None
Relatives
Michael Corleone (father; deceased)
Kay Adams-Corleone (mother)
Vito Corleone (paternal grandfather; deceased)
Anthony Corleone (brother)
Sonny Corleone (paternal uncle; deceased)
Fredo Corleone (paternal uncle; deceased)
Vincent Mancini-Corleone (paternal cousin and lover)
Connie Corleone (paternal aunt)
Carmela Corleone (paternal grandmother; deceased) Carlo Rizzi (uncle; deceased)
Mary Corleone (1953–1980; aged 27) is a fictional character in The Godfather Part III, portrayed by Sofia Coppola.[1] She is the daughter of Michael Corleone and Kay Adams and sister of Anthony Vito Corleone.
Contents [hide]
1 The Godfather Part II
2 The Godfather Part III
3 Behind the scenes
4 Sequel novels
5 Family
6 References
The Godfather Part II[edit]
Mary first appears in The Godfather Part II as the youngest child of Michael and Kay. She is a young child (aged about 4 or 5) in the late 1950s. Like Anthony, she doesn't have much of a role or story arc in the film.
The Godfather Part III[edit]
Mary is one of the pivotal characters of Godfather Part III, set in 1979-80. Her father's favorite, she is sheltered from the violent world of the Corleone crime family. Upon meeting, she falls in love with her cousin, Vincent Mancini, who is also Michael's protégé. While on a trip to Sicily, Michael tells Mary he disapproves of the romance, believing that Vincent's growing involvement in the "family business" will put her in danger.
Toward the end of the film, Michael names Vincent as his successor, on condition that he break off his relationship with Mary. After her brother's debut concert, the assassin Mosca tries to kill Michael. One bullet grazes Michael's shoulder, but the other accidentally hits Mary in the heart, killing her instantly. Michael is devastated by Mary's death, which happens as he is beginning to finally put his life as Don Corleone behind him and rekindle his estranged relationship with Kay. A broken man, he retires to Sicily, where he eventually dies of old age nearly 20 years later.
Behind the scenes[edit]
Sofia Coppola, the daughter of director Francis Ford Coppola, was given the role after the original choice, Winona Ryder, became sick. Her performance was panned by most movie critics[2][3][4] and earned her two Razzies for Worst Supporting Actress and Worst New Star of 1990. In his review of the film in his Movie and Video Guide, critic Leonard Maltin calls the casting of Coppola an "almost fatal flaw."
Mary's aunt Connie Corleone is played by Talia Shire — Sofia Coppola's real-life aunt.
Sequel novels[edit]
Mary appears as a minor character in Mark Winegardner's sequel novels The Godfather Returns and The Godfather's Revenge, although in the original novel, Michael's second child is a boy.
Family[edit]
Vito Corleone — Grandfather; played by Marlon Brando
Santino 'Sonny' Corleone — Uncle; played by James Caan
Constanzia 'Connie' Corleone-Rizzi — Aunt; played by Talia Shire
Fredo Corleone — Uncle; played by John Cazale
Michael Corleone — Father; played by Al Pacino
Anthony Vito Corleone — Brother; played by Anthony Gounaris in Godfather I, played by James Gounaris in Godfather II, played by Franc D'Ambrosio in Godfather III
Kay Adams — Mother; played by Diane Keaton
Carmela Corleone — Grandmother; played by Morgana King
Vincent Mancini-Corleone — First cousin; son of Sonny Corleone played by Andy García
Frank Corleone — Cousin; son of Sonny Corleone
Kathryn & Francesca Corleone — Cousins; Sonny's twin daughters
Santino Corleone, Jr. — Cousin; son of Sonny Corleone
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "The Godfather, Part III (1990)". nytimes.com. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
2.Jump up ^ BBC - Films - review - The Godfather Part III
3.Jump up ^ The Projection Booth
4.Jump up ^ several reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Corleone
Anthony Corleone
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Anthony Corleone
Anthony Corleone
Franc D'Ambrosio as Anthony Corleone in The Godfather Part III.
First appearance
The Godfather
Last appearance
The Godfather Part III
Created by
Mario Puzo
Portrayed by
Franc D'Ambrosio
Information
Nickname(s)
Tony
Gender
Male
Occupation
Opera singer
Family
Corleone family
Religion
Roman Catholicism
Anthony Vito "Tony" Corleone is a fictional character in The Godfather trilogy of films directed by Francis Ford Coppola. He is portrayed by Anthony Gounaris in the first film, James Gounaris in the second, and singer Franc D'Ambrosio in the third.[1] The character was given the name Anthony because it was thought that the three-year-old Gounaris of the first film would respond best if his own name was used.[2] He is the son of Michael (Al Pacino) and Kay Corleone (Diane Keaton), and the older brother of Mary Corleone (Sofia Coppola). While Anthony was never a major character in the first two films, major events in his life were the backdrop of key parts of the second film, and his relationship with his father is a plot point in the third film. He was not mentioned by name in the novel.
Contents [hide]
1 Fictional character biography 1.1 The Godfather
1.2 The Godfather Part II
1.3 The Godfather Part III
2 Sequel novels
3 Notes
Fictional character biography[edit]
The Godfather[edit]
Anthony has a small role in the first film; his only scene of consequence is one in which he witnesses the death of his grandfather, Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), who is playing with him in the garden.
The Godfather Part II[edit]
The second film's plotline opens in 1958, with Anthony's first communion. It continues with an extravagant banquet held in his honor near Lake Tahoe. During this banquet, his father is largely tied up with family business, a theme which would repeat itself throughout the film. Anthony receives many gifts, mostly from people he does not know.
Later in the film, he and his sister, Mary, overhear their parents fighting; during the fight Kay mentions her concern that Michael's soldati have become Anthony's primary playmates, but Michael refuses to believe he has influenced his son in any negative way. Michael and Kay get a divorce by the end of the film; Anthony seems to resent his mother's role in the divorce, and as a result is sullen and reluctant to kiss her during a visit. At the end of the film, he develops a friendship with his uncle Fredo (John Cazale) and is due to go fishing with him, until Michael intervenes and requests Anthony accompany him to Reno. Fredo is then assassinated by Al Neri (Richard Bright) at Michael's order.
The Godfather Part III[edit]
Sometime in the 1960s, Michael gave custody of Anthony and Mary to their mother. A fully-grown Anthony attends Michael's celebration on his receipt of a citation from the Pope, along with his mother and sister. At the banquet that follows, he confronts his father, along with Kay, and tells him that he is quitting law school for a career in opera, and will not join the family business, claiming it has brought him nothing but "bad memories". This infuriates Michael, who wants him to be a lawyer even if he is not in the "family business". Nevertheless, Michael relents and gives his blessing at Kay's insistence. Kay also tells Michael (in secret) that Anthony knows that he had Fredo killed.
Anthony's operatic career is a success, and he is given the lead in the opera Cavalleria Rusticana in Palermo, Sicily. Overjoyed, his family join him for the premiere. As a gift at a gathering, he performs the traditional Sicilian ballad "Brucia La Terra" (the official theme of the trilogy).[3] During this visit, he joins his parents in criticizing his sister's relationship with their cousin, Vincent Corleone (Andy García).
The film concludes with Anthony performing his debut. Although the production is a success, it is overshadowed by numerous murders and assassinations during the evening; most notably, Mary (Sofia Coppola) is killed by the assassin Mosca during an attempt on Michael's life.
Sequel novels[edit]
Anthony appears in Mark Winegardner's sequel novels The Godfather Returns and The Godfather's Revenge. In the former novel, he witnesses Fredo's murder from his window, explaining the third film's revelation that he knows the truth about his uncle's death. In these novels, Anthony has a difficult relationship with his father; he loves Michael, but doesn't want to be anything like him. His son's ambivalence toward him hurts Michael, but he understands, as he had for years felt the same way about his own father.
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "The Godfather, Part III (1990)". nytimes.com. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
2.Jump up ^ The Godfather - Did You know...? (Accessed 9 August 2006)
3.Jump up ^ "Brucia La Terra'" at thegodfathertrilogy.com
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Corleone
Kay Adams-Corleone
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Katherine Adams-Corleone
Dkeatongodfather.jpg
Diane Keaton as Kay Adams in The Godfather
First appearance
The Godfather
Last appearance
The Godfather's Revenge
Created by
Mario Puzo
Portrayed by
Diane Keaton
Information
Gender
Female
Family
Corleone family
Spouse(s)
Michael Corleone (1951-60, divorced)
2nd husband Douglas
Children
Mary Corleone, Anthony Corleone
Religion
Roman Catholic (converted from Baptist)
For similar names, see Kaye Adams (disambiguation)
Katherine "Kay" Corleone (née Adams) (born 1924) is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's The Godfather. She was portrayed by Diane Keaton in Francis Ford Coppola's trilogy of films based on the novel.[1]
Contents [hide]
1 Fictional biography 1.1 The Godfather Part II
1.2 The Godfather Part III
1.3 Sequel novels
2 References
Fictional biography[edit]
Kay is a native of Hanover, New Hampshire, and the daughter and only child of a Baptist minister. She is the longtime girlfriend and eventual wife of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), the son of Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), and the future don of the Corleone crime family.
Kay went to Dartmouth College to study to be a teacher. She met Michael, also a student at Dartmouth, in 1945, and they fell in love. As a non-Italian, she is somewhat of an outsider from the beginning and symbolizes Michael's initial desire to live a more Americanized life. When she and Michael attend his sister Connie's (Talia Shire) wedding, they sit at a table separate from the rest of the family. In the book, the other guests notice that Kay's manner is more free than they have come to expect from an unmarried woman.
She is a fan of the singer Johnny Fontane (Al Martino), although she is stunned when Michael tells her the story of how his father "helped Johnny in his career" by threatening to kill his manager unless he released Fontane from his contract.
After the failed assassination attempt on his father, Michael kills Virgil Sollozzo (Al Lettieri) and NYPD Captain McCluskey (Sterling Hayden). He leaves the country without saying goodbye to Kay, and takes refuge in Sicily, where he falls in love with and marries a local young woman, Apollonia (Simonetta Stefanelli). Kay has no knowledge of Michael's exile and takes a job as a teacher in her hometown. She tries to get Corleone family consigliere Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall) to deliver a letter to Michael, but Hagen turns it down lest it be used in court proceedings to prove that the family had "knowledge of his whereabouts". During this time, she develops a close relationship with Michael's mother, Carmela (Morgana King).
Apollonia is killed by a car bomb intended for Michael, and some months later he returns to the United States. More than a year after his return he meets Kay and they reunite, although she is dismayed when Michael tells her that he is now working for his father. She agrees to marry him after he promises to make the family completely legitimate within five years. In the novel, Kay is informed by Carmela Corleone of her son's return and invites her over to see him. Michael tells her that until the family goes legitimate, there are certain parts of his life that he can't share with her. She does not know at the time about his marriage to Apollonia. In the novel he admits that he had been with one other woman since their separation.
They have two children, Anthony and Mary. They are born within two years of each other, leading Michael to joke that Kay is "more Italian than Yankee." Kay replies that Michael is "more Yankee than Italian" because he always takes his work home with him.
Michael becomes the new Don in 1955 after his father's death. When a hysterical Connie accuses Michael of orchestrating a wave of murders — including that of her husband, Carlo Rizzi (Gianni Russo) — Kay asks Michael if his sister is telling the truth. Michael initially refuses to tell her, but when she presses him, he lies to her and tells her that he is innocent. However, immediately afterward, Kay sees Michael receiving his caporegimes, and sees Peter Clemenza (Richard Castellano) greet him as the new Don. Kay realizes that Connie was telling the truth, and that her husband has become his father's successor in every way. (In the novel, she flees to New Hampshire with their children, but Hagen persuades her to return.)
Kay converts to Catholicism, going to Mass every day to pray for her husband's soul (just as Mama Corleone had done for Vito). An early draft of the film's script had it ending with Kay lighting candles for Michael.[2]
The Godfather Part II[edit]
At the beginning of The Godfather Part II (set in 1958-60), Kay, who is pregnant with the couple's third child, implores Michael to fulfill his promise of legitimizing the family business. Michael makes a sincere effort to break the family's criminal ties, but his escalating war with rival Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg) and his personal obsession with revenge keeps him trapped in the criminal underworld. On the night after Anthony's First Communion, assassins machine-gun Michael and Kay's bedroom while the family take refuge in the sitting room. Soon afterward, Kay suffers an apparent miscarriage.
Kay grows increasingly disgusted with Michael's criminal life; in particular, she is appalled that Michael's button men have become Anthony's closest playmates. While the family is in Washington to attend a Senate hearing on organized crime, Kay tells Michael she is leaving him and taking the children with her. During the ensuing argument, she tells him that she did not miscarry, but had actually had an abortion to avoid bringing another son into Michael's criminal family. Enraged, Michael slaps Kay in the face and banishes her from the family; the two are soon divorced.
Michael initially keeps his children. When Kay comes to Michael's house to visit them (with Connie's help), Michael coldly closes the front door in her face.
The Godfather Part III[edit]
By the time of The Godfather Part III (set in 1979-82), Kay is remarried to a prosecutor named Douglas, and Michael has granted them custody of Anthony (Franc D'Ambrosio) and Mary (Sofia Coppola). He and Kay have not been in contact since 1971. They have an uneasy reunion at a family gathering, where Anthony tells Michael he wants to quit law school and become an opera singer; Kay supports his decision, but Michael wants him to finish his studies or go into the "family business". An argument ensues, in which Kay tells him that both she and Anthony know that Michael ordered the murder of his brother Fredo (John Cazale) 20 years earlier, and that she "dreads" him. They reach a truce after Michael agrees to let Anthony leave law school.
