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The Corleones | |||||
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The Godfather family | |||||
First appearance | The Godfather (1969) | ||||
Last appearance | The Family Corleone (2012) | ||||
Created by | Mario Puzo | ||||
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The Corleone family are fictional characters in both the novels and the films created by Mario Puzo, first appearing in his 1969 novel, The Godfather . They are an organized crime family originating from the Sicilian town of Corleone, and based in New York City.
The Corleone family has drawn comparisons with the real-life Genovese and Bonanno crime families. [1] [2] [3]
The fictional Corleone crime family traces its roots to 1920, when Vito Corleone assassinated Little Italy's padrone, Don Fanucci, and took over Fanucci's territory along with his friends Genco Abbandando, Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio. Shortly afterward, he founded the Genco Pura Olive Oil Company which was named after his closest friend Genco. Around 1925, Vito formally organized the family, with Genco as his consigliere and Clemenza and Tessio as caporegimes. They became the most powerful crime family in New York City after defeating Salvatore Maranzano during the Olive Oil War in the early 1930s. It was during this time that Vito's eldest son, Santino "Sonny" Corleone, made his reputation and eventually became a caporegime himself. Upon becoming successful, the family moved to a compound on Long Island.
The family surname had been "Andolini". When Vito, as an unaccompanied orphan, had presented himself to an Ellis Island official as "Vito Andolini, from Corleone, Sicily", the official had documented the name as "Vito Corleone".
In 1945, Don Vito Corleone declines the business proposal put forth by drug baron Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo, and this nearly destroys the family. Sollozzo believed Vito's eldest son Sonny wanted to accept the deal, and he had his men gun down Don Vito outside his office. However, Vito survives and is hospitalized. Sonny takes over as acting Don of the Corleone family. After a second assassination attempt on Don Vito, Sonny has Bruno Tattaglia, son of Don Tattaglia, assassinated. The situation escalates further when Don Vito's youngest son Michael murders both Sollozzo and corrupt police officer Captain McCluskey during a meeting in the Bronx, which forces Michael to flee to Sicily. This triggers the Five Families War, during which Sonny is assassinated. After Sonny's death, the still-recuperating Don Vito makes peace with the other families, realizing that his true enemy is Emilio Barzini, who wanted to crush the Corleones to become the most powerful Mafia don in New York City.
After Don Vito's semi-retirement, followed by his fatal heart attack, Michael succeeds his father as the Don. Michael carries out Sonny's plan to murder the other New York City Mafia bosses along with Moe Greene, who stood in the way of the family's business interests in Las Vegas, Salvatore Tessio, who betrayed Michael for Barzini, and Carlo Rizzi, who was involved in the murder of Sonny. Following this, Michael moves the family to Lake Tahoe. Michael attempts to legitimize the Corleone business, but is pulled back into crime after a failed attempt on his life by Miami gangster and Corleone business partner, Hyman Roth, attempting to halt the takeover of Las Vegas. Roth is eventually murdered on Michael's orders. Michael's older brother, Fredo Corleone, was ensnared by Roth to conspire against the Corleones. At their mother's funeral, Michael sanctions the assassination of his surviving older brother.
By 1979, most activities of the Corleone family are publicly legitimate. Michael Corleone, having sold their interests in casinos and hotels, invests only in businesses unconnected to the Mafia. Joey Zasa, an underboss in the Corleone's criminal enterprise, is resentful of the reforms. He aligns with aging Sicilian Don Altobello to orchestrate an assassination attempt on Michael during a meeting in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
In 1980, Michael appointed his nephew and Sonny's illegitimate son, Vincent Mancini, to be his successor as Don of the Corleone family, allowing 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 Corleone. Vincent assured him that he would.
Under Michael's mentoring, Vincent is transformed into a new man - wiser, patient, and aware of his status as the new Don. However, he retained 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 Mosca, the assassin responsible. Despite this, Michael still dies alone and despondent after an unknown period.
The Godfather is a crime novel by American author Mario Puzo. Originally published in 1969 by G. P. Putnam's Sons, the novel details the story of a fictional Mafia family in New York City and Long Island, headed by Vito Corleone, the Godfather. The novel covers the years 1945 to 1955 and includes the back story of Vito Corleone from early childhood to adulthood.
The Godfather Part II is a 1974 American epic crime film. The film is produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, loosely based on the 1969 novel The Godfather by Mario Puzo, who co-wrote the screenplay with Coppola. It is both a sequel and a prequel to the 1972 film The Godfather, presenting parallel dramas: one picks up the 1958 story of Michael Corleone, the new Don of the Corleone family, protecting the family business in the aftermath of an attempt on his life; the prequel covers the journey of his father, Vito Corleone, from his Sicilian childhood to the founding of his family enterprise in New York City. The ensemble cast also features Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Morgana King, John Cazale, Marianna Hill, and Lee Strasberg.
