1.
Lee Strasberg
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Lee Strasberg was a Polish-born American actor, director, and theatre practitioner. He was born in a part of Galicia, Austrian Poland and he co founded, with directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931, which was hailed as Americas first true theatrical collective. The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute has its own sets of entrance criteria required for admission into their program. Former student Elia Kazan directed James Dean in East of Eden, as a student, Dean wrote that Actors Studio was the greatest school of the theater the best thing that can happen to an actor. Playwright Tennessee Williams, writer of A Streetcar Named Desire, said of Strasbergs actors and they communicate emotions they really feel. They give you a sense of life, directors such as Sidney Lumet, a former student, have intentionally used actors skilled in Strasbergs method. Kazan, in his autobiography, wrote, He carried with him the aura of a prophet, a magician, a doctor, a psychoanalyst. Was the force held the thirty-odd members of the theatre together. Today, Ellen Burstyn, Al Pacino, and Harvey Keitel lead this nonprofit studio dedicated to the development of actors, playwrights and he also appeared in. And Justice for All. Strasbergs personal papers, including photos, are archived at the Library of Congress, Lee Strasberg was born Israel Strassberg in Budzanów in Austrian Poland, to Jewish parents, Baruch Meyer Strassberg and his wife, Ida, née Diner, and was the youngest of three sons. His father emigrated to New York while his family remained in their village with an uncle. His father, who worked as a presser in the garment industry, sent first for his eldest son, finally, enough money was saved to bring over his wife and his two remaining sons. In 1909, the family was reunited on Manhattans Lower East Side, a relative introduced him to the theater by giving him a small part in a Yiddish-language production being performed by the Progressive Drama Club. He later joined the Chrystie Street Settlement Houses drama club, when he was 23 years old, he enrolled in the Clare Tree Major School of the Theater. He became a naturalized United States citizen on January 16,1939, had his life-shaping revelation when Stanislavski brought his Moscow Art Theatre to the United States in 1923. He had seen good acting before, of course, but never an ensemble like this with actors completely surrendering their egos to the work. E observed, first of all, that all the actors, whether they were playing leads or small parts, worked with the same commitment, no actors idled about posing and preening. More important, every actor seemed to some sort of unspoken, yet palpable
2.
The Godfather Part II
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The Godfather Part II is a 1974 American crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo, starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. The Godfather Part II opened to mixed reviews critics, many of whom praised its cinematography while finding its nonlinear narrative disorganized. It was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, however, and became the first sequel to win for Best Picture and its six Oscar wins included Best Director for Coppola, Best Supporting Actor for De Niro and Best Adapted Screenplay for Coppola and Puzo. Pacino won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, both The Godfather Part II and its predecessor remain highly influential films in the gangster genre, and the former has been reevaluated. In 1997, the American Film Institute ranked it as the 32nd-greatest film in American film history, some have deemed it superior to the 1972 original. It was selected for preservation in the U. S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1993, being deemed culturally, historically, the Godfather Part III, a later sequel, was released in 1990. In 1901, the family of nine-year-old Vito Andolini is killed in Corleone, Sicily, Vito escapes to New York City and is registered as Vito Corleone on Ellis Island. In 1958, during his sons First Communion party at Lake Tahoe, Corleone caporegime Frank Pentangeli is dismayed that Michael will not help him defend his Brooklyn territory against the Rosato brothers, who work for Michaels business partner Hyman Roth. That night, Michael leaves Nevada after surviving an assassination attempt at his home, in 1917, Vito Corleone lives in New York with his wife Carmela and son Sonny. He loses his job due to the nepotism of local extortionist Don Fanucci, Michael suspects Roth of planning the assassination, but meets with him in Miami and feigns ignorance. In New York, Pentangeli attempts to maintain Michaels façade by making peace with the Rosato family, on New Years Eve, he tries to have Roth and Roths right-hand man Johnny Ola killed, but Roth survives when Michaels bodyguard is discovered and shot by police. Michael accuses his brother Fredo of betrayal after Fredo inadvertently reveals that hed met with Ola previously, batista abruptly abdicates due to rebel advances, during the ensuing chaos, Michael, Fredo, and Roth separately escape to the United States. Back home, Michael learns that his wife Kay has miscarried, three years later, Vito and Carmela have had two more sons, Fredo and Michael. Vitos criminal conduct attracts the attention of Fanucci, who extorts him and his partners, Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio, wish to avoid trouble by paying in full, but Vito insists that he can convince Fanucci to accept a smaller payment by making him an offer he wont refuse. During a neighborhood festa, he stalks Fanucci to his apartment, in Washington, D. C. a Senate committee on organized crime is investigating the Corleone family. Having survived the attempt on his life, Pentangeli agrees to testify against Michael, who he believes had double-crossed him. Now a respected figure in his community, Vito is approached for help by a widow who is being evicted. After an unsuccessful negotiation with Vito, the landlord asks around, learns of Vitos reputation
3.
Mario Puzo
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Mario Gianluigi Puzo was an American author, screenwriter and journalist of Italian descent. He is known for his novels about the Mafia, most notably The Godfather. He received the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the first film in 1972, Puzo also wrote the original screenplay for the 1978 Superman film. His last novel, The Family, was released posthumously in 2001, Puzo was born in the Hells Kitchen neighborhood of New York City, into a poor family from Pietradefusi, Province of Avellino, Campania, Italy. Many of his books draw heavily on this heritage, after graduating from the City College of New York, he joined the United States Army Air Forces in World War II. Due to his eyesight, the military did not let him undertake combat duties. In 1950, his first short story, The Last Christmas, was published in American Vanguard, after the war, he wrote his first book, The Dark Arena, which was published in 1955. At periods in the 1950s and early 1960s, Puzo worked as a writer/editor for publisher Martin Goodmans Magazine Management Company. Puzo, along other writers like Bruce Jay Friedman, worked for the company line of mens magazines, pulp titles like Male, True Action. Under the pseudonym Mario Cleri, Puzo wrote World War II adventure features for True Action. Puzos most famous work, The Godfather, was encouraged by a suggestion of the publisher of his The Fortunate Pilgrim who thought that if there was more mafia that it would have more successful. A story outline was prepared and presented to the publisher, who rejected it, after several publishers were approached, Putnam editors met with him without having read the outline. He told them a few stories and the project was approved, with the advance, he got on with the project. He had heard anecdotes about Mafia organizations during his time in pulp journalism and he was looking to write something that would appeal to the masses. He found his audience with the novel, a bestseller for months on the New York Times Best Seller List. The book was developed into the film The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The movie received 3 awards of the 11 Academy Award category nominations, Coppola and Puzo then collaborated on sequels to the original film, The Godfather Part II and The Godfather Part III. Puzo wrote the first draft of the script for the 1974 disaster film Earthquake, Puzo also wrote the original screenplay for Richard Donners Superman which, at the time, also included the plot for Superman II, as they were originally written as one film
4.