They begin to rekindle their relationship when she joins Michael in Sicily to watch Anthony's debut. Over lunch with Kay, he asks her forgiveness for everything he has done. Michael tells Kay that he had a very different destiny planned for them; he is sorrowful that he has lost her, and tells her that he still loves her. Kay then tearfully admits that she still loves him and always will. They reconcile and see Anthony's operatic debut, Cavalleria Rusticana, together in Palermo. However, their daughter Mary is killed in an assassination attempt on her father. Michael and Kay are last seen weeping over Mary's body. It is unknown if she was still alive at the time of Michael's death in 1997.
Sequel novels[edit]
Kay appears as a supporting character in The Godfather Returns (2004) and The Godfather's Revenge (2006), Mark Winegardner's two sequels to Puzo's original novel. The novels expands upon the early days of her relationship with Michael, her gradual estrangement from him, and her life after divorcing him.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "The Godfather (1972)". nytimes.com. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
2.Jump up ^ Puzo, Mario and Coppola, Francis Ford. (1971, 29 March). THE GODFATHER, The Internet Movie Script Database
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Albert Volpe
Rival families
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Tattaglia family
Music
The Godfather (soundtrack) ·
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The Godfather Part III (soundtrack) ·
"Speak Softly Love" ·
"Promise Me You'll Remember" ·
The Godfather: The Game Soundtrack
Miscellaneous
Francis Ford Coppola ·
Mario Puzo ·
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Nino Rota ·
Dean Tavoularis ·
Gordon Willis ·
Mark Winegardner ·
Ed Falco ·
Crime film ·
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Adams-Corleone
Carmela Corleone
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Carmela Corleone
Carmela Corleone.png
Morgana King as Carmela Corleone
First appearance
The Godfather
Last appearance
The Godfather: The Game
Created by
Mario Puzo
Portrayed by
Morgana King (47–61)
Francesca De Sapio (19–27)
Information
Gender
Female
Spouse(s)
Vito Corleone (1914–1955, Vito's death)
Children
Sonny Corleone
Fredo Corleone
Michael Corleone
Connie Corleone
Tom Hagen (adoptive son)
Relatives
Anthony Corleone (grandson)
Mary Corleone (granddaughter)
Religion
Roman Catholicism
Carmela Corleone (1897–1959; aged 62), a fictional character in Mario Puzo's The Godfather, is the wife of Don Vito Corleone.
Carmela is portrayed by Italian-American Morgana King in Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptation of the novel, as well as in The Godfather Part II. King is better known as a singer and is given a brief chance to display her vocal skills in the wedding reception scene of The Godfather when she sings the song "Luna Mezz'O Mare".[1] Although King was born Maria Grazia Morgana Messina in Pleasantville, New York, her parents were "from Fiumefreddo di Sicilia, Province of Catania, Sicily."[2][2][3]
Contents [hide]
1 Background
2 Sequel novel
3 Family members
4 References
Background[edit]
Carmela was born in Sicily in 1897, and emigrated to the United States shortly after the turn of the century. She married Vito Corleone in 1914; they were married for just over 40 years until Vito's death in 1955. They had four children – Sonny, Fredo, Michael and Connie. They also took care of a friend of Sonny, Tom Hagen, who later serves as the family consigliere.
In the novel, Carmela Corleone is portrayed as a traditional Italian immigrant woman who speaks in very broken English. In the movies, however, she speaks fluent English, with a marked New York accent. In the novel, she develops a close relationship with Michael's girlfriend and future wife, Kay. She is given more expansive dialogue in The Godfather Part II, notably when she confronts her daughter Connie about her behaviour early in the film, and when she discusses family life with Michael, who fears that his role as Don of the Corleone criminal empire will cost him his family. Carmela Corleone dies toward the end of the sequel.
Carmela was disturbed by Vito's change from a kind, quiet young man to a pragmatic and ruthless criminal. However Carmela seems to forgive Vito for his many crimes, because he remains essentially a good man who is devoted to his family. Devoutly Catholic, Carmela attends Mass every day to pray for her husband's soul to keep him from "going down there."
In The Godfather Part II's flashback scenes, the young Carmela is portrayed by Francesca De Sapio.
Sequel novel[edit]
Carmela is a major character in the 2012 sequel novel The Family Corleone, which portrays their early years together, raising a family as Vito becomes a crime boss.
Family members[edit]
Vito Corleone — Husband; played by Marlon Brando in Godfather I, played by Robert De Niro in Godfather II
Tom Hagen — Adopted son; played by Robert Duvall
Santino 'Sonny' Corleone — first-born son; played by James Caan
Sandra Corleone — Daughter-in-law; played by Julie Gregg
Constanzia "Connie" Corleone-Rizzi — Daughter; played by Talia Shire
Frederico 'Fredo' Corleone — middle son, underboss to Michael; played by John Cazale
Michael Corleone — Youngest son; played by Al Pacino
Kay Adams — Daughter-in-law; played by Diane Keaton
Anthony Corleone — Grandson; played by Anthony Gounaris in Godfather I, played by James Gounaris in Godfather II, played by Franc D'Ambrosio in Godfather III
Mary Corleone — Granddaughter; played by Sofia Coppola
Vincent Mancini-Corleone — Grandson; played by Andy García
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Zoetrope". Zoetrope. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
2.^ Jump up to: a b Vernon Scott (May 3, 1971). Singer in 'Godfather' Role. The Deseret News
3.Jump up ^ Morgana King's Songs Offer Relief. Chicago Sun-Times, November 13, 1992, p. 19, Weekend Plus
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The Godfather Part III
Video games
The Godfather ·
The Godfather: The Game ·
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Vito Corleone ·
Michael Corleone ·
Tom Hagen ·
Sonny Corleone ·
Fredo Corleone ·
Carmela Corleone ·
Connie Corleone ·
Apollonia Vitelli-Corleone ·
Kay Adams-Corleone ·
Anthony Corleone ·
Mary Corleone ·
Vincent Corleone ·
Sandra Corleone
Family allies
Genco Abbandando ·
Luca Brasi ·
Willi Cicci ·
Peter Clemenza ·
Carmine Marino ·
Rocco Lampone ·
Tony Molinari ·
Sal Narducci ·
Al Neri ·
Tommy Neri ·
Ritchie Nobilio ·
Eddie Paradise ·
Frank Pentangeli ·
Salvatore Tessio ·
Don Tommasino ·
Carlo Tramonti ·
Joe Zaluchi
Family enemies
Don Altobello ·
Momo Barone ·
Emilio Barzini ·
Ottilio Cuneo ·
Don Fanucci ·
Vincent Forlenza ·
Paulie Fortunato ·
Nick Geraci ·
Archbishop Gilday ·
Moe Greene ·
Frederick Keinszig ·
Joe Lucadello ·
Licio Lucchesi ·
Captain McCluskey ·
Mosca ·
Johnny Ola ·
Carlo Rizzi ·
Tony Rosato ·
Carmine Rosato ·
Hyman Roth ·
Louie Russo ·
Virgil Sollozzo ·
Anthony Stracci ·
Bruno Tattaglia ·
Philip Tattaglia ·
Rico Tattaglia ·
Jack Woltz ·
Joey Zasa
Others
Amerigo Bonasera ·
Johnny Fontane ·
Pat Geary ·
Cardinal Lamberto ·
Lucy Mancini ·
Danny Shea ·
Mickey Shea ·
Billy Van Arsdale ·
Aldo Trapani ·
Albert Volpe
Rival families
Barzini family ·
Carmine Rosato family ·
Cuneo family ·
Stracci family ·
Tattaglia family
Music
The Godfather (soundtrack) ·
The Godfather Part II (soundtrack) ·
The Godfather Part III (soundtrack) ·
"Speak Softly Love" ·
"Promise Me You'll Remember" ·
The Godfather: The Game Soundtrack
Miscellaneous
Francis Ford Coppola ·
Mario Puzo ·
Albert S. Ruddy ·
Nino Rota ·
Dean Tavoularis ·
Gordon Willis ·
Mark Winegardner ·
Ed Falco ·
Crime film ·
Organized crime ·
American Mafia ·
Sicilian Mafia ·
Five Families ·
Corleone ·
The Godfather Effect ·
The Godfather Papers and Other Confessions ·
The Sicilian ·
The Freshman ·
The Godfather Saga ·
Omertà
Wikipedia book Book ·
Category Category
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmela_Corleone
Fredo Corleone
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This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. Please help rewrite it to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective. (May 2014)
Frederico Corleone
FredoCorleone.jpg
John Cazale as Fredo Corleone in The Godfather: Part II
First appearance
The Godfather
Last appearance
Godfather II
Created by
Mario Puzo
Portrayed by
John Cazale
Information
Nickname(s)
Fredo, Freddie
Gender
Male
Occupation
Mobster, Hotel & Casino Manager, Brothel Owner, Actor, Television Host
Title
Soldier, Capo, Underboss
Family
Corleone family
Spouse(s)
Deanna Dunn-Corleone
Children
One illegitimate son with Marguerite "Rita" Duvall
Religion
Roman Catholicism
Frederico "Fredo" Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather. In the fictional universe of the novel and its film adaptation, he is the second son of Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro), head of a powerful Mafia family. He is the second oldest of Vito's four children; he is the younger brother of Sonny (James Caan) and elder brother of Michael (Al Pacino) and Connie (Talia Shire).
Fredo was portrayed by Italian-American actor John Cazale in Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptation of the novel, as well as in The Godfather Part II.[1]
Contents [hide]
1 Characterization
2 Appearances 2.1 The Godfather
2.2 The Godfather Part II
2.3 The Godfather Part III
3 Sequel novels 3.1 In The Godfather Returns
3.2 In The Godfather's Revenge
4 Family
5 References
Characterization[edit]
In both Puzo's novel and its film adaptations, Fredo is characterized as the weakest and least intelligent of the three Corleone brothers, and therefore is given the Corleone family's unimportant businesses to run. Nevertheless, Fredo is the most obedient and dutiful of the Corleone children. In The Godfather Part II, it is revealed in flashbacks to Vito Corleone's younger days, that Fredo was afflicted with pneumonia as an infant.
In the novel, Fredo's primary weakness is his womanizing, a habit which he develops in Las Vegas and which puts him out of favor with his father. In the films, Fredo's feelings of personal inadequacy and his inability to act effectively on his own behalf become character flaws of much greater consequence. He is depicted as being far less cunning and resourceful than his younger brother Michael, weaknesses that other characters are very aware of. One such example is early in The Godfather Part II, when Michael explains to his consigliere, Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall), that "Fredo has a good heart, but he's weak and he's stupid".
Appearances[edit]
The Godfather[edit]
In a pivotal scene in the novel and film, Fredo is with his father when men working for drug kingpin Virgil Sollozzo (Al Lettieri) attempt to assassinate Vito, but Fredo fumbles with his gun and fails to return fire. He then sits on the street curb next to his badly wounded father and weeps. In the novel, he becomes sick after his father's shooting, going into shock after the incident. To help him recover and to protect him from any possible reprisals, Sonny sends him to Las Vegas under the protection of Don Anthony Molinari of San Francisco, where he makes the acquaintance of former hitman Moe Greene (Alex Rocco), who runs one of the major Vegas hotels. While in Las Vegas, Fredo learns the casino trade. When Fredo's womanizing starts to affect business, Greene hits him in public.
After Sonny's assassination, Vito chooses Michael to succeed him as head of the Corleone Family, which creates a rift between the two brothers.
The Godfather Part II[edit]
Fredo being confronted by Michael.
By the beginning of The Godfather Part II, Fredo has become Michael's underboss, but has little real power. During a family gathering, Fredo is unable to control his intoxicated wife, Deanna Dunn (Marianna Hill). After she dances with another man, he furiously drags her off the dance floor and threatens to hit her. Deanna mocks him by saying "you couldn't belt your momma," and accuses him of being jealous because he's not "a real man." His wife has to be hauled away by one of Michael's men, an order Michael asks Fredo if he wants to approve, which Fredo does.
Fredo runs a brothel in rural Nevada. Hagen is called to implicate Senator Pat Geary (G.D. Spradlin) in the murder of a prostitute in order to bring him under the family's thumb. Hagen explains that, in return for the senator's "friendship", the Corleone Family can take care of the problem. Hagen tells Geary, "My brother, Fredo, runs this place... It will be as though she never existed."
Fredo later betrays Michael when approached by Johnny Ola (Dominic Chianese), an agent of rival gangster Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg), during the negotiation of a business deal between Roth's organization and the Corleone family. Ola and Roth claim that Michael is being particularly difficult in the negotiations, and Fredo secretly agrees to aid them in exchange for compensation; the film never reveals what specific assistance Fredo provides Ola and Roth against Michael, or what he receives in return. In any event, Roth's men use this information to make an attempt on Michael's life at Michael's home.
While in Havana negotiating with Roth, Michael realizes that Fredo is the family traitor he had been looking for. Despite twice telling Michael that he had never met Ola, Fredo drunkenly lets slip that they had met in Havana earlier that year. Michael confronts Fredo later, giving him the kiss of death and telling him, "I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!" In the ensuing fray after dictator Fulgencio Batista's flight from Fidel Castro's rebel army, Michael pleads with Fredo to come with him, but a frightened Fredo runs away. He is eventually tracked down and convinced to return home.
