The Godfather made history even as it reinterpreted it.
We look at the real gangsters who inspired the book and movie.
The Godfatheris a historic movie that made and remade history.
The Godfatherwas an allegory of corporate America told personally in a family setting that interpreted real life events.
It charted the rise and fall of the Mafia, a word you never hear in the movie.
The Godfatheris a family film, which raises the question ofwhichfamily?
Alfons de Borja was Pope Callixtus III from 14551458 and Rodrigo Lanzol Borgia was Pope Alexander VI from 14921503.
Cesare Borgia passed up being pope to roam the countryside with an assassin sidekick.
Frank Costello, of the Luciano/Genovese family, was known as The Prime Minister of the Mafia.
He stayed out of the limelight that put mobsters likeAl Caponein the headlines and jail.
In Mario Puzos book, Vito Corleone and Frank Costello were born in the same year.
Costello was born January 26, 1891, in Cassano allIonio, Italy.
Like Corleone, Costello survived a hit, and died of natural causes.
But he went to jail a few times and was usurped on the Commission.
Corleone and Gambino had three sons and a daughter.
Giuseppe Joe Profaci was born on October 2, 1897 in Villabate, a province in Palermo, Sicily.
He came to America on the same boat as future Gambino family boss Vincent Mangano and his brother Phillip.
Profaci was the Olive Oil king of Long Island.
But he wasnt protected from going to the mattresses.
The Gallo-Profaci war took the lives of 13 gang members and changed the Profaci Family name to Colombo.
The Gallo Wars started in 1960.
It was the first time a mob family hierarchy was openly challenged.
Profaci escaped the kidnapping, but his brother-in-law and underboss Joe Magliocco was nabbed along with four Profaci caporegimes.
In Sicily, revenge is a dish best served cold.
In May 1961, Profaci unleashed Carmine The Snake Persico to take out the entire Gallo crew.
Joe Jelly Gioelli was executed by Sally DAmbrosia.
Richard Castellano, who played Clemenza was only scripted to say leave the gun.
He improvised the line take the cannoli because he knew his wife was waiting for dessert.
That may have been payed forward in the relationship between Bobby Baccalieri and his wife Karen on HBOsThe Sopranos.
The family name didnt pass on to his son.
The nice college kid prowled phone booths waiting for late night calls from the absent Bonanno Family father.
DiGregorio was best man at Joseph Bonannos wedding and was godfather to his son Bill.
Costello lets some dimes drop on Genovese, who went to jail on drug charges in 1959.
Philip Tattaglia (Victor Rendina) was loosely based on Gaetano Tommy Three Finger Brown Lucchese.
Tattaglia was the first to back Virgil Sollozzos (Al Lettieri) white powder movement.
These people wander through the streets calling out Kill me, kill me.
Luca Brasi was such a man.
So was Frank Costellos cousin, Guarino Willie Moretti.
Moretti stuck a gun in Tommy Dorseys mouth to free Frank Sinatra from a bad contract.
Francis Ford Coppola cast Lenny Montana as Luca Brasi after Joe Colombo visited the set.
Montana was the gangsters bodyguard.
In real life, people were more nervous about being around Moretti.
He was erratic, unpredictable and wild.
Willie was shot, in the face out of respect, at Joes Elbow Room in New Jersey.
Vito Genovese called Morettis execution a mercy killing.
When Moretti was taken out, Frank Costello lost control of the Luciano-Genovese-Costello family.
Bigger than U.S. Steel
Hyman Roth inThe Godfather IIis based onMeyer Lansky.
Were bigger than US Steel, Lansky said about the crime organization he forged withSalvatore Lucky Luciano.
Jewish gangster Lansky was an associate of the Commission since its foundation.
Lansky also counseled Frank Costello.
Lee Strasberg, who played Hyman Roth, was personally complimented by Lansky on his performance.
They talked,Meyer Lansky II toldDen of Geek.
He was around when that movie came out and he called Lee Strasburg.
He got hold of his wife and his wife knew right away that it was Meyer.
My grandfather said he did a great job.
He could have made him more sympathetic, my grandfather, but he did a wonderful job.
That must have been quite a moment for Mr. Strasberg.
He liked the way he portrayed him.
Lee Strasberg was from relatively the same time period and background, Lansky II said.
At one point it was like looking at and listening to my grandfather.
He sounded just like him.
It was almost spooky.
His mannerisms and everything were just perfect.
Roth is killed by Rocco Lampone inGodfather II.
Lansky died of natural causes at the age of 80.
Lansky okayed the hit on one of his and Lucianos oldest friends.
Benjamin, who had a few personal quirks, was better known by his nickname, Bugsy.
But you didnt want to say that to his face.
Moe Greene put Las Vegas on the map.
Jewish mobster Siegel built the Flamingo.
Moe Greene was shot in the eye for bringing up the Barzini family and slapping Fredo around a little.
Siegel became a Hollywood legend.
Moe Green was also partially a composite of Gus Greenbaum, Moe Sedway, and Moe Dalitz.
They ran it until January 1947, when it was shut down because Siegel was skimming.
InThe Godfather, Corleone family took over Greenes casino and installed Johnny Fontane as the headlining performer.
Go ahead and choke, which says to this writer that Sinatra had tried the food, fugati.
Sure, Fontaine betrayed his wife with a Hollywood starlet in the book.
In the book Fontaine gets an Oscar for the picture.
Frank Sinatra was a Hoboken kid who broke big and never forgot the people from the old neighborhood.
As stated before, Sinatra had help getting out of his contract with Tommy Dorsey.
He also had a lifelong devotion to actress Ava Gardner.
That scream was as real as the head.
That Olive Oil War
InThe Godfather Papers, Puzo admits he wroteThe Godfatherentirely from research.
Puzo included historical figures in the book that were left out of the movie.
You know now how I deal with enemies, reads a note Corleone sends Capone.
Why does a Neapolitan interfere in a quarrel between two Sicilians?
If you do not wish my friendship, so be it.
In spite of Puzos extensive research he made one mistake in this.
Capone was aligned with Joe Masseria, Maranzanos rival during the Castellammarese war.
They ate, played some cards and Lucky excused himself to go to the bathroom.
It ended the Castellammarese War and left only Salvatore Maranzano between Italian mobs and The Commission.
Lucky Luciano moved to Italy after he was deported and he too was hit by the thunderbolt of love.
He returned to America after the charges were dropped.
The assassination scene saved Coppolas job.
Paramount producers werent happy with the talky, introspective dailies they were getting from the set.
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