Rum-running
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Rum-running, or bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law. Smuggling is usually done to circumvent taxation or prohibition laws within a particular jurisdiction, the term rum-running is more commonly applied to smuggling over water, bootlegging is applied to smuggling over land. The term rum-running most likely originated at the start of Prohibition in the United States and it was said that some ships carried $200,000 in contraband in a single run. It was not long after the first taxes on alcoholic beverages that someone began to smuggle them, the British government had revenue cutters in place to stop smugglers as early as the 16th century. Pirates often made extra money running rum to heavily taxed colonies, an irony of the history of prohibition in North America is that industrial-scale smuggling flowed both ways across the Canada–US border at different points in the early twentieth century. National prohibition in the United States did not begin until 1920, as well, Canadas version of prohibition had never included a ban on the manufacture of liquor for export. Soon the black-market trade was reversed with Canadian whisky and beer flowing in large quantities to the United States, again, this illegal international trade undermined the support for prohibition in the receiving country, and the American version ended in 1933. One of the most famous periods of rum-running began in the United States with the Prohibition began on January 16,1920 and this period lasted until the Eighteenth Amendment was repealed with ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment, on December 5,1933. At first, there was action on the seas. This was the start of the Bimini–Bahamas rum trade and the introduction of Bill McCoy, with the start of Prohibition Captain McCoy began bringing rum from Bimini and the rest of the Bahamas into south Florida through Government Cut. The rum-running business was good, and McCoy soon bought a Gloucester knockabout schooner named Arethusa at auction. He installed an auxiliary, mounted a concealed machine gun on her deck. In the days of rum running, it was common for captains to add water to the bottles to stretch their profits, any cheap sparkling wine became French champagne or Italian Spumante, unbranded liquor became top-of-the-line name brands. McCoy became famous for never watering his booze, and selling only top brands, although the phrase appears in print in 1882, this is one of several folk etymologies for the origin of the term The real McCoy. On November 15,1923, McCoy and Tomoka encountered the U. S. Coast Guard Cutter Seneca, a boarding party attempted to board, but McCoy chased them off with the machine gun. Tomoka tried to run, but the Seneca placed a shell just off her hull, the small, quick boats could more easily outrun Coast Guard ships and could dock in any small river or eddy and transfer their cargo to a waiting truck. They were also known to float planes and flying boats. Soon others were following suit, the limit became known as Rum Line
5.
Judaism
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Judaism encompasses the religion, philosophy, culture and way of life of the Jewish people. Judaism is an ancient monotheistic Abrahamic religion, with the Torah as its text, and supplemental oral tradition represented by later texts such as the Midrash. Judaism is considered by religious Jews to be the expression of the relationship that God established with the Children of Israel. With between 14.5 and 17.4 million adherents worldwide, Judaism is the tenth-largest religion in the world, Judaism includes a wide corpus of texts, practices, theological positions, and forms of organization. Modern branches of Judaism such as Humanistic Judaism may be nontheistic, today, the largest Jewish religious movements are Orthodox Judaism, Conservative Judaism and Reform Judaism. Major sources of difference between groups are their approaches to Jewish law, the authority of the Rabbinic tradition. Orthodox Judaism maintains that the Torah and Jewish law are divine in origin, eternal and unalterable, Conservative and Reform Judaism are more liberal, with Conservative Judaism generally promoting a more traditional interpretation of Judaisms requirements than Reform Judaism. A typical Reform position is that Jewish law should be viewed as a set of guidelines rather than as a set of restrictions and obligations whose observance is required of all Jews. Historically, special courts enforced Jewish law, today, these still exist. Authority on theological and legal matters is not vested in any one person or organization, the history of Judaism spans more than 3,000 years. Judaism has its roots as a religion in the Middle East during the Bronze Age. Judaism is considered one of the oldest monotheistic religions, the Hebrews and Israelites were already referred to as Jews in later books of the Tanakh such as the Book of Esther, with the term Jews replacing the title Children of Israel. Judaisms texts, traditions and values strongly influenced later Abrahamic religions, including Christianity, Islam, many aspects of Judaism have also directly or indirectly influenced secular Western ethics and civil law. Jews are a group and include those born Jewish and converts to Judaism. In 2015, the world Jewish population was estimated at about 14.3 million, Judaism thus begins with ethical monotheism, the belief that God is one and is concerned with the actions of humankind. According to the Tanakh, God promised Abraham to make of his offspring a great nation, many generations later, he commanded the nation of Israel to love and worship only one God, that is, the Jewish nation is to reciprocate Gods concern for the world. He also commanded the Jewish people to one another, that is. These commandments are but two of a corpus of commandments and laws that constitute this covenant, which is the substance of Judaism
6.