Later, Michael is being pursued by a Senate subcommittee investigating organized crime. Michael's former caporegime, Frank Pentangeli (Michael V. Gazzo), is due to testify against Michael at the hearing. A few days before the hearing, Michael has a talk with Fredo to find out what he knows about Roth's plans. Fredo says that Ola had promised him that there was "something in it for me, on my own" if he would help them. He then tells Michael that he resents having been passed over when Michael was chosen as their father's successor; he believes that, as the older of the two brothers, he should have taken over the family. When pressed by Michael, Fredo tells him that the Senate commission's lawyer is on Roth's payroll, revealing that he had known all along that the investigation could send Michael to prison. Michael disowns Fredo, coldly informing him that "you're nothing to me now", and instructs assassin Al Neri (Richard Bright) that nothing is to happen to him while their mother is alive; the implication is that Fredo will be murdered once she dies. At their mother's funeral, and at their sister Connie's urging, Michael seemingly forgives Fredo. However, it is only a ploy to draw Fredo in so as to have him murdered.
Towards the end of the film, Fredo befriends his nephew, Michael's son Anthony, and is to go fishing with him on Lake Tahoe. However, Anthony is called away by Connie, who tells him that his father wants to take him to Reno. Fredo is left alone in the fishing boat with Neri, and he takes the boat far out onto the lake. As Fredo prays the Hail Mary, Neri shoots him in the back of the head, killing him. As this happens, Michael watches from afar in his den.
Fredo makes a final appearance in the movie's penultimate scene, a flashback to December 1941. It emerges that Fredo was the only member of the family who supported Michael's decision to drop out of college and join the Marines after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
The Godfather Part III[edit]
Fredo appears only once in the third film, in a flashback depicting his death through archive footage. He is also mentioned many times throughout the film; the dialogue makes it clear that Michael is wracked with guilt over ordering his brother's death, and that it has alienated him from his ex-wife, Kay (Diane Keaton), and his son, Anthony (Franc D'Ambrosio), both of whom know what really happened. Michael himself cries out Fredo's name while having a diabetic stroke. Later in the film, he breaks down in tears while confessing having ordered Fredo's death to Cardinal Lamberto (Raf Vallone), who later becomes Pope John Paul I. Michael's daughter, Mary (Sofia Coppola), asks her cousin and love interest, Vincent Corleone (Andy García), if Michael had Fredo killed, but Vincent says it is "just a story" and changes the subject.
Sequel novels[edit]
In The Godfather Returns[edit]
Mark Winegardner's novel The Godfather Returns further expands upon the character of Fredo Corleone. It includes explanations of some of the questions left open by the films, such as the details of Fredo's betrayal of Michael in The Godfather Part II, and how, as was revealed in The Godfather Part III, Anthony had known the truth about Fredo's death.
The novel reveals that Fredo is bisexual, and implies that he was molested as a child by his parish priest. Rival gangster Louie Russo exploits rumours of Fredo's sexuality to make Michael look weak, and tries to have him killed while he is with a male lover. The novel also reveals that, in San Francisco, Fredo beats one of his lovers to death after the man recognizes him from a newspaper photo. Tom Hagen makes the resulting scandal go away by claiming that Fredo killed the man in self-defense. Fredo also has liaisons with many women, having "knocked up half the cocktail waitresses in Las Vegas". He meets Marguerite "Rita" Duvall, who was sent up to his room by Johnny Fontane as a prank. Though hesitant, they have sex, and Fredo pays her to tell Johnny it was the best she had ever had.
At Colma during the funeral for Don Molinari of San Francisco, Fredo gets the idea of setting up a necropolis in New Jersey. The Corleone family would buy the former cemetery land, now prime real estate, and also be a silent partner in the graveyard business. Fredo would propose this plan to Michael and impress him, reassuring him and others of his abilities. To Fredo's dismay, however, Michael dismisses the plan as unrealistic.
At Christmas, Fredo shows up at the Corleone Christmas party with Deanna Dunn, a fading movie starlet. A few months later they get married. Dunn gets Fredo to make appearances in bit parts in some of her movies. Later, in September 1957, Fredo's Hollywood connections allow him to get his own unsuccessful TV show, "The Fred Corleone Show", which airs irregularly, usually on Monday nights, until his death. Meanwhile, Fredo's alcoholism worsens. One day, he discovers Deanna cheating on him with her co-star, and shoots up the car he bought her. When Deanna's co-star tries to attack him, Fredo knocks him unconscious and goes to jail. Hagen bails him out, and they get in an argument about Fredo's recklessness and Hagen's blind loyalty to Michael. Despite this, Hagen again gets Fredo out of trouble by claiming self-defense.
Roth, Ola and traitorous Corleone family caporegime Nick Geraci decide to use Fredo as a pawn to get Michael out of the way. Ola meets with Fredo, who is blind drunk after having a fight with his wife, and promises to make his necropolis idea a reality in return for information about Michael. Fredo supplies Ola with all the information he needs about the Corleone family, particularly financial information.
Fredo's death plays out in the novel exactly as filmed in The Godfather Part II. Anthony, who is called by his Aunt Connie to go to Reno, actually never goes there; instead, he is sent to his room, where, from his window, he sees Fredo and Neri motor out on the lake aboard a small boat. Anthony hears a gunshot and sees Neri come back on the boat alone, explaining Godfather Part III's revelation that he knows the truth about his uncle's death.
In The Godfather's Revenge[edit]
In Winegardner's 2006 sequel, The Godfather's Revenge, Fredo appears in one of Michael's dreams, warning him about an unspecified threat and asking him why he had his own brother killed. Much of the novel portrays Michael dealing with his guilt over Fredo's murder.
In the final chapter of the book, Michael learns that Fredo had an illegitimate child with his ex-girlfriend Rita Duvall.
Family[edit]
Vito Corleone — Father; played by Marlon Brando in The Godfather and by Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part II
Carmela Corleone — Mother; played by Morgana King
Santino 'Sonny' Corleone — Elder brother; played by James Caan
Constanzia 'Connie' Corleone-Rizzi — Sister; played by Talia Shire
Michael Corleone — Younger brother; played by Al Pacino
Tom Hagen — Adopted brother; played by Robert Duvall
Mary Corleone — Niece; played by Sofia Coppola
Anthony Vito Corleone — Nephew; played by Anthony Gounaris in The Godfather, played by James Gounaris in The Godfather Part II, played by Franc D'Ambrosio in The Godfather Part III
Vincent 'Vinnie' Mancini-Corleone — Illegitimate nephew; played by Andy García.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "The Godfather, Part II (1974)". nytimes.com. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
Plot Summary - The Godfather
[hide]
v ·
t ·
e
The Godfather
Novels
The Godfather ·
The Sicilian ·
The Godfather Returns ·
The Godfather's Revenge ·
The Family Corleone
Films
The Godfather ·
The Godfather Part II ·
The Godfather Part III
Video games
The Godfather ·
The Godfather: The Game ·
The Godfather II
Corleone family
Vito Corleone ·
Michael Corleone ·
Tom Hagen ·
Sonny Corleone ·
Fredo Corleone ·
Carmela Corleone ·
Connie Corleone ·
Apollonia Vitelli-Corleone ·
Kay Adams-Corleone ·
Anthony Corleone ·
Mary Corleone ·
Vincent Corleone ·
Sandra Corleone
Family allies
Genco Abbandando ·
Luca Brasi ·
Willi Cicci ·
Peter Clemenza ·
Carmine Marino ·
Rocco Lampone ·
Tony Molinari ·
Sal Narducci ·
Al Neri ·
Tommy Neri ·
Ritchie Nobilio ·
Eddie Paradise ·
Frank Pentangeli ·
Salvatore Tessio ·
Don Tommasino ·
Carlo Tramonti ·
Joe Zaluchi
Family enemies
Don Altobello ·
Momo Barone ·
Emilio Barzini ·
Ottilio Cuneo ·
Don Fanucci ·
Vincent Forlenza ·
Paulie Fortunato ·
Nick Geraci ·
Archbishop Gilday ·
Moe Greene ·
Frederick Keinszig ·
Joe Lucadello ·
Licio Lucchesi ·
Captain McCluskey ·
Mosca ·
Johnny Ola ·
Carlo Rizzi ·
Tony Rosato ·
Carmine Rosato ·
Hyman Roth ·
Louie Russo ·
Virgil Sollozzo ·
Anthony Stracci ·
Bruno Tattaglia ·
Philip Tattaglia ·
Rico Tattaglia ·
Jack Woltz ·
Joey Zasa
Others
Amerigo Bonasera ·
Johnny Fontane ·
Pat Geary ·
Cardinal Lamberto ·
Lucy Mancini ·
Danny Shea ·
Mickey Shea ·
Billy Van Arsdale ·
Aldo Trapani ·
Albert Volpe
Rival families
Barzini family ·
Carmine Rosato family ·
Cuneo family ·
Stracci family ·
Tattaglia family
Music
The Godfather (soundtrack) ·
The Godfather Part II (soundtrack) ·
The Godfather Part III (soundtrack) ·
"Speak Softly Love" ·
"Promise Me You'll Remember" ·
The Godfather: The Game Soundtrack
Miscellaneous
Francis Ford Coppola ·
Mario Puzo ·
Albert S. Ruddy ·
Nino Rota ·
Dean Tavoularis ·
Gordon Willis ·
Mark Winegardner ·
Ed Falco ·
Crime film ·
Organized crime ·
American Mafia ·
Sicilian Mafia ·
Five Families ·
Corleone ·
The Godfather Effect ·
The Godfather Papers and Other Confessions ·
The Sicilian ·
The Freshman ·
The Godfather Saga ·
Omertà
Wikipedia book Book ·
Category Category
Categories: Characters in American novels of the 20th century
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredo_Corleone
Sonny Corleone
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Santino Corleone
Santino corleone 2.jpg
James Caan as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather
First appearance
The Godfather
Last appearance
The Godfather: The Game
Created by
Mario Puzo
Portrayed by
James Caan
Roman Coppola (child)
Information
Nickname(s)
Sonny (commonly used)
Gender
Male
Occupation
Mafia boss
Title
Underboss, Acting boss
Family
Corleone family
Spouse(s)
Sandra Corleone
Children
Francesca and Kathryn (twin daughters)
Frank
Santino, Jr.
Vincent Corleone (with Lucy Mancini)
Santino "Sonny" Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and its 1972 film adaptation. The character also appears in various flashback sequences in the film's 1974 sequel, The Godfather Part II.
In the novel and film, he is the oldest son of New York City Mafia Don Vito Corleone and Carmela Corleone.[1] He has two brothers, Fredo and Michael, a sister, Connie, and an adoptive brother, Tom Hagen. In the film, Sonny was portrayed by James Caan, who reprised his role for a flashback scene in Part II. Director Francis Ford Coppola's son Roman Coppola played Sonny as a boy in the 1920s scene of that film.
Contents [hide]
1 Novel and film biography
2 Role in Godfather sequels 2.1 Family
3 Behind the scenes
4 Cultural references
5 References
6 External links
Novel and film biography[edit]
Sonny is depicted in both the novel and the movies as the most impulsive and violent of Vito's children and the most involved in his father's crime family. Sonny, at the age of 16, commits a robbery. His father learns about it from Peter Clemenza, who stood as godfather to Sonny. When Vito asks Sonny why he did this, Sonny tells him he saw Vito kill the feared "Black Hand" gangster Don Fanucci years earlier. He then tells his father, "I want to learn how to sell olive oil." Vito realizes what Sonny really means, and sends him to Clemenza for training.
Sonny "makes his bones" when he is 19. By his mid-20s, he has become a caporegime in his father's family. By the end of World War II, he is his father's underboss and heir apparent, respected and feared as a ruthless killer with an explosive temper. He is not without a softer side, however; at the age of 11, he takes in a homeless boy, Tom Hagen, who thereafter lives with the family and becomes Vito's consigliere. As the oldest child, Sonny serves as a protector to his younger siblings and is shown to have a very close relationship with his brother Michael and sister Connie. The novel also reveals that he cannot bring himself to harm women, children, or anyone who can't defend themselves.
Although Sonny has a wife, Sandra, and four children, he has several mistresses, including Lucy Mancini, who served as one of his sister's bridesmaids. In the novel, Sandra tolerates his infidelities because she can't take the size of his penis.
The normal course of events in Sonny’s life is upturned in 1946, when Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo comes to Vito with an offer of entering the narcotics trade, backed by the Tattaglia family. During the meeting, Sonny speaks out of turn and expresses interest in the plan. Vito refuses the offer, however, and Sollozzo tries to assassinate him in hopes that Sonny, as his father's successor, will go into business with him.
The assassination attempt fails but leaves Vito near death, although he eventually recovers. Sonny takes over as acting boss. When Sollozzo attempts a second unsuccessful assassination attempt on Vito as he is recovering in the hospital, Sonny orders the death of Bruno Tattaglia, son and underboss of Philip Tattaglia, who is an ally of Solozzo. Sonny then issues an ultimatum to the Tattaglias: turn over Sollozzo or face war. This sets off the first real conflict in the New York Mafia world for a decade.
Sonny's death.
