Vito Corleone is based on a composite of mid-20th-century New York Mafia figures Carlo Gambino, Frank Costello, Joe Bonanno, and Joe Profaci. Mario told me that all of the great dialogue, those quotable lines he put into the mouth of Don Corleone, were actually spoken by Mario's mother.
Michael Corleone is loosely based on Joseph Bonanno and Vito Genovese. Bonanno became a boss of his own family at a very young age and he relocated some of his businesses to Arizona in the 1960s. Genovese had fled to Sicily in the 1930s due to murder charges and ordered the deaths of rival bosses in the 1950s.
Both Greene's character and personality are based on Bugsy Siegel: his affiliation with the mob in Los Angeles, his involvement in the development of Las Vegas, and his flamboyant tendencies.
The movie revolves around the powerful mafia family, the Corleones with patriarch Vito Corleone( played by Marlon Brando) heading it. Behind the scenes, many might be surprised that the movie featured one actual mafia, Lenny Montana who played the role of Luca Brasi in the project.
Roth is a Jewish mobster and investor, and a business partner of Vito Corleone and later his son Michael Corleone. He is based on notorious mobster and gambling kingpin Meyer Lansky. It was Al Pacino who suggested Lee Strasberg, his former acting teacher, for the role.
The Real Stories Behind The Godfather (THE GODFATHER VS REAL LIFE)
Who is Vincent Corleone based on?
Coppola has said that Vincent is an amalgamation of the five Corleone family males, having his grandfather Vito's cunning, his father Sonny's fiery temper, his uncle Michael's ruthlessness, his uncle Fredo's sensitivity, and his uncle Tom Hagen's unquestioned loyalty.
Peter Clemenza is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzo's novel ''The Godfather'' and two of the three films based on it. He is played by Richard Castellano in Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptation of the novel, and by Bruno Kirby (as a young man) in ''The Godfather Part II''.
Vincent "Vinny Ocean" Palermo (born June 4, 1944) is an American former mobster who was de facto boss of the New Jersey DeCavalcante crime family before becoming a government witness in 1999. Fictional mob boss Tony Soprano, the protagonist of the HBO series The Sopranos, is said to be based upon Palermo.
Talia Rose Shire (née Coppola; born April 25, 1946) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Connie Corleone in The Godfather trilogy and Adrianna Pennino Balboa in the Rocky series.
Sonny may be based on Bill Bonanno who was been groomed by his father Joe Bonanno to be Boss of the Bonanno family and when his father disappeared he led the family in a war against rival mobsters. According to James Caan, the character of Sonny was partially inspired by late comedian Don Rickles.
Concept and Creation. Vito Corleone is based on a composite of mid-20th-century New York Mafia figures Carlo Gambino, Frank Costello, Joe Bonanno, and Joe Profaci. Mario told me that all of the great dialogue, those quotable lines he put into the mouth of Don Corleone, were actually spoken by Mario's mother.
Enraged, Sonny speeds towards Connie's apartment in Hell's Kitchen ahead of his bodyguards. At the Long Beach Causeway toll plaza, Barzini's men trap Sonny and shoot him to death. During a meeting with the other crime family dons to establish peace, Vito realizes that Barzini masterminded Sonny's murder.
What actor turned down the role of Michael Corleone?
Dustin Hoffman and Jack Nicholson both turned down the role of Michael. There were many actors considered for role of Michael. Robert Redford…he was too WASPish, Martin Sheen who actually auditioned for the role.
He is also mentioned many times throughout the film; the dialogue makes it clear that Michael is tormented 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 the truth about Fredo's death.
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 chest, fatally wounding her. Michael is devastated by Mary's death, and screams in torment while cradling her dead body.
Victor Rizzi was the son of Connie Corleone and Carlo Rizzi. He was at Anthony Corleone's first communion and seen with his brother Michael Rizzi coming in the door at Carmela Corleone's funeral. Victor was arrested in Reno for theft some time shortly before Anthony's first communion.
Michael Imperioli's character Christopher Moltisanti was not written with a notable real-life counterpart in mind, but the actor did draw on someone he knew growing up to help him better understand and perform the role.
The show's Mafia underboss-turned boss John Sacrimoni, also known as Johnny Sack, was named in honor of brothers Anthony and Domenico Sacramone, who own the Astoria restaurant, the duo revealed to The Post.
There's no question that the late Tony Sirico gave an inspired performance as Paulie on "The Sopranos," but did you know the role was actually based on the actor? Sirico originally auditioned for a different part, but series creator David Chase felt that he wasn't the right fit for the role.
Salvatore Tessio, played by the legendary Abe Vigoda, was based on real-life mobster Gaspar DiGregorio, a high-ranking member of the Bonanno crime family.
Virgil Sollozzo is loosely based on Vito Genovese, who had set up a narcotics network to import heroin into the US from Italy. Sollozzo could also be inspired by Vincent Papa, who was a major narcotics trafficker and a key figure of the French Connection in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Emilio Barzini is based on several real-life mobsters. His desire to take complete control of the New York Mafia is inspired by Vito Genovese, who made a similar attempt in the 1950s that ended with the disastrous Apalachin meeting.