Vito Corleone
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He is an orphaned Sicilian immigrant who builds a mafia empire. Upon his death, Michael, his youngest son, succeeds him as the don of the Corleone crime family. He has two sons, Santino and Frederico and one daughter Constanzia. He informally adopts Sonnys friend, Tom Hagen, a lawyer, Vito oversees a business founded on gambling, bootlegging, and union corruption, but he is known as a generous man who lives by a strict moral code of loyalty to friends and, above all, family. He is also known as a traditionalist who demands respect commensurate with his status, Vito Andolini was born in Corleone, Sicily on December 7,1891. The nine-year-old Vito is sent to the United States by his mother for his safety after Antonio, his father, is murdered in retaliation for insulting the local Mafia boss, paolo, his older brother, swears revenge but he too is killed. Vitos mother goes to Ciccio and begs him to spare Vito, Ciccio refuses, reasoning that the boy will seek revenge as a grown man. Upon Ciccios refusal, Vitos mother holds a knife to his throat, Family friends smuggle Vito out of Sicily, putting him on a ship with immigrants travelling to America. In the film, Ellis Island immigration officials rename him Vito Corleone and this was often the case on Ellis Island during the time period in which the scene takes place. He later adopts Andolini as his name to acknowledge his family heritage. Vito is taken in by the Abbandando family, who are distant relations of his, Vito grows very close to the Abbadandos, particularly their son, Genco, who is like a brother to him. In 1920, Vito is befriended by Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio and is taught how to survive and prosper through petty crime and performing favors in return for loyalty. Vito plans his first murder, Fanucci threatened to report him, Clemenza, during an Italian street festival, Vito trails Fanucci from the rooftops as Fanucci walks home. Vito shoots and kills Fanucci before he enters his apartment, Vito takes over the district and behaves with far greater respect than Fanucci. Vito and Genco start an oil importing business, Genco Pura. It eventually becomes the legal front for Vitos growing organized crime syndicate. Despite--or because of--its status as a front company, Genco Pura becomes the nations largest olive oil importing company, between Genco Pura and his illegal operations, Vito becomes a wealthy man. In 1923, he returns to Sicily for the first time since fleeing as a child and he and his partner Don Tommasino systematically eliminate Don Ciccios men who were involved in murdering Vitos family and arrange a meeting with Ciccio himself
7.
Michael Corleone
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Michael Corleone is the main protagonist of Mario Puzos novel The Godfather and 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 Corleone was recognized as the 11th most iconic villain in film history by the American Film Institute, although some critics consider him to be a tragic hero. Born in 1920, Michael is the youngest son of the mafia don Vito Corleone and his wife and 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 their informal adoptive brother, the story begins in the summer of 1945. Michael has been discharged from the Marine Corps having been wounded, his father and he returns home to attend his sister Connies wedding, accompanied by Kay Adams, his college sweetheart. Michael stays for a few weeks before re-entering college without consulting his family, unlike his two older brothers, Michael does not want to join the Corleone business. Vito does not want Michael to join the Corleone criminal empire either, when the United States entered World War II in 1941, Michael had enlisted in the Marine Corps. During the war, he was in the Pacific and he received a battlefield commission to the rank of captain and is awarded the Navy Cross for bravery. In 1944, his war heroism is featured in Life magazine, just before Christmas 1945, Vito is severely wounded in an assassination attempt by drug kingpin Virgil Sollozzo, throwing Michael into the middle of the Mafia world he had for so long avoided. Michael reaffirms his loyalty at his fathers bedside, then prevents Sollozzos second attempt on Vitos life, captain McCluskey, a corrupt NYPD officer on Sollozzos payroll, breaks Michaels jaw. Knowing that his fathers life is in danger while Sollozzo lives, Michael proposes that he murder Sollozzo, Sonny dismisses the idea, believing that killing McCluskey would invite police retribution, it is a hard and fast rule in the American Mafia that policemen are not to be harmed. However, Michael persuades him that McCluskey has crossed into their world by serving as Sollozzos bodyguard, a meeting between Sollozzo and Michael is arranged. At the restaurant, Michael retrieves a handgun that his fathers caporegime Peter Clemenza had planted in the bathroom and kills Sollozzo, Michael flees to Sicily, where he spends two years under the protection of Vitos longtime ally, Don Tommasino. Michael meets and falls in love with a local woman named Apollonia Vitelli. They marry and when Michael is notified that Sonny has been murdered, Apollonia is killed by a car bomb intended for Michael. Fabrizio, Michaels bodyguard, planted the bomb after being bought off by the Corleones rivals, Michael returns to the United States in early 1951 and assumes Sonnys role as Vitos heir apparent. He and his plot to wipe out the other New York Dons. Meanwhile, Michael convinces his father the time is right to remove the family from the Mafia, more than a year after his return, Michael reunites with Kay and they marry
8.
New York City
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The City of New York, often called New York City or simply New York, is the most populous city in the United States. With an estimated 2015 population of 8,550,405 distributed over an area of about 302.6 square miles. Located at the tip of the state of New York. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has described as the cultural and financial capital of the world. Situated on one of the worlds largest natural harbors, New York City consists of five boroughs, the five boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, The Bronx, and Staten Island – were consolidated into a single city in 1898. In 2013, the MSA produced a gross metropolitan product of nearly US$1.39 trillion, in 2012, the CSA generated a GMP of over US$1.55 trillion. NYCs MSA and CSA GDP are higher than all but 11 and 12 countries, New York City traces its origin to its 1624 founding in Lower Manhattan as a trading post by colonists of the Dutch Republic and was named New Amsterdam in 1626. The city and its surroundings came under English control in 1664 and were renamed New York after King Charles II of England granted the lands to his brother, New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790. It has been the countrys largest city since 1790, the Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to the Americas by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is a symbol of the United States and its democracy. In the 21st century, New York has emerged as a node of creativity and entrepreneurship, social tolerance. Several sources have ranked New York the most photographed city in the world, the names of many of the citys bridges, tapered skyscrapers, and parks are known around the world. Manhattans real estate market is among the most expensive in the world, Manhattans Chinatown incorporates the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere, with multiple signature Chinatowns developing across the city. Providing continuous 24/7 service, the New York City Subway is one of the most extensive metro systems worldwide, with 472 stations in operation. Over 120 colleges and universities are located in New York City, including Columbia University, New York University, and Rockefeller University, during the Wisconsinan glaciation, the New York City region was situated at the edge of a large ice sheet over 1,000 feet in depth. The ice sheet scraped away large amounts of soil, leaving the bedrock that serves as the foundation for much of New York City today. Later on, movement of the ice sheet would contribute to the separation of what are now Long Island and Staten Island. The first documented visit by a European was in 1524 by Giovanni da Verrazzano, a Florentine explorer in the service of the French crown and he claimed the area for France and named it Nouvelle Angoulême. Heavy ice kept him from further exploration, and he returned to Spain in August and he proceeded to sail up what the Dutch would name the North River, named first by Hudson as the Mauritius after Maurice, Prince of Orange
9.