Michael, who had previously distanced himself from the family's criminal enterprise, volunteers to kill Sollozzo and his bodyguard, police Captain McCluskey. Sonny is impressed by Michael's loyalty, but doubts that his "college boy" brother has it in him to commit murder. Additionally, Sonny is leery of killing a police officer, as it has long been a hard and fast rule in the American Mafia that police and other law enforcement officials are not to be harmed. However, Michael argues that since McCluskey is serving as Sollozzo's bodyguard, he has crossed into their world and is fair game. Sonny is ultimately persuaded and gives clearance for the hit. Sollozzo and McCluskey set a meeting with Michael in a small Italian restaurant in the Bronx. Michael kills them both with a gun secretly hidden beforehand in the restaurant men's room, and is sent immediately to Sicily to wait out the inevitable crackdown on the Five Families.
The war between the Families drags on and Sonny, unable to break the stalemate, begins ordering bloody raids that accomplish nothing. In retaliation, Don Emilio Barzini, the real mastermind of the conspiracy, enlists the help of Sonny's brother-in-law, Carlo Rizzi, in setting a trap for Sonny. Earlier, Sonny had savagely beaten Carlo upon learning that Carlo was abusing Connie. To draw Sonny out into the open, Carlo inflicts a particularly vicious beating on Connie. Sobbing, she telephones Sonny. In a fit of rage, Sonny speeds out of the family compound unaccompanied, and heads for Connie's apartment in Hell's Kitchen to confront Carlo. As Sonny approaches the Long Beach Causeway toll plaza, men emerge with tommy guns and gun him down before he can flee.
Vito realizes, during a meeting with the heads of the other crime families, that Barzini masterminded the ambush on Sonny. After Michael returns from Sicily, he and Vito secretly plan to wipe out the other New York Dons in order to avenge Sonny's death. The plan is finally carried out in 1955, eight years after Sonny's death. Michael also has Clemenza kill Carlo.
Role in Godfather sequels[edit]
As well as appearing in the original film, The Godfather, Sonny features in the sequel, The Godfather Part II. In this film, he briefly appears in some flashback scenes as an infant and as a young child. He makes a final appearance at the end of the story, in a scene that portrays Vito's birthday celebration in 1941. Michael announces that he has dropped out of college and enlisted to fight in World War II. Sonny is furious at the decision, and he berates his brother for risking his life "for a bunch of strangers." This flashback also reveals that Sonny introduced Carlo to Connie, and the rest of the family, which led to their marriage.
In The Godfather Part III, Vincent Corleone is introduced as the illegitimate child of Sonny and Lucy Mancini. Vincent succeeds Michael as head of the Corleone family at the end of the film. Vincent's existence in the film contradicts the literary universe, as Puzo's original novel stated that Lucy never bore a child with Sonny.
Family[edit]
Vito Corleone— father; played by Marlon Brando; in Part II played by Robert De Niro as young adult Vito Corleone
Carmela Corleone— mother; played by Morgana King
Tom Hagen— adopted brother; played by Robert Duvall
Fredo Corleone— brother; played by John Cazale
Michael Corleone— brother; played by Al Pacino
Constanzia "Connie" Corleone —sister; played by Talia Shire
Mary Corleone— niece; played by Sofia Coppola
Anthony Vito Corleone—nephew; played by Anthony Gounaris in The Godfather, played by James Gounaris in The Godfather Part II, and played by Franc D'Ambrosio in The Godfather Part III
Sandra Corleone— wife; played by Julie Gregg
Francesca Corleone—daughter, born 1937
Kathryn Corleone—daughter, born 1937
Frank Corleone—son, born 1940
Santino Corleone Jr. — son, born 1945
Vincent Corleone—illegitimate son with Lucy Mancini born circa spring 1946, played by Andy García
Behind the scenes[edit]
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2014)
Coppola staged Sonny's death scene in The Godfather to be reminiscent of the final death scene of Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) and Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) in Bonnie and Clyde.[2]
Coppola had the car radio play the broadcast of the baseball playoff game won by Bobby Thomson hitting the Shot Heard Round the World. This would place Sonny's death on October 3, 1951, contradicting the novel by several years.
Among the actors auditioning for the role of Michael during casting for The Godfather, one unknown off-Broadway actor named Robert De Niro also read for Sonny's part, as well as Michael's and Carlo's, without success. Raw footage of him in the scene where Paulie Gatto offers to kill Rizzi can be seen on the DVD. Eventually, Coppola cast Caan in the role and gave De Niro the part of Paulie, but he "traded" him to the film The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight for Al Pacino, who soon got the part of Michael. Anthony Perkins not only auditioned for Sonny, but also for Tom Hagen.
Originally Caan was to be cast as the main character Michael Corleone (Sonny's youngest brother), while Carmine Caridi was signed as Sonny. However Coppola demanded that the role of Michael be played by Al Pacino instead. The studio agreed to Pacino but insisted on having Caan be cast as Sonny, so he remained in the production.[3]
Caan was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film, competing with co-stars Pacino and Robert Duvall, giving the movie three entries in that category.
Cultural references[edit]
Sonny's death scene has been parodied several times on The Simpsons, including in the final scene of "All's Fair in Oven War", an episode in which Caan lent his voice. In that episode, the tollbooth death scene is re-enacted as part of Cletus Spuckler's revenge on Caan for "stealing" his wife Brandine's heart. The scene where Sonny beats Carlo Rizzi has also been parodied, in the episode "Strong Arms of the Ma".
The tollbooth scene was parodied along with the execution montage in the final scene of the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law episode "Dabba Don". In this scene the Ant Hill Mob from Wacky Races gun down Judge Mightor from their car.
Bill Simmons, a columnist for ESPN.com, frequently compares the "Sonny Corleone move" to the "Michael Corleone move" when referring to hasty, rash decisions that end badly when a patient, reasoned approach would have been far more successful. Often, this analogy applies to free agent signings and trades in the NBA.
Conan O'Brien also used the tollbooth scene in a parody on Conan, explaining how he was dropped from NBC.
Preceded by
Vito Corleone Acting head of the Corleone crime family
The Godfather
ca. 1945–1946 Succeeded by
Michael Corleone
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Fact and Fiction in The Godfather". crimelibrary.com. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
2.Jump up ^ Phillips, Gene D. (May 18, 2014). Godfather: The Intimate Francis Ford Coppola. University of Kentucky Press. p. 104. ISBN 9780813146713.
3.Jump up ^ Seal, Mark (2009-10-20). "The Godfather Wars | Culture". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2011-03-07.
External links[edit]
Plot Summary - The Godfather
[hide]
v ·
t ·
e
The Godfather
Novels
The Godfather ·
The Sicilian ·
The Godfather Returns ·
The Godfather's Revenge ·
The Family Corleone
Films
The Godfather ·
The Godfather Part II ·
The Godfather Part III
Video games
The Godfather ·
The Godfather: The Game ·
The Godfather II
Corleone family
Vito Corleone ·
Michael Corleone ·
Tom Hagen ·
Sonny Corleone ·
Fredo Corleone ·
Carmela Corleone ·
Connie Corleone ·
Apollonia Vitelli-Corleone ·
Kay Adams-Corleone ·
Anthony Corleone ·
Mary Corleone ·
Vincent Corleone ·
Sandra Corleone
Family allies
Genco Abbandando ·
Luca Brasi ·
Willi Cicci ·
Peter Clemenza ·
Carmine Marino ·
Rocco Lampone ·
Tony Molinari ·
Sal Narducci ·
Al Neri ·
Tommy Neri ·
Ritchie Nobilio ·
Eddie Paradise ·
Frank Pentangeli ·
Salvatore Tessio ·
Don Tommasino ·
Carlo Tramonti ·
Joe Zaluchi
Family enemies
Don Altobello ·
Momo Barone ·
Emilio Barzini ·
Ottilio Cuneo ·
Don Fanucci ·
Vincent Forlenza ·
Paulie Fortunato ·
Nick Geraci ·
Archbishop Gilday ·
Moe Greene ·
Frederick Keinszig ·
Joe Lucadello ·
Licio Lucchesi ·
Captain McCluskey ·
Mosca ·
Johnny Ola ·
Carlo Rizzi ·
Tony Rosato ·
Carmine Rosato ·
Hyman Roth ·
Louie Russo ·
Virgil Sollozzo ·
Anthony Stracci ·
Bruno Tattaglia ·
Philip Tattaglia ·
Rico Tattaglia ·
Jack Woltz ·
Joey Zasa
Others
Amerigo Bonasera ·
Johnny Fontane ·
Pat Geary ·
Cardinal Lamberto ·
Lucy Mancini ·
Danny Shea ·
Mickey Shea ·
Billy Van Arsdale ·
Aldo Trapani ·
Albert Volpe
Rival families
Barzini family ·
Carmine Rosato family ·
Cuneo family ·
Stracci family ·
Tattaglia family
Music
The Godfather (soundtrack) ·
The Godfather Part II (soundtrack) ·
The Godfather Part III (soundtrack) ·
"Speak Softly Love" ·
"Promise Me You'll Remember" ·
The Godfather: The Game Soundtrack
Miscellaneous
Francis Ford Coppola ·
Mario Puzo ·
Albert S. Ruddy ·
Nino Rota ·
Dean Tavoularis ·
Gordon Willis ·
Mark Winegardner ·
Ed Falco ·
Crime film ·
Organized crime ·
American Mafia ·
Sicilian Mafia ·
Five Families ·
Corleone ·
The Godfather Effect ·
The Godfather Papers and Other Confessions ·
The Sicilian ·
The Freshman ·
The Godfather Saga ·
Omertà
Wikipedia book Book ·
Category Category
Categories: The Godfather characters
Fictional American people of Sicilian descent
Fictional mobsters
Fictional characters from New York City
Characters in American novels of the 20th century
Fictional characters introduced in 1969
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Corleone
Tom Hagen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2014)
Tom Hagen
Robert Duvall portraying Tom Hagen
Robert Duvall portraying Tom Hagen
First appearance
The Godfather
Last appearance
The Godfather's Revenge
Created by
Mario Puzo
Portrayed by
Robert Duvall
Information
Gender
Male
Occupation
Lawyer/Consigliere
Family
Corleone family
Spouse(s)
Theresa Hagen
Children
Frank Hagen
Andrew Hagen
Gianna Hagen
Relatives
Martin Hagen (father)
Bridget Hagen (mother)
unnamed sister
Vito Corleone (adopted father)
Carmela Corleone (adopted mother)
Sonny Corleone (adopted brother)
Fredo Corleone (adopted brother)
Michael Corleone (adopted brother)
Connie Corleone (adopted sister)
Thomas Feargal "Tom" Hagen is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novel Godfather and Francis Ford Coppola's films The Godfather and The Godfather Part II. He was portrayed by Robert Duvall in the films.[1]
Contents [hide]
1 Character overview
2 Appearances 2.1 The Godfather (novel and film)
2.2 Sequel films 2.2.1 The Godfather Part II
2.2.2 The Godfather Part III
2.3 Sequel novels 2.3.1 The Godfather Returns
2.3.2 The Godfather's Revenge
3 Behind the scenes
4 Family
5 References
Character overview[edit]
Hagen is the informally adopted son of Don Vito Corleone, a qualified lawyer and the consigliere to the Corleone Mafia family.[2] Mild-mannered and soft-spoken, he serves as the voice of reason within the family. The novel and first film establish that he is of German-Irish ancestry.
He is found homeless at age 11 by Sonny Corleone, who brings him home to see him taken in by the Corleone family. Although Vito never formally adopts Tom, thinking that this would be an act of disrespect to Hagen's parents, Hagen thinks of him as his true father. After graduating from law school, Hagen offers to work for Corleone as though he is one of the Don's own sons. His non-Italian ancestry precludes his formal membership in the Mafia, but after the death of Genco Abbandando, Hagen acts as consigliere to Don Corleone.
While Hagen loves all the Corleones, he idolizes Sonny, and blames himself when Sonny is murdered. When Vito goes into semi-retirement in 1954, and his youngest son Michael becomes the operating head of the family, Michael removes Hagen as consigliere in favor of having his father take the role on an informal basis. Hagen is thus restricted to handling the family's legitimate business. After Vito's death in 1955, Michael reappoints Hagen as the family's consigliere.
The novel and first film portray Hagen aiding Vito and Michael Corleone in warring against the other ruling Mafia families in New York. In The Godfather Part II, set in the late 1950s, Hagen serves as Michael's right hand man during his power struggle with Hyman Roth. In The Godfather Part III, set in 1979-1980, he is said to have died some years before in an unspecified manner. His role in the story between the second and third films, including his death, is portrayed in Mark Winegardner's sequel novels, The Godfather Returns and The Godfather's Revenge.
Appearances[edit]
The Godfather (novel and film)[edit]
In both the novel and film, Hagen is introduced as an important member of the Corleone family. As a child he grew up in a broken family, the son of an abusive alcoholic. Hagen is saved by Sonny Corleone, who finds him on the street and takes him in to live with the Corleone family. Vito Corleone becomes a surrogate father to Hagen, but does not officially adopt him out of respect for the boy's father.
In the novel, Hagen offers to work for Vito after graduating from law school, knowing full well that his adoptive father is the most powerful Mafia chief in the nation. Vito is more than willing to take Hagen into his employ, telling him that lawyers can steal more than a phalanx of gangsters. Hagen marries an Italian woman, Theresa, with whom he has two sons, Frank and Andrew, and a daughter, Gianna.
After longtime consigliere Genco Abbandando is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Hagen becomes acting consigliere, succeeding to the post formally after Abbadando's death. Vito is initially reluctant to give Hagen the post full-time, considering that he is not Italian.
