History Characters / TheGodfather

->'''Portrayed By''': Diane Keaton

* IvyLeagueForEveryone: Attended Dartmouth College. A flashback in the second film tells us that Vito had to pull some strings to gain him admission there. We're never really told how good a student he was.

* NoHistoricalFiguresWereHarmed: A composite character based on several real-life Mafia bosses, most notably Frank Costello, Carlo Gambino, Joe Bonanno, Raymond Patriarca, Santo Trafficante Sr., Sam [=DeCavalcante=], Frank Balistrieri and Lucky Luciano.

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

* BrokenAce: By the end, he is the most powerful Mafia Don in the country, has secured the Corleone Family's power and prosperity, and eliminated all his enemies, but he has alienated those who love him and relinquished his own happiness in the process.

%%* LonelyAtTheTop

* InadequateInheritor: Downplayed. Sonny is at the beginning of the story set to inherit the family business by virtue of being the firstborn son of Vito. While Sonny certainly has the guts to be the leader of a crime syndicate, his explosive temper, impulsivity, and lack of patience is quite severe points against him.

* InadequateInheritor: Sonny is at the beginning of the story set to inherit the family business by virtue of being the firstborn son of Vito, even though it is quite clear that his explosive temper and impulsivity makes him rather poorly qualified for the position.

--> "''I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse''."

--> '''Portrayed By''': Creator/MarlonBrando (''The Godfather''), Creator/RobertDeNiro (''Part II'')

--> "''Keep your friends close; but your enemies closer''."

--> '''Portrayed By''': Creator/AlPacino

--> "''I want Sollozzo, if not, it's all out war, we go to the mattresses!''"

--> '''Portrayed By''': Creator/JamesCaan

--> "''Fredo has a good heart, but he's weak... and stupid.''"
->-- '''Michael Corleone'''

--> '''Portrayed By''': John Cazale

--> Send Fredo off to do this, send Fredo off to do that! Let Fredo take care of some Mickey-Mouse nightclub somewhere! Send Fredo to pick somebody up at the airport! I'm your older brother, Mike, ''and I was stepped over''!

-->'''Connie:''' Michael. Now they'll fear you.
-->'''Michael:''' Maybe they should fear YOU!

--> '''Portrayed By''': Talia Shire

--> "''A lawyer with his briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns''."

--> '''Portrayed By''': Robert Duvall

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: [[spoiler:Despite his integral role in the first two films, his death is only briefly mentioned in passing at the beginning of Part III]]. In the books, he is [[spoiler:drowned in the Florida Everglades by Nick "Ace" Geraci, as part of Geraci's plan to bring down Michael's support structure en route to taking over the family.]]

--> '''Portrayed By''': Diane Keaton

--> '''Portrayed By''': Marianna Hill

--> '''Portrayed By''': Simonetta Stefanelli

--> ''"I am your son. Command me in all things."''

--> '''Portrayed By''': Andy Garcia

--> '''Portrayed By''': Creator/SofiaCoppola

--> '''Portrayed By''': Franc D'Ambrosio

-->'''Portrayed by:''' Gianni Russo

--> "''[[MemeticMutation Leave the gun]]. [[ThrowItIn Take the cannoli]]''."

--> '''Portrayed By''': Richard Castellano (''The Godfather''), Bruno Kirby (''Part II'')

--> "''[[spoiler:[[NothingPersonal Tell Mike it was only business]]]]. I always liked him''."

--> '''Portrayed By''': Abe Vigoda (''The Godfather''), John Aprea (''Part II'')

--> '''Portrayed By''': Lenny Montana

--> "''Everybody loses something''."

--> '''Portrayed By''': Andrew Pifko (''The Godfather'' [game]), Creator/RickPasqualone (''Part II'' [game])

--> '''Portrayed By''': Richard Bright

--> ''"Difficult, not impossible."''

--> '''Portrayed By''': Tom Rosqui

--> ''"The family had a lot of buffers."''

--> '''Portrayed By''': Joe Spinell

--> ''"Those were the great old days, you know. And we was like the Roman Empire. The Corleone family was like the Roman Empire."''

--> '''Portrayed by''': Michael V. Gazzo

--> ''"I despise your masquerade, the dishonest way you pose yourself. You and [[PrecisionFStrike your whole fucking family]]."''

--> '''Portrayed by''': G.D. Spradlin

--> ''"I don't like violence, Tom. I'm a businessman. Blood is a big expense."''

--> '''Portrayed By''': Al Lettieri

--> ''"He [Vito] had all the judges and politicians in his pocket. He refused to share them."''

--> '''Portrayed By''': Victor Rendina

--> ''"If Don Corleone had all the judges and politicians in New York, then he must share them or let others use them. He must let us draw the water from the well."'''

--> '''Portrayed By''': Richard Conte

--> ''"I'm Moe Greene! [[WhileYouWereInDiapers I made my bones while you were going out with cheerleaders]]!"''

--> '''Portrayed By''': Alex Rocco

--> ''"We're bigger than U.S. Steel."''

--> '''Portrayed By''': Lee Strasberg

--> ''"It's not his words I'm afraid of!"'' - on Vito

--> '''Portrayed By''': Giuseppe Sillato

--> ''"Tell your friends I don't want a lot. Just enough to [[UnusualEuphemism wet my beak]]."''

--> '''Portrayed By''': Gastone Moschin

--> ''"As for Don Corleone, he makes it very clear to me today, that he is my enemy. You must choose between us."''

--> '''Portrayed By''': Joe Mantegna

--> ''"The richest man is the one with the most powerful friends."''

--> '''Portrayed By''': Creator/EliWallach

--> ''"Finance is a gun. Politics is knowing when to pull the trigger."''

--> '''Portrayed By''': Enzo Robutti

--> ''"It seems the power to absolve debt is greater than the power of forgiveness".''

--> '''Portrayed by''': Donal Donnelly

-->''"Everything will be out in the open if Corleone dies."''

--> '''Portrayed by''': Helmut Berger

[[caption-width-right:243:"It's a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes."]]