Meyer Lansky
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Lansky developed a gambling empire that stretched across the world. He was said to own points in casinos in Las Vegas, Cuba, The Bahamas, although a member of the Jewish Mob, Lansky undoubtedly had strong influence with the Italian Mafia and played a large role in the consolidation of the criminal underworld. Despite nearly fifty years as a member-participant in organized crime, Lansky was never guilty of anything more serious than illegal gambling. He has a legacy of being one of the most financially successful gangsters in American history, before Meyer Lansky fled Cuba, he was said to be worth an estimated $20 million. However when he died in 1983, his family was shocked that his estate was less than $10,000. Lansky was born Meier Suchowlański in Grodno, in the Russian Empire to a Polish-Jewish family who experienced antisemitic pogroms. He was born in the lands of Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, which were under Russian rule. Lansky met Bugsy Siegel when they were children and they became lifelong friends, as well as partners in the bootlegging trade, and together managed the Bugs and Meyer Mob with its reputation as one of the most violent Prohibition gangs. Lansky was also friends with Lucky Luciano, the two met as teenagers when Luciano attempted to extort Lansky for protection money on his walk home from school. Luciano respected the younger boys defiant responses to his threats, Lansky was instrumental in Lucianos rise to power by reportedly organizing the 1931 murders of Mafia bosses Joe Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano. Lanskys brother, Jacob Jake or Jack Lansky, in 1959 managed the Nacional Hotel in Havana, by 1936, Lansky had established gambling operations in Florida, New Orleans, and Cuba. Second, mob connections were used to ensure legal and physical security of their establishments from other crime figures, there was also an absolute rule of integrity concerning the games and wagers made within their establishments. Lanskys carpet joints in Florida and elsewhere were never clip-joints where gamblers were unsure of whether or not the games were rigged against them, Lansky ensured that the staff actually consisted of men of high integrity. In 1936, Lanskys partner Luciano was sent to prison, in 1946 Lansky convinced the Mafia to place Siegel in charge of Las Vegas, and became a major investor in Siegels Flamingo Hotel. After Al Capones 1931 conviction for tax evasion and prostitution, Lansky saw that he too was vulnerable to a similar prosecution. To protect himself, he transferred the illegal earnings from his growing casino empire to a Swiss numbered bank account, Lansky eventually even bought an offshore bank in Switzerland, which he used to launder money through a network of shell and holding companies. In the 1930s, Meyer Lansky and his gang claimed to have stepped outside their usual criminal activities to break up rallies held by the pro-Nazi German-American Bund, there were only fifteen of us, but we went into action. We threw some of out the windows
10.
Little Italy, Manhattan
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Little Italy is a neighborhood in lower Manhattan, New York City, once known for its large population of Italian Americans. Today the neighborhood consists of only a few Italian stores and restaurants and it is bounded on the west by Tribeca and Soho, on the south by Chinatown, on the east by the Bowery and Lower East Side, and on the north by Nolita. Little Italy on Mulberry Street used to extend as far south as Worth Street, as far north as Houston Street, as far west as Lafayette Street and it is now only three blocks on Mulberry Street. Little Italy originated as Mulberry Bend, jacob Riis described Mulberry Bend as the foul core of New York’s slums. During this time period Immigrants of the late 19th century usually settled in ethnic neighborhood, therefore, the “mass immigration from italy during the 1880’s” led to the large settlement of Italian immigrants in lower manhattan. The results of migration had created an influx of Italian immigrants which had led to the commercial gathering of their dwelling. Little Italy was not the largest Italian neighborhood in New York City, Tonelli said that Little Italy was perhaps the city’s poorest Italian neighborhood. In 1910 Little Italy had almost 10,000 Italians, that was the peak of the communitys Italian population, at the turn of the 20th century over 90% of the residents of the Fourteenth Ward were of Italian birth or origins. Tonnelli said that it meant that residents began moving out to more spacious digs almost as soon as they arrived, such a vastly gowing community impacted the U. S. labor movement in the 20th century” by making up much of the labor population in the garment industry. After World War II, many residents of the Lower East Side began moving to Brooklyn, Staten Island, eastern Long Island, and New Jersey. Chinese immigrants became a presence after the U. S. Immigration Act of 1965 removed immigration restrictions. In 2004, Tonelli said, You can go back 30 years and find newspaper clips chronicling the expansion of Chinatown, prior to 2004, several upscale businesses entered the northern portion of the area between Houston and Kenmare Street. Tonelli said Real-estate prices zoomed, making it tougher for the old-timers—residents. After the September 11 attacks in 2001, areas below Houston Street were cut off for the rest of the fall of 2001, the San Gennaro feast, scheduled for September 13, was postponed. Business from the Financial District dropped severely, due to the closure of Park Row, which connected Chinatown, Tonelli said the post-9/11 events strangely enough, ended up motivating all these newfangled efforts to save what’s left of the old neighborhood. This sentiment has also echoed by Italian culture and heritage website ItalianAware. The site has called the dominance of Italians in the area and it attributes this to the quick financial prosperity many Italians achieved, which afforded them the opportunity to leave the cramped neighborhood for areas in Brooklyn and Queens. The site also goes on to state that the area is referred to as Little Italy more out of nostalgia than as a reflection of a true ethnic population
11.