After Connie Corleone's wedding, Vito dispatches Hagen to Hollywood in order to persuade Jack Woltz, a big-time movie producer, to give singer/actor Johnny Fontane (Vito's godson) the lead role in his new war film. When Hagen first approaches Woltz, he offers help with some union trouble. Hagen then tells Woltz that one of his actors has moved from marijuana to heroin; a deleted scene in the movie shows that this information was going to be used to expose the star and thus hurt Woltz's studio. Woltz at first angrily refuses, but becomes more cordial once he finds out for whom Hagen works. Woltz invites him to his palatial house for dinner, and shows him his prized stud horse, Khartoum. During the dinner, Woltz tries to work out another deal with Hagen, but in the end refuses to cast Fontane, who had slept with one of his protégées, and angrily tells Hagen to leave his house. Hagen complies, but men working for the Corleones break into Woltz's stables and decapitate Khartoum, placing the horse's severed head in Woltz's bed. The next day, Hagen receives a call from a furious Woltz, who threatens to bring the law down on the Corleones' heads; Hagen responds nonchalantly and hangs up. Shortly afterward, Woltz realizes that he is risking his life by angering the Corleones, and grudgingly casts Fontane in the film.
Hagen next sets up a meeting between Vito and drug lord Virgil Sollozzo, where Sollozzo requests Vito's help in financing and protecting his drug business. Sollozzo raises his glass in respect to Hagen for having discovered that he is under the protection of the Tattaglia Family, a rival to the Corleones. Vito ultimately rejects the deal, however.
That December, Sollozzo and his bodyguards kidnap Hagen. At an undisclosed location, Sollozzo informs Hagen that Don Corleone has been shot and killed, and tells Hagen to persuade Sonny, who is running the family in his father's absence, to go along with the original deal. Hagen promises to calm Sonny down, but warns Sollozzo about an inevitable reprisal from Luca Brasi, the Don's fanatically loyal bodyguard and hitman. Unbeknown to Hagen, Sollozzo and Bruno Tattaglia have already killed Brasi. The meeting is interrupted when Sollozzo receives word that Don Corleone survived the shooting, ruining Sollozzo's plans.
Hagen is devastated when Sonny is murdered by the Barzini Family, and tearfully informs Vito of his son's death. Vito goes into semiretirement in 1954, and his youngest son, Michael, becomes operating head of the family. On his father's advice, Michael removes Hagen as consigliere in favor of having his father take the position on an informal basis, restricting Hagen to handling the family's legal business in Nevada, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Michael and Vito explain that the Corleones might have a fight on their hands with the planned move to Nevada and they need a "wartime consigliere". Though hurt, Hagen accepts the decision and remains loyal. In truth, Michael and Vito have been planning to wipe out New York's other dons to avenge Sonny and establish the Corleones' supremacy — an operation they have kept secret even from Hagen. In the novel (and in a deleted scene from the film), Hagen asks why bodyguard Rocco Lampone has been secretly promoted to caporegime and why hitman Al Neri reports directly to Michael and not through Clemenza and Tessio. Neri and Lampone will play a key role in the assassination of the rival Dons that Michael is planning.
After Vito's death, Michael gives Hagen back his old post as consigliere. Hagen is present when Tessio is taken away to be executed for betraying the family and is also present when Connie's husband, Carlo Rizzi, is executed for setting up Sonny's death seven years earlier.
In the novel, Michael's wife, Kay finds out that Michael ordered Carlo's death and flees to New Hampshire. Michael dispatches Hagen to New Hampshire to persuade Kay to come back.
Sequel films[edit]
The Godfather Part II[edit]
In The Godfather Part II, Hagen remains Michael's consigliere. After an attempt is made on Michael's life, he realizes he cannot trust anyone in his inner circle and proclaims Hagen acting Don while he tries to find out who has betrayed him. Hagen's promotion marks his renewed influence in the family and he goes on to be instrumental in both securing the loyalty of Senator Pat Geary and defending Michael during the Senate hearings on the Mafia. The fall of Fulgencio Batista's regime in Cuba forces Michael to temporarily abandon his dream of becoming a legitimate businessman and retake his place as the Don of the Corleone family.
Near the end of the film, Hagen is unable to hide his unhappiness with Michael's increasing ruthlessness and paranoia, questioning the need to kill rival Hyman Roth. In response, Michael confronts Hagen about listening to competing job offers, and obliquely threatens to inform Hagen's wife about his mistress. Challenged point blank by Michael to confirm his loyalty to the Corleone Family, Hagen responds (in Sicilian) that he will remain loyal. He dutifully fulfills his role as not just a legal adviser, but in the consigliere's traditional role as dispassionate envoy for the Family. For instance, he gives Frank Pentangeli, who had betrayed Michael, the "idea" of committing suicide so that Pentangeli's family would continue to be taken care of after his death, while agreeing with Pentangeli that the Corleone Family are no longer "like the Roman Empire".
The Godfather Part III[edit]
According to The Godfather Part III, Hagen has already died before the timeframe of the film, 1979–1980. There is no specific indication in the film as to when or how he died, except that it was before the ordination of his son, Andrew, a Roman Catholic priest.
Sequel novels[edit]
The Godfather Returns[edit]
The Godfather Returns, Mark Winegardner's 2004 sequel to Puzo's original novel, portrays Hagen's role as consigliere in the first few years after Michael ascends to the head of the family. The novel, which covers the period from 1955-1962, portrays Hagen once again acting as Michael's right-hand adviser and taking an important role in the Corleones' dealings with a powerful political family, the Sheas (analogous to the Kennedys). Hagen makes a deal with patriarch Mickey Shea (Joseph Kennedy) that the Corleone family would help get his son James (John F. Kennedy) elected President on the condition that his youngest son, Danny (Robert Kennedy), the new attorney general, would take a soft stance on organized crime. Meanwhile, Hagen has sights on a political career of his own, running for a Congressional seat in Nevada (which Hagen was initially appointed to) with the ultimate goal of becoming the state's governor; he is badly defeated, however, and abandons any hopes of holding public office.
The novel also portrays Hagen covering up for Michael's brother Fredo when he kills a man in San Francisco, and bailing him out of jail when he attacks his wife's lover. Hagen and Fredo get into an intense argument over Fredo's recklessness and Hagen's blind loyalty to Michael. When Michael has Fredo killed (as originally portrayed in The Godfather Part II), he guesses what really happened, but remains willfully ignorant.
Toward the end of the novel, Hagen personally murders Corleone rival Louie Russo, who is found to have conspired with the novel's antagonist, traitorous Corleone caporegime Nick Geraci.
The Godfather's Revenge[edit]
In Winegardner's 2006 novel The Godfather's Revenge, Hagen acts as Michael's right-hand man in dealing with the Shea family, especially Attorney General Danny Shea, who publicly declares war on organized crime. When Hagen's longtime mistress, Judy Buchanan, is murdered by thugs working for Don Carlo Tramonti, Hagen becomes a person of interest in the investigation.
In August 1964, Geraci kidnaps Hagen and drowns him in the Florida Everglades. Geraci then sends Michael a package containing a dead baby alligator along with Hagen's wallet. This message is similar to the one that is sent to Sonny in the original novel following Luca Brasi's death, which was a package delivered to the Corleones in the form of a bulletproof vest wrapped around two dead fish.
The novel also expands on how Hagen first became an unofficial member of the Corleone family. Hagen recalls that when he was living on the streets, he saved Sonny Corleone from a pimp who was notorious for raping and murdering boys. Sonny was so grateful that he brought Hagen home to live with his family.
Behind the scenes[edit]
The Hagen character was originally intended to have been featured in The Godfather Part III, but was written out because of a financial disagreement between Duvall and the film's producers. Coppola has stated that Part III was originally planned to feature a split between Michael and Hagen as its central plot, as seeds of dissension were planted in the first two films. Coppola stated in the film's commentary that Duvall demanded the same salary as Al Pacino (who portrayed Michael Corleone). However, Duvall said in an interview that he was happy for Pacino to earn twice his salary, but not three or four times his salary for the film.[3]
Family[edit]
Vito Corleone – Unofficial adopted father
Carmela Corleone – Unofficial adopted mother
Santino, Michael, Fredo, and Connie Corleone – Unofficial adopted siblings
Theresa Hagen – Wife
Frank and Andrew Hagen – Sons
Gianna Hagen – Daughter
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "The Godfather (1972)". nytimes.com. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
2.Jump up ^ "Fact and Fiction in The Godfather". crimelibrary.com. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
3.Jump up ^ http://folder.comxa.com/robertduvall/robertduvall_0/1999/geor0199.htm
Preceded by
Michael Corleone Head of the Corleone crime family
The Godfather
ca. 1958–1959 Succeeded by
Michael Corleone
Preceded by
Genco Abbandando Consigliere of the Corleone crime family
The Godfather
1945–1955 Succeeded by
Vito Corleone
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Nick Geraci ·
Archbishop Gilday ·
Moe Greene ·
Frederick Keinszig ·
Joe Lucadello ·
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Captain McCluskey ·
Mosca ·
Johnny Ola ·
Carlo Rizzi ·
Tony Rosato ·
Carmine Rosato ·
Hyman Roth ·
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Virgil Sollozzo ·
Anthony Stracci ·
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Hagen
Michael Corleone
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Michael Corleone
Michaelcoreleone.jpg
Michael Corleone, as portrayed by Al Pacino in The Godfather.
First appearance
The Godfather
Last appearance
The Godfather's Revenge
Created by
Mario Puzo
Portrayed by
Al Pacino
Information
Nickname(s)
Mike,
Mikey,
Mickey,
Godfather
Aliases
The Godfather, The Don, Don Corleone, Don Michael
Gender
Male
Occupation
Retired Mafia boss
Former United States Marine
Title
Don Corleone
Family
Corleone family
Spouse(s)
Apollonia Vitelli-Corleone (deceased; 1947-48)
Kay Adams (divorced; 1951-60)
Children
Anthony Corleone
Mary Corleone
Relatives
Vito Corleone (father)
Carmela Corleone (mother)
Sonny Corleone (brother)
Fredo Corleone (brother)
Tom Hagen (adopted brother)
Connie Corleone (sister)
Vincent Corleone (nephew)
Deanna Dunn (sister-in-law)
Sandra Corleone (sister-in-law)
Carlo Rizzi (brother-in-law)
Religion
Roman Catholic
Michael Corleone (1920–1997; aged 77) is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novels, The Godfather and The Sicilian. He is also the main character of the Godfather film trilogy that was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, in which he was portrayed by Al Pacino, who was twice nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal (Best Supporting Actor for The Godfather, and Best Actor for The Godfather Part II).
Michael Corleone, as portrayed by Pacino, was recognized as the 11th most iconic villain in film history by the American Film Institute,[1] although some critics consider him to be a tragic hero.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Family
2 The Godfather
3 The Godfather Part II
4 The Godfather Part III
5 The Sicilian
6 Sequel novels and video game
7 Family members
8 References
Family[edit]
Born in 1920, Michael is the youngest son of Mafia Don Vito Corleone and his wife, Carmela. He has two older brothers, Santino "Sonny" Corleone and Frederico "Fredo" Corleone and a younger sister, Constanzia "Connie" Corleone. The family consigliere, Tom Hagen, is Michael's informal adoptive brother.
The Godfather[edit]
In contrast with his brothers, Michael wants nothing to do with the Corleone "family business", wanting instead to lead an honest, more Americanized life. Vito does not want Michael to be involved in the Mafia, either, hoping instead that his favorite son will enter politics.
When the United States enters World War II in 1941, Michael drops out of Dartmouth College and enlists in the Marine Corps, and fights in the Pacific War. During the war, Michael receives a battlefield commission to the rank of Captain and is awarded the Navy Cross for bravery. In 1944, his picture is printed in Life magazine with a photo layout of his heroism. He is discharged early in 1945 to recover from a disabling wound; unbeknownst to him, his father had arranged his release. He returns to attend Connie's wedding with his girlfriend, Kay Adams, a former classmate. Michael then after stays home for a few weeks, then, without consulting his family, reenters Dartmouth, and so leaves his father's house.
When his father is nearly assassinated by drug kingpin Virgil Sollozzo just before Christmas 1945, Michael is thrust into the world he has avoided for so long. He reaffirms his loyalty at his father's bedside, then thwarts a second attempt on his father's life by Sollozzo and corrupt NYPD Captain McCluskey, who breaks his jaw. Later, arguing that Sollozzo will likely take another run at Vito, he volunteers to kill both Sollozzo and McCluskey. Sonny, who is running the family in their father's absence, refuses at first: it has long been a hard and fast rule in the Mafia that police captains are not to be targeted. However, Michael convinces Sonny that since McCluskey is a corrupt police officer serving as Sollozzo's bodyguard, he has crossed into their world and is fair game. After caporegime Peter Clemenza plants a gun for him at a restaurant, Michael kills both Sollozzo and McCluskey.
Following the murders, Michael flees to Sicily, where he lives for two years under the watch of family friend Don Tommasino. While there, he falls in love with and marries a young woman named Apollonia Vitelli. A few months later, Michael learns it is no longer safe for him there, as well as learns of Sonny's murder. As he and Apollonia prepare to move to a villa in Siracusa, she is killed by a car-bomb intended for Michael, planted by his corrupt bodyguard, Fabrizio, who is later revealed to have fled Sicily and emigrated to the U.S. under the sponsorship of the Barzini family. True to the Sicilian tradition of "vendetta", michael eventually tracks Fabrizio down and has him killed with a car bomb to avenge Apollonia's murder.