Michael Corleone is a fictional character and the protagonist of Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather. In the three Godfather films, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Michael was portrayed by Al Pacino, for which he was twice-nominated for Academy Awards. Michael is the youngest son of Vito Corleone, a Sicilian immigrant who builds a Mafia empire. Upon his father's death, Michael succeeds him as the don of the Corleone crime family.
Vito Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and in the first two of Francis Ford Coppola's film trilogy. Vito is originally portrayed by Marlon Brando in the 1972 film The Godfather, and later by Oreste Baldini as a boy and by Robert De Niro as a young man in The Godfather Part II (1974). He is an orphaned Sicilian immigrant who builds a Mafia empire.
Frederico "Fredo" Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather. Fredo is portrayed by American actor John Cazale in the Francis Ford Coppola 1972 film adaptation and in the 1974 sequel, The Godfather Part II.
Santino "Sonny" Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and its 1972 film adaptation.
Vincent SantinoCorleone is a fictional character in the 1990 feature film The Godfather Part III. He is portrayed by Andy García, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance.
The Godfather Saga[a] is a 1977 American television miniseries that combines The Godfather and The Godfather Part II into one film. It originally aired on NBC over four consecutive nights in November 1977.
Thomas Hagen is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and Francis Ford Coppola's films The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974). He is portrayed by Robert Duvall in the films. He also appears in the Mark Winegardner sequel novels The Godfather Returns and The Godfather's Revenge, as well as Ed Falco's novel The Family Corleone. Duvall was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA for his performance in the first film.
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic gangster film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same title. The film stars an ensemble cast including Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, and Diane Keaton. It is the first installment in The Godfather trilogy, chronicling the Corleone family under patriarch Vito Corleone (Brando) from 1945 to 1955. It focuses on the transformation of his youngest son, Michael Corleone (Pacino), from reluctant family outsider to ruthless mafia boss.
Peter Clemenza is a fictional character who first appeared in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather. He is played by Academy Award-nominee Richard Castellano in Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 film adaptation of the novel, and by Bruno Kirby in The Godfather Part II (1974).
Luca Brasi is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather, as well as its 1972 film adaptation. In the film, he was portrayed by Lenny Montana, an ex-wrestler and former bodyguard and enforcer for the Colombo crime family.
Salvatore "Sal" Tessio is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather, as well as two of the films based on it: The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974). His given name was created for the films; in the novel he is referred to only as "Tessio". In the film The Godfather, Tessio was portrayed by Abe Vigoda. In The Godfather Part II, John Aprea portrayed the younger Tessio, while Vigoda reprised the role in a flashback, set in late 1941, at the end of the film.
Albert "Al" Neri is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and Francis Ford Coppola's trilogy of films based on it. In all three motion pictures, he is portrayed by actor Richard Bright. He functions as Michael Corleone's personal enforcer, bodyguard and assassin.
Emilio "The Wolf" Barzini is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and in its 1972 film adaptation, in which he is portrayed by Richard Conte. The Barzini crime family was inspired by the Genovese crime family.
The Godfather Returns is a novel written by author Mark Winegardner, published in 2004. It is the sequel to Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and The Sicilian (1984). The publisher, Random House, selected Winegardner to write a sequel after Puzo's death. As the original novel covered the years 1945 to 1955, and included significant backstory on Don Vito Corleone's life, Returns covers the years 1955 to 1962, and includes significant backstory on Michael Corleone's life prior to the first novel. It is the third book in The Godfather series of novels.
Don Fanucci is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and the 1974 film The Godfather Part II, a sequel to the 1972 film version of Puzo's novel. Fanucci is portrayed by Gastone Moschin and is based on the personality of Ignazio Lupo, a real-life Black Hand figure. While ostensibly Sicilian, Don Fanucci dresses and carries himself in a manner reminiscent of the mostly Neapolitan guappo criminal subculture.
Carlo Rizzi is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather. In the 1972 film adaptation, he was portrayed by Gianni Russo.
Constanzia "Connie" Corleone is a fictional character in The Godfather, a 1969 novel by Mario Puzo, and the 1972 film The Godfather. In the film, Connie is portrayed by Talia Shire, the sister of the director Francis Ford Coppola. Shire was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Connie Corleone in The Godfather Part II.