Peter Clemenza
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Peter Clemenza is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzos novel The Godfather and two of the three films based on it. He is played by Academy Award-nominee Richard Castellano in Francis Ford Coppolas film adaptation of the novel, born near Trapani, Sicily, Peter Clemenza is one of Don Vito Corleones caporegimes and oldest friends, as well as the godfather of his eldest son, Sonny. He has a reputation as a judge of talent, his regime produced no fewer than five future capos—Sonny, Frank Pentangeli, Rocco Lampone, Al Neri. He is a character in the story, but several of his actions are key to the plot. Vitos wife, Mrs. Corleone, is the girls god-mother, Clemenza assigns the job to his button man Paulie Gatto, who recruits two former professional boxers turned Corleone Family loan enforcers to assist. A deleted scene from the film depicts Gatto delivering the beating, when the family discovers that Gatto helped Virgil Sollozzo and the Tattaglia Family set up Vito to be assassinated, Sonny orders Clemenza to execute him. Clemenza considers Gattos actions a personal insult, having recruited and personally groomed him, according to the novel, Sonny Corleone initially suspects Clemenza was involved in the conspiracy, but Clemenza is eventually cleared. Clemenza chooses Rocco Lampone, then an associate, to do the hit on Gatto so Lampone can make his bones. Clemenza has Gatto drive him and Lampone around for hours on the pretext of locating housing for Corleone soldiers in the event war breaks out with the other crime families. After Lampone shoots Gatto, Clemenza—upon returning to the car after relieving himself—utters his most famous line in the film, the plan succeeds, and while Michael hides in Sicily, Clemenza prepares for an all-out war against the remaining four families. The war ultimately claims Sonnys life, and Vito resumes his leadership role, upon returning to New York, Michael succeeds his father as the familys operating head. Michael agrees, but insists they wait a short while longer, when Michael is targeted for assassination by Don Emilio Barzini, who was behind Sonnys murder, Clemenza is initially suspected of being the Corleone family traitor. Tessio is the traitor, and he is killed, Clemenza, on Michaels orders, personally murders both Don Victor Stracci and Carlo Rizzi, Michaels brother-in-law, who conspired with Barzini to murder Sonny. In the book, Clemenza is last seen greeting Michael as Don Corleone, Clemenza appears briefly in Puzos second Godfather installment, The Sicilian. He meets with Michael during his exile in Sicily, at his brother Domenico Clemenzas home in Trapani and they discuss what the fate of Turi Giuliano is to be, following the orders of a recovering Vito Corleone. Clemenza tells Michael that he should report to him after a week, with or without Giuliano, Clemenza then leaves on a boat to Tunis, telling Michael that he would be back the following day to bring him back to date with the Dons orders. Clemenzas gradual takeover of the Corleone empire in New York is briefly covered in The Godfather Returns and it also tells of Clemenzas involvement during Michaels return from exile and eventual, official initiation into the Corleone crime family. Most noteworthy, the novel depicts Clemenzas fatal heart attack, the Pentangeli character was created to play the role intended for Clemenza
12.
Arnold Rothstein
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Arnold Rothstein, nicknamed the Brain, was an American racketeer, businessman and gambler who became a kingpin of the Jewish mob in New York City. Rothstein was widely reputed to have organized corruption in professional athletics, according to crime writer Leo Katcher, Rothstein transformed organized crime from a thuggish activity by hoodlums into a big business, run like a corporation, with himself at the top. His notoriety inspired several characters based on his life, portrayed in contemporary and later short stories, novels, musicals. Rothstein refused to pay a large debt resulting from a poker game and was murdered in 1928. His illegal empire was broken up and distributed among a number of other organizations and led in part to the downfall of Tammany Hall. Ten years after his death, his brother declared Rothsteins estate was bankrupt, Arnold Rothstein was born into a comfortable life in Manhattan, the son of a well-off Jewish businessman, Abraham Rothstein, and his wife, Esther. His father was a man of character who acquired the nickname Abe the Just. Arnold was highly skilled at mathematics but was uninterested in school. His older brother, on the hand, studied to become a rabbi. Rothstein was known to be a child and harboured a deep jealousy over his older brother Harry. Rothsteins father believed that his son always craved to be the center of attention and his father pointed to an event in 1890 to prove this. Rothsteins mother had gone to visit her mother across state, she took her eldest son Harry and her daughter with her. The night she left, Rothsteins father found him crying in the bottom of a closet, Rothstein reportedly said, She hates me and you hate me, but you all love Harry. While still a child, Rothstein began to indulge in gambling, in 1921, Rothstein was asked how he became a gambler, I always gambled. I cant remember when I didnt, maybe I gambled just to show my father he couldnt tell me what to do, but I dont think so. I think I gambled because I loved the excitement, when I gambled, nothing else mattered. By 1910, Rothstein at age 28 had moved to the Tenderloin section of Manhattan and he also invested in a horse racing track at Havre de Grace, Maryland, where he was reputed to have fixed many of the races that he won. Rothstein had a network of informants, very deep pockets from amongst his fathers banking community
13.
1919 World Series
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The 1919 World Series matched the American League champion Chicago White Sox against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds. Although most World Series have been of the format, the 1919 World Series was a best-of-nine series. Baseball decided to try the best-of-nine format partly to increase popularity of the sport, the events of the series are often associated with the Black Sox Scandal, when several members of the Chicago franchise conspired with gamblers to throw the World Series games. The 1919 World Series was the last World Series to take place without a Commissioner of Baseball in place, in 1920, the various franchise owners installed Kenesaw Mountain Landis as the first Commissioner of Baseball. In August 1920, seven players from the White Sox were banned from organized baseball for fixing the series, the 1919 Chicago White Sox were one of baseballs elite teams. Most of the players had defeated the New York Giants in the 1917 World Series. They had fallen to sixth place in the American League in 1918, largely as a result of losing their best player, Shoeless Joe Jackson, and a few of his teammates as well, to World War I service. Team owner Charlie Comiskey fired manager Pants Rowland after the season, replacing him with Kid Gleason, the 88–52 White Sox won the American League pennant again in 1919, by 3 1⁄2 games over the Cleveland Indians. Jackson was the star of the team. The left fielder hit.351 that season, fourth in the league and in the ALs top five in slugging percentage, RBI, total bases, right fielder Nemo Leibold hit.302 with 81 runs scored. First baseman Chick Gandil hit.290, third baseman Buck Weaver.296, even typical good field, no hit catcher Ray Schalk hit.282 that year, and shortstop Swede Risberg was not an automatic out with.256 average and 38 RBI. Manager Gleasons bench contained two impressive hitters, outfielder Shano Collins and infielder Fred McMullin, both veterans of the 1917 world championship, the 1919 pennant-winning pitching staff was led by a pair of aces and a very promising rookie. Next came Claude Lefty Williams, at 23–11 and 2.64, twenty-six-year-old rookie Dickie Kerr started only 17 games, but turned in a solid 13–7 and 2.88. Fourth in the rotation was Urban Red Faber, who had beaten the Giants three times in the 1917 World Series but had an off-year in 1919 at 11–9 and 3.83 in 20 starts. He was ill and unable to pitch in the Series in any event, but all was not well in the White Sox camp. In contrast to the White Sox, the 1919 Cincinnati Reds were upstarts and they had finished no higher than third since 1900, and then only twice, before winning the NL pennant handily in 1919.686. Third baseman Heinie Groh was the other great hitter on the team at.310 with a.392 on-base percentage and 79 runs scored. Slick-fielding first baseman Jake Daubert, a two-time National League batting champion with Brooklyn earlier in the decade, also scored 79 runs and hit.276, while catcher Ivey Wingo hit.273
14.