Michael returns to the United States in the spring of 1951[3] and becomes fully involved in the family's criminal enterprises, taking Sonny's role as Vito's heir apparent. He and his father plan to wipe out the other New York Dons, deliberately allowing them to whittle away at the Corleone family's interests so that they will not expect the blow when it comes. At the same time, he convinces his father that it is time to remove the family from the Mafia. Then, more than a year after his return, he reunites with Kay and, promising to make the family legitimate within five years, marries her. Within two years, they have two children, Anthony and Mary.
After his father goes into semi-retirement in 1954, Michael becomes operating head of the family. One of his first acts is to try to buy out casino owner Moe Greene's stake in the casino (which the Corleone family bankrolled), intending to move his family to Nevada and legitimize the Corleone name. Before his death, in 1955, Vito had warned Michael that Emilio Barzini, head of a rival family, would make an attempt on Michael's life under the pretense of organizing a meeting to make peace between the two families. After caporegime Salvatore Tessio inadvertently reveals that he had conspired with Barzini against him, Michael decides to "settle all family business" on the day he stands godfather to Connie's son. He orders the murders of the leaders of the New York Mafia's other Dons: Barzini, Philip Tattaglia, Carmine Cuneo, and Victor Stracci, as well as Greene, Tessio, and Carlo Rizzi, Connie's abusive husband (who had earlier set Sonny up to be murdered). In one stroke, Michael reestablishes the Corleone family as the most powerful crime family in the nation and makes a reputation for himself as being even more cunning and ruthless than his father.
When Connie finds out about Carlo's death, she flies into a rage and accuses Michael of killing him. Michael dismisses her accusations as hysteria, and when pressed by Kay, denies any involvement in the murder. Moments later, Michael meets with his capos, where Clemenza greets him as "Don Corleone" and kisses his hand much as he did with his father.
The Godfather Part II[edit]
In The Godfather Part II, set in 1958-1959, Michael is now in his late-30s. Frank Pentangeli, head of the former Clemenza regime (Clemenza having died under suspicious circumstances), now runs the family's business in New York. Although Michael is now firmly established as the most powerful Mafia leader in the nation, he is still determined to make the family legitimate. His efforts at redeeming the family have been largely unsuccessful, however, because his many enemies (and his own growing obsession with revenge) have kept him involved in the criminal underworld. He has begun to work out a deal with Hyman Roth, his father's former business partner, over control of casino operations in Cuba.
The night of his son Anthony's First Communion, an attempt is made on Michael's life. Michael eventually concludes that Roth was behind the assassination attempt, but suspects that he had help from a mole in the Corleone family. He decides to make Roth think they still have a good business relationship as a ploy to find out who Roth paid to set up the hit. As part of this subterfuge, he orders Pentangeli to settle a dispute with Roth's business partners, the Rosato Brothers. When Pentangeli meets with the Rosato Brothers, they try to kill him, but he survives the attack.
Meanwhile, Michael, Roth and Michael's brother Fredo travel to Cuba to forge a partnership with Fulgencio Batista that will allow them to be free to conduct their operations in Cuba without interference from the authorities, in return for generous payments to the Cuban government. While in Cuba, Michael sends his bodyguard to eliminate Roth on New Year's Eve, but the bodyguard is killed by soldiers during the attempt. That night, Michael discovers, with much grief, that Fredo is the traitor within the family, and informs him of this fact at the stroke of midnight. During the New Year's Eve festivities, victorious rebel forces enter Havana, forcing Batista into exile and the crime bosses out of the country, their plans in Cuba ruined. Fredo, afraid of his brother, refuses to flee back to America with Michael; Roth manages to escape to Miami.
Meanwhile, Pentangeli, who believes that Michael ordered his death, is set to testify against Michael in the Senate's investigation of organized crime. However, Michael arranges for Pentageli's brother Vincenzo to travel from Sicily to attend the hearings. Vincenzo and Frank exchange a glance just before the hearing comes to order. Understanding the threat, Pentageli recants his earlier sworn statements, throwing the hearings into chaos and effectively destroying the government's case against Michael.
Michael meets with Fredo, who reveals that Roth's right-hand man, Johnny Ola, had promised to make him rich independently of the family if he informed on Michael, and that he withheld key information about the Senate investigation. He also reveals that he resents having been "stepped over" in favor of his brother; he feels that he should have taken over the family after their father's death. Michael disowns Fredo, and tells bodyguard Al Neri that nothing is to happen to his brother while their mother is alive — the implication being that once she dies, Neri is to murder Fredo.
Kay finally accepts that Michael will always live in a world of crime and violence, and decides to leave him and take the children with her. Michael asks her to reconsider, but Kay reveals that what she had initially told Michael was a miscarriage was, in fact, an abortion. Michael flies into a rage, hits Kay in the face, and banishes her from the family. They divorce later that year, with Michael keeping custody of the children.
Following the death of their mother, and at the behest of his sister Connie, Michael appears to reconcile with Fredo. It is only a ploy to draw him in, however; soon afterward, Neri murders Fredo on Michael's orders. At the same time, Michael sends Hagen to convince Pentangeli to commit suicide in order to spare his family, and sends capo Rocco Lampone to kill a heavily guarded Roth at John F. Kennedy International Airport upon his return to the U.S.
The film ends with Michael's recollections of a surprise birthday party for his father on December 7, 1941: prior to his father's arrival home, Michael informed the family that he had dropped out of college and enlisted in the Marines. Fredo had been the only one in the family to support the decision. When Vito arrives off-screen, everyone leaves the table to greet him except for Michael, who sits by himself. The parting shot in the film is of Michael sitting in the courtyard of the Corleone's Lake Tahoe compound, alone in contemplation.
The Godfather Part III[edit]
In The Godfather Part III, set in 1979-80, Michael (now in his late 50s) has moved back to New York and taken steps to make the family legitimate. He has turned over control of his New York criminal interests to longtime enforcer Joey Zasa, sold his gambling interests to the other Mafia families and reorganized his vast business holdings as the "Corleone Group" to appease The Vatican. Wracked with guilt over his ruthless rise to power, he is using his wealth to restore his reputation through numerous acts of charity, administered by a foundation named after his father, Vito.
The Holy See has named him a Commander of the Order of Saint Sebastian for his good works. That same day, he has an uneasy reunion with Kay, who tells him that she doesn't want Anthony to have anything to do with the Corleone "legacy", and that both she and Anthony know the truth about Fredo's death. Michael agrees to allow Anthony to pursue a career as an opera singer and will not insist he join the family business.
Michael's new connection to the Church gives him the opportunity to take over the large property company, Immobiliare: he is already the company's largest shareholder, and offers to buy the Vatican's 25 percent share of the company, which will give him controlling interest. He also takes in Sonny's illegitimate son Vincent Mancini, a soldier in Zasa's crew, as his protegé.
The relationship is not without friction, however: Michael is deeply troubled by Vincent's impulsiveness and fiery temper (inherited from his father), but even more so by his romance with Michael's daughter Mary. He fears Vincent's growing involvement in the "family business" will put her in danger.<[4]
On the night Michael announces that he is dissolving his gambling empire, Zasa wipes out most of The Commission in an elaborate helicopter attack in Atlantic City. Michael escapes with Vincent's help. Michael quickly realizes that the Corleones' longtime friend, Don Altobello, was actually in on the conspiracy to kill him.
Traumatized by the attack, Michael has a diabetic stroke, leaving him briefly incapacitated (Coppola reveals in his audio commentary that Michael was seen drinking a lot of water in the first two films—subtle hints that he was a diabetic[4]). During his incapacitation, Connie, now serving as de facto consigliere, if not interim Don, gives Vincent, chafing at the bit for revenge, the go-ahead to assassinate Zasa.
Michael later returns to Sicily to watch Anthony make his operatic debut at the Teatro Massimo. Suspecting that Altobello might try to make another attempt on his life, he has Vincent go to Altobello and infiltrate his realm, under the pretense of defecting over Mary. He then takes Kay on a tour of Sicily, during which he asks her forgiveness. Each admits to the other that they still love each other and always will.
At the same time, the Immobiliare deal stalls, supposedly because Pope Paul VI himself must sign off on it. Michael eventually learns that the Immobiliare deal is actually an elaborate swindle concocted by Immobiliare chairman Licio Lucchesi, who has schemed with Vatican Bank head Archbishop Gilday and accountant Frederick Keinszig to steal a fortune from the Vatican Bank and use Michael's "investment" to cover their tracks. Hoping to salvage the deal, Michael seeks the assistance of Don Tommasino, who directs him to Cardinal Lamberto (the future Pope John Paul I). With Lamberto's prodding, Michael makes his first confession in 30 years, breaking down in tears while admitting that he ordered Fredo's murder. Lamberto tells Michael that it is just that he suffers for his terrible sins, but that he still has a chance for redemption.
To the consternation of all, Pope Paul VI falls ill and dies. He is succeeded by Lamberto, becoming Papa Ioannes Paulus Primus (John Paul I), whose first act is promising prompt reform at all levels of the Vatican. This troubles Lucchesi and his associates, believing their scheme to be in peril; it also worries Michael, sensing the new Pope's imminent death as a result, which would further complicate his own plans. Before Michael can intervene, the new Pope is murdered by poisoned tea, but not before finally ratifying the Immobiliare deal with the Corleone Group.
Michael soon becomes aware of an assassin, Mosca, whom Altobello (in league with the plotters) had hired to kill him. Mosca kills Tommasino, and Michael vows before his old friend's coffin to 'sin no more.'
Vincent reports that Lucchesi is behind the attempts on Michael's life, working hand-in-glove with Altobello. Vincent insists on striking back; weary of the bloody, lonely life of a Don, Michael retires and makes Vincent the new head of the family, on condition that he end the relationship with Mary...to which Vincent assents.
That night, Michael, reconciled with Kay and Anthony, watches his son perform in the opera Cavalleria Rusticana. Meanwhile, Vincent, with Michael's tacit blessing, wipes out Lucchesi (via Calo, one of Michael's Sicilian bodyguards from The Godfather), Gilday (via Neri, who killed Fredo some 20 years earlier) and Keinszig in a bloody wave of murders.
Connie murders Altobello by way of a poisoned cannoli, which she gave to him as a birthday present. At the end of the opera performance, Mosca inadvertently kills Mary in an assassination attempt on her father (Michael is wounded although not critically; Vincent kills Mosca in the chaos following the shooting).
Mary's death breaks Michael's spirit, and he cries out in agony over her corpse; it also alienates Kay from Michael altogether. He returns to Bagheria, Sicily, where, many years later, he dies alone. No indication is given of his activities from 1980-1997.
The Sicilian[edit]
Michael is a secondary character in Puzo's novel The Sicilian, which takes place during his first exile in Sicily. He learns from Clemenza about the legendary exploits of the novel's main character, Salvatore Guiliano, and is eager to meet him, but Guiliano is murdered before the meeting can take place.
Sequel novels and video game[edit]
Michael appears in Mark Winegardner's sequel novels The Godfather Returns and The Godfather's Revenge. In Godfather Returns, set roughly during the time of Godfather Part II, Michael battles with a new rival, Nick Geraci, while attempting to legitimize the family.[5] In Godfather's Revenge, set a few years after the second film, he moves to protect his criminal empire against Geraci and the machinations of a powerful political dynasty, while dealing with his guilt over having Fredo murdered. In the latter novel, he has a relationship with actress Marguerite "Rita" Duvall in the early 1960s, but he ends it upon realizing that he is still in love with Kay.[6]
He is featured in The Godfather: The Game and the video game adaptation of The Godfather II, but the character is neither voiced by nor modeled after Al Pacino.