Prohibition in the United States
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Prohibition in the United States was a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages that remained in place from 1920 to 1933. One result was that many communities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries introduced alcohol prohibition, Prohibition supporters, called drys, presented it as a victory for public morals and health. Promoted by the dry crusaders, a movement was led by rural Protestants and social Progressives in the Prohibition, Democratic and it gained a national grass roots base through the Womans Christian Temperance Union. After 1900 it was coordinated by the Anti-Saloon League, Prohibition was mandated in state after state, then finally nationwide under the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1920. Enabling legislation, known as the Volstead Act, set down the rules for enforcing the ban, for example, religious uses of wine were allowed. Private ownership and consumption of alcohol were not made illegal under federal law, in the 1920s the laws were widely disregarded, and tax revenues were lost. Opposition mobilized nationwide, and Prohibition ended with the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment, some states continued statewide prohibition, marking one of the last stages of the Progressive Era. Anti-prohibitionists, known as wets, criticized the ban as an intrusion of mainly rural Protestant ideals on a central aspect of urban, immigrant. Some researchers contend that its failure is attributable more to a changing historical context than to characteristics of the law itself. Criticism remains that Prohibition led to unintended consequences such as the growth of urban crime organizations, as an experiment it lost supporters every year, and lost tax revenue that governments needed when the Great Depression began in 1929. The U. S. Senate proposed the Eighteenth Amendment on December 18,1917, upon being approved by a 36th state on January 16,1919, the amendment was ratified as a part of the Constitution. The Wartime Prohibition Act took effect June 30,1919, with July 1,1919, on October 28,1919, Congress passed the Volstead Act, the popular name for the National Prohibition Act, over President Woodrow Wilsons veto. The act established the definition of intoxicating liquors as well as penalties for producing them. Although the Volstead Act prohibited the sale of alcohol, the government lacked resources to enforce it. By the terms of the amendment, the country went dry one year later, by 1925, in New York City alone, there were anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 speakeasy clubs. While Prohibition was successful in reducing the amount of liquor consumed, it stimulated the proliferation of rampant underground, organized, many were astonished and disenchanted with the rise of spectacular gangland crimes, when prohibition was supposed to reduce crime. Prohibition lost its advocates one by one, while the wet opposition talked of personal liberty, new tax revenues from legal beer and liquor, and the scourge of organized crime. On March 22,1933, President Franklin Roosevelt signed into law the Cullen–Harrison Act, legalizing beer with a content of 3. 2%
15.
Moe Greene
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Morris Moe Greene is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzos 1969 novel The Godfather and the 1972 movie of the same name. The characters name is a composite of real Las Vegas mobsters Moe Dalitz, or possibly Moe Sedway, Greene is portrayed in the movie by Alex Rocco. Moe Greene is introduced in The Godfather as a renowned Jewish mobster and former executioner for Murder and he is credited with the development of gambling and entertainment in Las Vegas and bringing the interests of the most powerful organized crime organizations in America to Nevada. Greene is in business with Don Vito Corleone, who bankrolls the creation of Greenes first hotel-casino, in return, Greene takes the Dons son Fredo under his wing during the war between the Five Families in New York, due to the intervention of West Coast Don Francesco. At a discreet meeting with Greene, Michael expresses his disapproval, in the film, he also belittles Michaels credentials as a Don, saying, I made my bones when you were going out with cheerleaders. In the novel, Greene is murdered shortly afterward by Al Neri, in the climax of the film, Michael has Greene killed as part of his mass slaughter of the Corleone familys enemies. Greenes casinos then become property of the Corleone family, Greenes death also plays a part in the second film in the series. Greene was a friend to Michaels business partner and rival Hyman Roth
16.
Molasses
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Molasses, or black treacle, is a viscous by-product of refining sugarcane or sugar beets into sugar. Molasses varies by amount of sugar, method of extraction, sugarcane molasses is agreeable in taste and aroma, and is primarily used for sweetening and flavoring foods in U. S. Canada and elsewhere, while sugar beet molasses is foul-smelling and unpalatable, so it is used as an animal feed additive in Europe and Russia. It is a component of fine commercial brown sugar. Sweet sorghum syrup may be colloquially called sorghum molasses in the southern United States, similar products include treacle, honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, and invert syrup. Most of these alternative syrups have milder flavors, cane molasses is a common ingredient in baking and cooking. To make molasses, sugar cane is harvested and stripped of leaves and its juice is extracted, usually by cutting, crushing, or mashing. The juice is boiled to concentrate it, promoting sugar crystallization, the result of this first boiling is called first syrup, and it has the highest sugar content. First syrup is usually referred to in the Southern states of the U. S. as cane syrup, second molasses is created from a second boiling and sugar extraction, and has a slightly bitter taste. The third boiling of the sugar syrup yields dark, viscous blackstrap molasses, the majority of sucrose from the original juice has crystallized and been removed. The caloric content of blackstrap molasses is mostly due to the remaining sugar content. Blackstrap is also a source of potassium. Blackstrap molasses has long been sold as a dietary supplement, blackstrap molasses is significantly more bitter than regular molasses. It is sometimes used in baking or for producing ethanol, as an ingredient in cattle feed, the term black-strap or blackstrap is an Americanism dating from 1875 or before. Its first known use is in a book by detective Allan Pinkerton in 1877, Molasses made from sugar beets differs from sugarcane molasses. Only the syrup left from the final stage is called molasses. Intermediate syrups are called high green and low green, and these are recycled within the plant to maximize extraction. Beet molasses is 50% sugar by dry weight, predominantly sucrose, beet molasses is limited in biotin for cell growth, hence, it may be supplemented with a biotin source
17.
Frank Pentangeli
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Frank Frankie Five Angels Pentangeli is a fictional character from the film The Godfather Part II. In the film, he was portrayed by Michael V. Gazzo, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance and he gets his nickname from his last name, which is Greco-Italian for five angels. Born as Francesco Pentangeli in Partinico, Sicily, Pentangeli has a brother named Vincenzo who remains in the country. He was a top soldier in the regime of Peter Clemenza and he also moved into Vitos former estate in Long Beach, Long Island. His bodyguard is longtime soldier Willi Cicci, in The Godfather, Part II, Frank Pentangeli is portrayed as a very old associate and family friend who has been with the family since the early days of the Corleone olive oil business. Pentangelis character was conceived in The Godfather, Part II by Coppola, the Pentangeli character took the part in the plot which was originally intended for Clemenza. Michael refuses, however, and orders Pentangeli to do nothing, as he not want a war to interfere with an upcoming deal with Hyman Roth. Pentangeli takes this as an insult and leaves in anger, later that night, Michael narrowly escapes an assassination attempt at his home. Michael concludes on his own that Roth was behind the assassination attempt, after visiting Florida to seal the deal with Roth, Michael pays an unannounced visit to Pentangeli on Long Island and asks him to help take his revenge. As part of his plan, he insists that Pentangeli capitulate to the Rosato brothers so that Roth will not suspect that Michael is on to him. Pentangeli, preferring open warfare against Roth and the Rosatos, is again very aggravated by Michaels demand that Pentangeli give in to them, however, he reluctantly obeys Michaels order. Following Michaels orders, Pentangeli arranges a meeting with the Rosato brothers, arriving at the meeting place, Pentangeli leaves his bodyguard outside and enters the bar alone. Once inside, Tony Rosato ambushes Pentangeli with a garotte, telling him, a policeman, curious that the bar is occupied during the daytime, steps inside and the attack degenerates into a shootout in the street. Pentangeli disappears and is believed to be dead, both Pentangeli and Cicci have been in the protective custody of the FBI since the apparent attempt upon his life. Cicci has also disclosed this to the FBI, however, he is unable to directly implicate Michael in any criminal activities, due to buffers in the Corleone organization he never received orders directly from Michael. In contrast, since Pentangeli was a capo, there is no insulation between Michael and himself, the Senate subcommittee and the FBI thus consider Pentangeli very credible, and are certain that he can corroborate Ciccis testimony and charge Michael with perjury. While the Committee is in recess, Michael and others look for a way to avoid the perjury charges, Michael knows that Pentangelis protective custody is too secure to make an attempt on his life before he testifies. Instead, Michael flies Pentangelis brother, Vincenzo, in from Sicily, Vincenzo and Frank exchange a silent glance before the hearing
18.
Organized crime
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Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist groups, are politically motivated. Sometimes criminal organizations force people to do business with them, such as when a gang extorts money from shopkeepers for so-called protection, gangs may become disciplined enough to be considered organized. A criminal organization or gang can also be referred to as a mafia, mob, or crime syndicate, European sociologists define the mafia as a type of organized crime group that specializes in the supply of extra-legal protection and quasi law enforcement. There is a tendency to distinguish organized crime from other forms of crime, such as crime, financial crimes, political crimes, war crime, state crimes. This distinction is not always apparent and academics continue to debate the matter, for example, in failed states that can no longer perform basic functions such as education, security, or governance, organised crime, governance and war sometimes complement each other. The term Oligarchy has been used to describe democratic countries whose political, social and economic institutions come under the control of a few families, in the United States, the Organized Crime Control Act defines organized crime as he unlawful activities of a highly organized, disciplined association. Criminal activity as a process is referred to as racketeering. In the UK, police estimate that organized crime involves up to 38,000 people operating in 6,000 various groups, bureaucratic/corporate organized crime groups are defined by the general rigidity of their internal structures. An estimate on youth street gangs nationwide provided by Hannigan, et al. marked an increase of 35% between 2002 and 2010, the term “street gang” is commonly used interchangeably with “youth gang, ” referring to neighborhood or street-based youth groups that meet “gang” criteria. Some reasons youth join gangs include to feel accepted, attain status, a sense of unity brings together many of the youth gangs that lack the family aspect at home. Zones of transition are deteriorating neighborhoods with shifting populations, in such areas, conflict between groups, fighting, turf wars, and theft promote solidarity and cohesion. Participation in gang-related events during adolescence perpetuate a pattern of maltreatment on their own children years later, klein like Spergel studied the effects on members of social workers’ interventions. More interventions actually lead to greater participation and solidarity and bonds between members. Downes and Rock on Parker’s analysis, strain theory applies, labeling theory, control theory and these may also be defined by age or peer group influences, and the permanence or consistency of their criminal activity. These groups also form their own identity or public representation which are recognizable by the community at large. Some studied street gangs involved in drug dealing - finding that their structure, members saw themselves as organized criminals, gangs were formal-rational organizations, Strong organizational structures, well defined roles and rules that guided members’ behavior. Also a specified and regular means of income, padilla agreed with the two above. However some have found these to be rather than well-defined and lacking persistent focus, there was relatively low cohesion, few shared goals
19.
Fulgencio Batista
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Fulgencio Batista Zaldívar was the elected President of Cuba from 1940 to 1944, and U. S. -backed dictator from 1952 to 1959, before being overthrown during the Cuban Revolution. Fulgencio Batista initially rose to power as part of the 1933 Revolt of the Sergeants that overthrew the rule of Gerardo Machado. He then appointed chief of the armed forces, with the rank of colonel. He maintained this control through a string of puppet presidents until 1940 and he then instated the 1940 Constitution of Cuba, considered progressive for its time, and served until 1944. After finishing his term he lived in Florida, returning to Cuba to run for president in 1952, facing certain electoral defeat, he led a military coup that preempted the election. He then aligned with the wealthiest landowners who owned the largest sugar plantations, and presided over a stagnating economy that widened the gap between rich and poor Cubans. Eventually it reached the point where most of the industry was in U. S. hands. During the Cuban Revolution, Batistas forces were responsible for the deaths of anywhere from hundreds to four thousand people, Batista immediately fled the island with an amassed personal fortune to the Dominican Republic, where strongman and previous military ally Rafael Trujillo held power. Batista eventually found political asylum in Oliveira Salazars Portugal, where he lived until his death on August 6,1973, near Marbella and he was of Spanish, African and Chinese descent. His mother named him Rubén and gave him her last name and his father did not want to register him as a Batista. Both Batistas parents are believed to have been of mixed race, Batista was initially educated at a public school in Banes, and later attended night classes at an American Quaker school. He left home at age 14, after the death of his mother, coming from a humble background, he earned a living as a laborer in the cane fields, docks, and railroads. He was a tailor, mechanic, charcoal vendor and fruit peddler, in 1921, he traveled to Havana and joined the army as a private in April that year. After learning shorthand and typing, Batista left the army in 1923 and he transferred back to the army as a corporal, becoming secretary to a regimental colonel. In 1933, Batista led an uprising called the Revolt of the Sergeants, Machado was succeeded by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes y Quesada, who lacked a political coalition that could sustain him and was soon replaced. A short-lived five-member presidency, known as the Pentarchy of 1933, was established and it included a representative from each anti-Machado faction. Batista was not a member, but controlled Cubas armed forces, the majority of the commissioned officer corps were forced to retire or, some speculate, were killed. Grau remained president for just over 100 days before Batista, conspiring with the U. S. envoy Sumner Welles, Grau was replaced by Carlos Mendieta, and within five days the U. S. recognized Cubas new government, which lasted eleven months
20.