Family members[edit]
Vito Corleone — Father; played by Marlon Brando in The Godfather, and by Robert De Niro in flashback scenes in Part II
Carmela Corleone — Mother; played by Morgana King in The Godfather Part I and Part II, and by Francesca De Sapio in flashback scenes in Part II
Tom Hagen — Adopted brother and consigliere; played by Robert Duvall
Santino "Sonny" Corleone — Eldest brother, underboss to Vito; played by James Caan in The Godfather and Part I, and by Roman Coppola in flashback scenes from Part II
Costanzia 'Connie' Corleone-Rizzi — Sister; played by Talia Shire
Frederico "Fredo" Corleone — Elder brother, underboss to Michael; played by John Cazale
Apollonia Vitelli-Corleone — First wife, played by Simonetta Stefanelli
Kay Adams-Corleone — Second wife; played by Diane Keaton
Anthony Corleone — Son; played by Anthony Gounaris in The Godfather, by James Gounaris in Part II, and by Franc D'Ambrosio in Part III
Mary Corleone — Daughter; played by an uncredited actress in Part II, and by Sofia Coppola in Part III
Vincent Mancini-Corleone — Nephew and succeeding Don; played by Andy García
Michael Francis Rizzi — Nephew and godson; played by Sofia Coppola as an infant in Part I
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains[dead link]
2.Jump up ^ "The Godfather Movie Review by Anthony Leong". Mediacircus.net. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
3.Jump up ^ Puzo, Mario and Coppola, Francis Ford. (1971, 29 March). THE GODFATHER, The Internet Movie Script Database
4.^ Jump up to: a b The Godfather Part III DVD commentary featuring Francis Ford Coppola, [2005]
5.Jump up ^ http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/godfather-returns-mark-winegardner/1100393913?ean=9780345478986 Accessed on June 27, 2014
6.Jump up ^ http://www.amazon.com/The-Godfathers-Revenge-Mark-Winegardner/dp/0399153845 Amazon.com Accessed on June 27, 2014
Michael Corleone at the Internet Movie Database
Preceded by
Vito Corleone Head of the Corleone crime family
The Godfather
ca. 1955–1958 Succeeded by
Tom Hagen (Interim)
Preceded by
Tom Hagen (Interim) Head of the Corleone crime family
The Godfather
ca. 1959–1980 Succeeded by
Vincent Corleone
[hide]
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The Godfather
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The Sicilian ·
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The Godfather ·
The Godfather Part II ·
The Godfather Part III
Video games
The Godfather ·
The Godfather: The Game ·
The Godfather II
Corleone family
Vito Corleone ·
Michael Corleone ·
Tom Hagen ·
Sonny Corleone ·
Fredo Corleone ·
Carmela Corleone ·
Connie Corleone ·
Apollonia Vitelli-Corleone ·
Kay Adams-Corleone ·
Anthony Corleone ·
Mary Corleone ·
Vincent Corleone ·
Sandra Corleone
Family allies
Genco Abbandando ·
Luca Brasi ·
Willi Cicci ·
Peter Clemenza ·
Carmine Marino ·
Rocco Lampone ·
Tony Molinari ·
Sal Narducci ·
Al Neri ·
Tommy Neri ·
Ritchie Nobilio ·
Eddie Paradise ·
Frank Pentangeli ·
Salvatore Tessio ·
Don Tommasino ·
Carlo Tramonti ·
Joe Zaluchi
Family enemies
Don Altobello ·
Momo Barone ·
Emilio Barzini ·
Ottilio Cuneo ·
Don Fanucci ·
Vincent Forlenza ·
Paulie Fortunato ·
Nick Geraci ·
Archbishop Gilday ·
Moe Greene ·
Frederick Keinszig ·
Joe Lucadello ·
Licio Lucchesi ·
Captain McCluskey ·
Mosca ·
Johnny Ola ·
Carlo Rizzi ·
Tony Rosato ·
Carmine Rosato ·
Hyman Roth ·
Louie Russo ·
Virgil Sollozzo ·
Anthony Stracci ·
Bruno Tattaglia ·
Philip Tattaglia ·
Rico Tattaglia ·
Jack Woltz ·
Joey Zasa
Others
Amerigo Bonasera ·
Johnny Fontane ·
Pat Geary ·
Cardinal Lamberto ·
Lucy Mancini ·
Danny Shea ·
Mickey Shea ·
Billy Van Arsdale ·
Aldo Trapani ·
Albert Volpe
Rival families
Barzini family ·
Carmine Rosato family ·
Cuneo family ·
Stracci family ·
Tattaglia family
Music
The Godfather (soundtrack) ·
The Godfather Part II (soundtrack) ·
The Godfather Part III (soundtrack) ·
"Speak Softly Love" ·
"Promise Me You'll Remember" ·
The Godfather: The Game Soundtrack
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Francis Ford Coppola ·
Mario Puzo ·
Albert S. Ruddy ·
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Dean Tavoularis ·
Gordon Willis ·
Mark Winegardner ·
Ed Falco ·
Crime film ·
Organized crime ·
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Sicilian Mafia ·
Five Families ·
Corleone ·
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The Godfather Papers and Other Confessions ·
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The Godfather Saga ·
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Wikipedia book Book ·
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Corleone
Vito Corleone
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Vito Corleone
Godfather15 flip.jpg
First appearance
The Godfather
Created by
Mario Puzo
Portrayed by
Marlon Brando (age 53–63),
Robert De Niro (age 25–33),
Oreste Baldini (child)
Information
Gender
Male
Occupation
Olive oil importer, Mafia boss
Title
The Godfather, Don
Family
Corleone family
Spouse(s)
Carmela Corleone (1914–1955, his death)
Children
Santino "Sonny" Corleone (deceased, 1916-1948),
Frederico "Fredo" Corleone (deceased, 1919-1959),
Michael Corleone (deceased, 1920-1997),
Constanzia "Connie" Corleone (1923-),
Thomas "Tom" Hagen (adopted, deceased, 1960s or 1970s)
Religion
Roman Catholic
Father
Antonio Andolini (deceased, 18??-1901)
Brother
Paolo Andolini (deceased, 1887-1901)
Mother
Signora Andolini (deceased, 18??-1901)
Vito Andolini Corleone (December 7, 1891 – July 29, 1955) (born Vito Andolini in Corleone, Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy) is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather and in Francis Ford Coppola's first two films, where he was portrayed by Marlon Brando in The Godfather and, as a young man, by Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part II.
Premiere Magazine listed Vito Corleone as the greatest film character in history.[1] He was also selected as the 10th greatest film character by Empire.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Character overview
2 Early years
3 Main character arc
4 Sequel novels
5 Family
6 Portrayals and influences
7 Notes and references
Character overview[edit]
Vito Corleone is the head of the Corleone crime family – the most powerful Mafia family in New York City. He is depicted as an ambitious Sicilian immigrant who moves to the Lower East Side of Manhattan and builds a Mafia empire. Upon his death at the end of the novel, his youngest son, Michael, succeeds him as the head of the Corleone family. Vito has two other sons, Santino ("Sonny") and Frederico ("Fredo" or "Freddie"), as well as a daughter, Connie, all of whom play major roles in the story. He also informally adopts Sonny's friend, Tom Hagen, who later becomes a lawyer and the Family's consigliere.
While he oversees a business founded on gambling, bootlegging, and union corruption, he is known as a generous man who lives by a strict moral code of loyalty to friends and, above all, family. At the same time, he is known as a traditionalist who demands respect commensurate with his status; even his closest friends refer to him as "Godfather" or "Don Corleone" rather than "Vito".
Vito prides himself on being careful and reasonable, but he is nevertheless willing to use violence when he thinks it is necessary. When his godson, singer Johnny Fontane, wants to get out of a contract with a bandleader, Vito offers to buy out the contract. When rebuffed, Vito threatens to kill the bandleader unless he releases Johnny for a token amount. Later, when movie mogul Jack Woltz refuses to give Johnny a role in a film, Vito has one of Woltz's prize horses killed and the horse's severed head placed in Woltz's bed.
Early years[edit]
The novel establishes Vito's backstory, which is also portrayed in The Godfather Part II. Vito was born in the small town of Corleone, Sicily, on December 7, 1891. Antonio Andolini, his father, was murdered by the local Mafia boss, Don Ciccio, for refusing to pay tribute to him. His older brother, Paolo, swore revenge, but he too was murdered soon afterwards. Eventually, Ciccio's henchmen come to the Andolini family's home to kill Vito. In desperation, Vito's mother takes her son to see Ciccio and begs him to spare Vito. Ciccio refuses, reasoning that Vito will also seek revenge as an adult. Upon Ciccio's refusal, Vito's mother puts a knife to his throat, allowing her son to escape while she is killed. Later that night, he is smuggled away, fleeing from Sicily to seek refuge in America on a cargo ship full of immigrants. In the film, he is renamed "Vito Corleone" because the immigration workers at Ellis Island mistake "Andolini" for his middle name and the name of his hometown for his last name. According to The Godfather Part II, he later adopts the middle name "Andolini" to acknowledge his heritage.
Vito is later adopted by the Abbandando family in Little Italy on the Lower East Side and he befriends their son, Genco, who becomes like a brother to him. Vito begins making an honest living at the Abbandando family's grocery store on Ninth Avenue, but the elder Abbandando is forced to fire him when Don Fanucci, a blackhander and the local neighborhood padrone, demands that the grocery hire his nephew.
A young Vito (played by Robert De Niro) kills Don Fanucci
During this time, Vito befriends Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio, who teach him to survive and prosper through petty crime and performing favors in return for loyalty. In 1920, he commits his first murder: killing Fanucci, who had threatened to turn him, Clemenza and Tessio over to the police unless he got a cut of their illegal profits. Vito chooses the day of a major Italian festival to spy on Fanucci from the rooftops as Fanucci goes home, and surprises him at the door to his apartment. He shoots Fanucci three times, as the din from the festival and the towel he had wrapped around the gun as a makeshift silencer drowns out the noise from the gunshots. Vito then takes over the neighborhood, treating it with far more respect than Fanucci had.
As a young man, Vito starts an olive oil importing business, Genco Pura (simply known as Genco Olive Oil in the films), with his friend Genco. Over the years he uses it as a legal front for his growing organized crime syndicate. Nevertheless, Genco Pura is highly successful and grows to become the largest olive oil importing company in the nation. Between Genco Pura and his illegal operations, Vito becomes a very wealthy man. In the mid-1920s, he returns to Sicily for the first time since fleeing as a child. He and his partner Don Tommasino begin systematically eliminating all of Don Ciccio's men who had a hand in murdering his family. They set up a meeting with the aging Don Ciccio himself, during which Vito kills him by carving his stomach open, thus avenging his family.
By the early 1930s, Vito Corleone has organized his illegal operations into the Corleone crime family. Abbandando becomes his consigliere, with Clemenza and Tessio as caporegimes. It is soon reckoned as the most powerful crime family in the nation. Later, his oldest son Santino (nicknamed "Sonny") becomes a capo as well, and eventually his underboss. Around 1939, he moves his base of operations to Long Beach, New York on Long Island.
Main character arc[edit]
In 1945, Vito refuses the request of Virgil Sollozzo to invest in a heroin operation and use his political contacts for the operation's protection. Vito believes that the politicians on his payroll would recoil at the prospect of providing cover for drug trafficking. At the meeting with Sollozzo, Sonny intimates that he is interested in the offer; after the meeting, Vito warns his son that he should never let anyone outside the family in on his thinking. Some time later, near Christmas, while on his way home, Vito crosses the street to buy oranges from a street vendor when two of Sollozzo's hitmen come out from the shadows with guns drawn. Vito tries to sprint back to his Cadillac, but he is shot five times before he can get to safety. His son Fredo fumbles with his gun and is unable to return fire as the attackers escape
Sollozzo finds out Vito survived, and makes a second attempt two weeks later. He has Mark McCluskey — a corrupt police captain on his payroll — throw the Don's bodyguards in jail and withdraw all police protection, leaving him unguarded. However, Michael comes to visit his father minutes before the attack is due to occur. Realizing that his father is in danger, Michael has a nurse help him move Vito to another room and pretends to stand guard outside the hospital.
Vito's injuries incapacitate him for the next three months, during which time Sonny serves as acting head of the family. Michael persuades Sonny to allow him to avenge their father by killing Sollozzo and McCluskey himself. The plan goes through perfectly, and Michael is smuggled out of the United States and sent to Sicily to safety under Don Tomassino's protection. The killing of Sollozzo and McCluskey sparks off a major war between the Corleone and the Tattaglia Families, with the Five Families of New York backing the latter. After Sonny is killed by the Tattaglias, Vito assumes personal control again and brokers a major peace accord among the Families, confirming his suspicion in the process that Don Emilio Barzini, head of the Barzini Family, was the brains behind Sollozzo and the Tattaglia Family all along.
The peace allows Vito to have Michael returned home in safety, and Vito installs him in the family business — something he had never wanted for his favorite son, who he had hoped would pursue a non-criminal lifestyle. Vito goes into semi-retirement after Michael marries his longtime girlfriend Kay Adams. Michael becomes operating head of the family, with Vito as an informal consigliere. He even supports Michael's long-term plans to remove the family from crime, though an early draft of the script suggests that it was actually Vito's idea. Michael sends Hagen to Las Vegas to act as the family's lawyer there and lay the groundwork for a planned move of most operations there after Vito's death. Clemenza and Tessio request permission to break off and form their own families in New York after the move to Las Vegas; Michael's bodyguards Al Neri and Rocco Lampone are chosen to be the future caporegimes of the family.
Vito dies of a heart attack while playing with his grandson Anthony in his garden. His last words in the novel are, "Life is so beautiful." Vito's funeral is a grand affair, with all the other dons, capos and consiglieres in New York attending.
Days before his death, Vito tells Michael that Barzini would set him up to be killed under cover of a meeting "to fix up things". Barzini would use a trusted member of the Corleone family as an intermediary, and that whoever came to Michael about the meeting with Barzini was a traitor. At the funeral, Tessio tells Michael that he could set up a meeting on his territory in Brooklyn, where Michael would presumably be safe. Michael concludes that Tessio is the traitor. A few days later, Michael orders the deaths of the other New York Dons, as well as Tessio. He also avenges Sonny's death by arranging the killing of Connie's abusive husband Carlo Rizzi, who "fingered" Sonny for the Tattaglias. Michael and Vito had begun planning this mass slaughter soon after Michael's return to the United States; in a last demonstration of Vito's cunning, they had deliberately allowed the Barzini-Tattaglia alliance to whittle away at their interests in order to lull them into inaction.
Sequel novels[edit]
Vito is a supporting character in The Godfather Returns, Mark Winegardner's 2004 sequel to Puzo's novel, and a major one in The Family Corleone, a 2012 novel by Ed Falco. Both novels portray his rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s, as well as his early relationships with his wife and children.
Family[edit]
Main article: Corleone family
Carmela Corleone — Wife, played by Morgana King
Santino "Sonny" Corleone — Eldest son; played by James Caan
Tom Hagen — informally adopted son, played by Robert Duvall
Frederico "Fredo" Corleone — Middle son; played by John Cazale
Michael Corleone — Youngest son; played by Al Pacino
Constanzia 'Connie' Corleone — Daughter; played by Talia Shire
Frank Corleone — Grandson
Santino Corleone, Jr. — Grandson
Francesca Corleone - Granddaughter, twin of Kathryn Corleone
Kathryn Corleone - Granddaughter, twin of Francesca Corleone
Vincent Corleone — Grandson; played by Andy García
Anthony Corleone — Grandson; played by Franc D'Ambrosio
Mary Corleone — Granddaughter; played by Sofia Coppola
Victor Rizzi- Grandson
Michael Rizzi- Grandson
Portrayals and influences[edit]
In The Godfather, Don Vito Corleone was portrayed by Marlon Brando. He was portrayed as a younger man in The Godfather Part II by Robert De Niro. Both performances won Academy Awards — Best Actor for Brando, Best Supporting Actor for De Niro. Vito Corleone is the only motion picture character played by two different actors, each of whom received an Oscar for his or her portrayal. Brando declined his Oscar, having Sacheen Littlefeather state his reasons.
The character has also had a major influence on entertainment, most notably: the movie The Freshman, where Marlon Brando's character is almost a parody of Corleone; the Only Fools and Horses episode "Miami Twice", where the primary antagonist is Don Vincenzo "Vinny the Chain" Ochetti, another parody of Corleone; and the comic book mini-series, Batman: Year One and Batman: The Long Halloween, where the character Carmine Falcone is loosely based on Vito Corleone.
Vito Corleone is based on a composite of mid-20th century New York Mafia figures, chief among them Frank Costello. Brando apparently used tapes of Costello from the Kefauver hearings as the basis for the character's accent.
Notes and references[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time". Filmsite.org. Retrieved 2012-02-27.
2.Jump up ^ "The 100 Greatest Movie Characters| 10. Vito Corleone | Empire". www. empireonline.com. 2006-12-05. Retrieved 2012-02-27.
Preceded by
None
Seized control of NYC crime family after murder of Don Fanucci
Head of the Corleone crime family
The Godfather
ca. 1920–1945 Succeeded by
Sonny Corleone (acting)
Preceded by
Sonny Corleone (acting) Head of the Corleone crime family
The Godfather
ca. 1946–1955 Succeeded by
Michael Corleone
[hide]
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e
The Godfather
Novels
The Godfather ·
The Sicilian ·
The Godfather Returns ·
The Godfather's Revenge ·
The Family Corleone
Films
The Godfather ·
The Godfather Part II ·
The Godfather Part III
Video games
The Godfather ·
The Godfather: The Game ·
The Godfather II
Corleone family
Vito Corleone ·
Michael Corleone ·
Tom Hagen ·
Sonny Corleone ·
Fredo Corleone ·
Carmela Corleone ·
Connie Corleone ·
Apollonia Vitelli-Corleone ·
Kay Adams-Corleone ·
Anthony Corleone ·
Mary Corleone ·
Vincent Corleone ·
Sandra Corleone
Family allies
Genco Abbandando ·
Luca Brasi ·
Willi Cicci ·
Peter Clemenza ·
Carmine Marino ·
Rocco Lampone ·
Tony Molinari ·
Sal Narducci ·
Al Neri ·
Tommy Neri ·
Ritchie Nobilio ·
Eddie Paradise ·
Frank Pentangeli ·
Salvatore Tessio ·
Don Tommasino ·
Carlo Tramonti ·
Joe Zaluchi
Family enemies
Don Altobello ·
Momo Barone ·
Emilio Barzini ·
Ottilio Cuneo ·
Don Fanucci ·
Vincent Forlenza ·
Paulie Fortunato ·
Nick Geraci ·
Archbishop Gilday ·
Moe Greene ·
Frederick Keinszig ·
Joe Lucadello ·
Licio Lucchesi ·
Captain McCluskey ·
Mosca ·
Johnny Ola ·
Carlo Rizzi ·
Tony Rosato ·
Carmine Rosato ·
Hyman Roth ·
Louie Russo ·
Virgil Sollozzo ·
Anthony Stracci ·
Bruno Tattaglia ·
Philip Tattaglia ·
Rico Tattaglia ·
Jack Woltz ·
Joey Zasa
Others
Amerigo Bonasera ·
Johnny Fontane ·
Pat Geary ·
Cardinal Lamberto ·
Lucy Mancini ·
Danny Shea ·
Mickey Shea ·
Billy Van Arsdale ·
Aldo Trapani ·
Albert Volpe
Rival families
Barzini family ·
Carmine Rosato family ·
Cuneo family ·
Stracci family ·
Tattaglia family
Music
The Godfather (soundtrack) ·
The Godfather Part II (soundtrack) ·
The Godfather Part III (soundtrack) ·
"Speak Softly Love" ·
"Promise Me You'll Remember" ·
The Godfather: The Game Soundtrack
Miscellaneous
Francis Ford Coppola ·
Mario Puzo ·
Albert S. Ruddy ·
Nino Rota ·
Dean Tavoularis ·
Gordon Willis ·
Mark Winegardner ·
Ed Falco ·
Crime film ·
Organized crime ·
American Mafia ·
Sicilian Mafia ·
Five Families ·
Corleone ·
The Godfather Effect ·
The Godfather Papers and Other Confessions ·
The Sicilian ·
The Freshman ·
The Godfather Saga ·
Omertà
Wikipedia book Book ·
Category Category
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vito_Corleone
Corleone family
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article is about the fictional family portrayed in the The Godfather books and films. For the real-life family, see Corleonesi.
Corleone crime family
Godfather15 flip.jpg
Named after Vito Corleone
Founding location
New York City
Years active
1920–present
Territory
Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Long Beach in NYC, Las Vegas, Reno, Miami and Sicily
Ethnicity
Italian, Italian-American, Sicilian, Sicilian-American
Criminal activities
Labor racketeering, bribery, conspiracy, fencing, assault, theft, loansharking, illegal gambling, bookmaking, money laundering, bootlegging, murder, extortion, fraud and contract killing
Allies
Zaluchi, Tramonti, Molinari crime families and the Tommasino Mafia clan
Rivals
Barzini, Tattaglia crime families and Lakeville Road Group
The Corleone family is a fictitious Sicilian Mafia family settled in New York City. The family was created by Mario Puzo and appears in his 1969 novel The Godfather. It is said that the Corleone family is inspired by the real-life Borgia family from Renaissance Italy in the late 15th century.
Compared with the real-life Five Families of organized crime, the Corleone family draws comparisons with the Genovese and Bonanno crime families.[1][2][3]
Contents [hide]
1 Early Corleone history
2 Killing the Turk
3 Las Vegas
4 Legitimization
5 Don Vincent Corleone
6 Historical leadership
7 Capos 7.1 The Bronx/Long Island faction
7.2 Brooklyn faction
7.3 Manhattan faction
7.4 Las Vegas faction
7.5 Miami faction
8 Known soldiers
9 Corleone family tree
10 References
11 External links
Early Corleone history[edit]
The family traces its roots to 1920, when Vito Corleone assassinated Little Italy's padrone, Don Fanucci, and took over Fanucci's territory along with fellow hoodlums Genco Abbandando, Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio. Shortly afterward, he founded the Genco Pura Olive Oil Company as a front for his criminal activities. Around 1925, Vito formally organized the family, with Genco as his consigliere and Peter and Sal as caporegimes. They became the most powerful crime family in New York after defeating Salvatore Maranzano during the Olive Oil War in the early 1930s. It was during this time that Vito's eldest son, Santino, known as "Sonny", made his reputation and eventually became a capo himself.
Killing the Turk[edit]
In 1945, a business proposition from a drug baron, Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo, nearly destroyed the family. An assassination attempt hospitalised Don Vito. His eldest son, Sonny, assumed control and became acting don of the Corleone family. He was forced to take violent action, and the situation further escalated when the youngest Corleone brother, Michael, killed both Sollozzo and the corrupt Police Captain McCluskey, forcing him to flee to Sicily. This event triggered the Five Families War. The war claimed the life of acting don Sonny, and the still weak Don Vito sued for peace with the other families, realising that his true enemy was Emilio Barzini, who was attempting to crush the Corleones and become the most powerful don in New York.
Las Vegas[edit]
After Don Vito's retirement, followed by his death from a heart attack, the family business was taken over by Michael, who exacted vengeance on the rival family's dons along with Moe Greene, Carlo Rizzi and Sal Tessio for conspiring with the rival heads. After this, Michael moved the family to Las Vegas, Nevada. Michael was attempting to make his business legitimate, but was drawn back into crime after a failed attempt on his life by Miami gangster and old friend and business partner of the Corleone family, Hyman Roth, who was attempting to stop the takeover of Las Vegas. This action eventually resulted in Roth's death. Michael's older brother Fredo, had been ensnared by Roth to conspire against the Corleones. At their mother's funeral, Michael sanctioned the assassination of his surviving older brother.
Legitimization[edit]
By 1979, the activities of Corleone family were nearly completely legitimate. Michael Corleone sold their interests in all casinos and hotels and invested only in businesses unconnected to Mafia activities. The underboss of the Corleone's criminal enterprise, Joey Zasa, resentful of the reforms, aligned with aging kingpin Don Altobello, and together orchestrated an assassination attempt on Michael Corleone during a meeting in Atlantic City.
Don Vincent Corleone[edit]
When in 1980, Michael appointed Sonny's illegitimate son, Vincent Mancini, to be his successor – the Don and head of the Corleone family – he allowed him to change his name to Vincent Corleone. In return for this, Michael ordered him to end his relationship with Michael's daughter (and Vincent's cousin) Mary. Vincent assured him that he would.
Vincent's time spent with Michael had made him into a new man – wiser, patient, and aware of his status as the new Don. However, he still had a violent streak, as evidenced in his first act as Don. With Michael's tacit blessing, he ordered the deaths of Gilday, Keinszig and Lucchesi in one mass slaughter. However, Mary was killed in a failed assassination attempt on Michael. Vincent quickly and ruthlessly killed the assassin responsible, Mosca. Michael was devastated by the death of his beloved daughter. Vincent began his tenure as The Godfather.
Historical leadership[edit]
Boss (official and acting)
1920–1955 – Vito_Corleone – semi-retired 1954, died 1955 Acting 1945–1947 – Sonny_Corleone
Acting 1954–1955 – Michael_Corleone
1955–1980 – Michael Corleone Acting 1958-1959 – Tom_Hagen
1980– unknown – Vincent_Corleone
Underboss
1939–1947 – Sonny_Corleone
1948–1955 – Michael_Corleone – became acting boss around 1954 when Vito semi-retired
1955–1959 – Fredo Corleone – figurehead status only, murdered 1959
1959– unknown – Albert "Al" Neri
Consigliere
1920–1945 – Genco_Abbandando
1945–1954 – Tom_Hagen
1954–1955 – Vito_Corleone (informal)
1955–197? – Tom_Hagen
197?– unknown – Connie_Corleone (informal)
Capos[edit]
The Bronx/Long Island faction[edit]
1920–1958 – Peter "Fat Pete" Clemenza (probably murdered)
1958–1959 – Frank "Frankie Five Angels" Pentangeli (became informant)
197?–1979 – Joseph "Dapper Joey" Zasa (murdered)
Brooklyn faction[edit]
1920–1955 – Salvatore "Sal" Tessio (murdered)
Manhattan faction[edit]
1933–1940 – Santino "Sonny" Corleone (became underboss)
Acting 1940–1955 – William "Willy" Cicci (as Sonny's right-hand man)
1955–1959 – Albert "Al" Neri (became underboss)
Las Vegas faction[edit]
1946–1955 – Federico "Fredo" Corleone (became underboss)
1955–1959 – Rocco Lampone (murdered)
Miami faction[edit]
194?–1958 – John "Johnny" Ola (informal, closed associate of Hyman Roth)(murdered)
Known soldiers[edit]
????–1945 – Paulie Gatto
194?–1959 – Willi Cicci
1945–1955 – Rocco Lampone
1934–1945 – Luca Brasi
195?–1955 – Al Neri
193?–1959 – Tony Rosato
193?–1959 – Carmine Rosato
Corleone family tree[edit]
1 Antonio Andolini + Signora 2 Paolo Andolini
2 Vito Andolini (Corleone) + Carmela 3 Santino ("Sonny") Corleone + Sandra 4 Francesca Corleone + William Van Arsdale 5 Sonny Van Arsdale
5 Carmela Van Arsdale
4 Kathryn Corleone
4 Frank Corleone
4 Santino Corleone, Jr.
+ Lucy Mancini 4 Vincenzo Corleone
3 Frederico ("Fredo") Corleone + Marguerite ("Rita") Duvall 4 male Corleone
3 Michael Corleone + Apollonia Vitelli
+ Kay Adams 4 Anthony Corleone
4 Mary Corleone
3 Baby-Boy Corleone
3 Constanzia ("Connie") Corleone + Carlo Rizzi 4 Victor Rizzi
4 Michael Rizzi
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Robert W. Welkos. "Death threats? No. Risk? Yes.". L.A. Times. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
2.Jump up ^ Anothony Bruno. "The Bonanno Family". TruTV. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
3.Jump up ^ Anthony Bruno. "Fact and Fiction in The Godfather". TruTV. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
External links[edit]
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