The Godfather
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The Godfather is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by Albert S. Ruddy, based on Mario Puzos best-selling novel of the same name. It stars Marlon Brando and Al Pacino as the leaders of a fictional New York crime family, the story, spanning 1945 to 1955, chronicles the family under the patriarch Vito Corleone, focusing on the transformation of Michael Corleone from reluctant family outsider to ruthless mafia boss. Paramount Pictures obtained the rights to the novel for the price of $80,000, Studio executives had trouble finding a director, as their first few candidates turned down the position. They and Coppola disagreed over who would play characters, in particular Vito. Filming was done on location and completed earlier than scheduled, the musical score was composed primarily by Nino Rota with additional pieces by Carmine Coppola. The film was the film of 1972 and was for a time the highest-grossing film ever made. It won the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay and its seven other Oscar nominations included Pacino, James Caan, and Robert Duvall for Best Supporting Actor and Coppola for Best Director. It was followed by sequels The Godfather Part II and The Godfather Part III, the Godfather is widely regarded as one of the greatest films in world cinema and one of the most influential, especially in the gangster genre. It was selected for preservation in the U. S, in 1945, at his daughter Connies wedding, Vito Corleone hears requests in his role as the Godfather, the Don of a New York crime family. Vitos youngest son, Michael, who was a Marine during World War II, introduces his girlfriend, Kay Adams, Woltz refuses until he wakes up in bed with the severed head of his prized stallion. Wary of involvement in a new trade that risks alienating political insiders. Suspicious, Vito sends his enforcer, Luca Brasi, to spy on them, however, a Tattaglia button man garrotes Brasi during Brasis first meeting with Bruno Tattaglia and Sollozzo. Later Sollozzo has Vito gunned down in the street, then kidnaps Hagen, with Corleone first-born Sonny in command, Hagen is pressured to persuade Sonny to accept Sollozzos deal, then released. The family receives fish wrapped in Brasis bullet-proof vest, indicating that Luca sleeps with the fishes, Vito survives, and at the hospital Michael thwarts another attempt on his father, Michaels jaw is broken by NYPD Captain Marc McCluskey, Sollozzos bodyguard. Sonny retaliates with a hit on Tattaglias son, Michael plots to murder Sollozzo and McCluskey, on the pretext of settling the dispute, Michael agrees to meet them in a Bronx restaurant. There, retrieving a planted handgun, he kills both men, despite a clampdown by the authorities, the Five Families erupt in open warfare and Vitos sons fear for their safety. Michael takes refuge in Sicily, and his brother, Fredo, is sheltered by the Corleones Las Vegas casino partner, Sonny attacks his brother-in-law Carlo on the street for abusing his sister and threatens to kill him if it happens again. When it does, Sonny speeds to their home, but is ambushed at a toll booth
21.
Fredo Corleone
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Fredo Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzos novel The Godfather. Fredo is portrayed by American actor John Cazale in the Francis Ford Coppola film adaptation and in the sequel and he is the second son of the mafia don Vito Corleone. Fredo is the brother of Sonny and the elder brother to Michael and sister. In both Puzos novel and the adaptations, Fredo is characterized as weaker and less intelligent than his brothers. In the novel, Fredos primary weakness is his womanizing, a habit he develops after moving to Las Vegas, in the films, Fredos feelings of personal inadequacy and his inability to act effectively on his own behalf are character flaws leading to greater consequences. In a pivotal scene in the novel and film, Fredo is with his father when assassins working for drug kingpin Virgil Sollozzo gun down Don Corleone in the street, Fredo, terrified, drops his gun, failing to return fire. He sits on the next to his severely wounded father. In the novel, Fredo is sickened after witnessing his father being shot, to aid Fredos recovery and protect him from possible reprisals, Sonny sends his younger brother to Las Vegas under the protection of Don Anthony Molinari of San Francisco. While in Las Vegas, Fredo learns the trade and becomes acquainted with former hitman Moe Greene. When Fredos womanizing starts affecting business, Greene slaps him in public, after Sonny is assassinated, Vito chooses Michael as his successor of the Corleone Family. This creates a rift between the two surviving brothers. When Michael learns that Greene slapped Fredo, he is angered and confronts Greene, Michael berates Fredo for openly taking sides against the family during a meeting with Greene, warning him never to do so again. By the beginning of The Godfather Part II, Fredo has become Michaels underboss, during a large family gathering, Fredo is unable to control his intoxicated wife, Deanna Dunn. When she dances and flirts with another man, he drags her off the dance floor and threatens to hit her. Hagen is ordered to bring Senator Pat Geary under the Corleone Familys control to gain his assistance in obtaining gambling licenses. After the senator refuses to help, he is implicated in a prostitutes murder, Hagen offers the Corleone familys help in eliminating the problem in exchange for the senators friendship. Hagen tells Geary that Fredo operates the brothel, and it will be as if she never existed, Fredo later betrays Michael after being approached by Johnny Ola, an associate of rival gangster Hyman Roth. Ola and Roth tell Fredo that Michael is being difficult in business negotiations between Roths organization and the Corleone family
22.
New Year's Eve
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In the Gregorian calendar, New Years Eve, the last day of the year, is on December 31 which is the seventh day of the Christmas season. In many countries, New Years Eve is celebrated at evening gatherings, where many people dance, eat, drink alcoholic beverages. Some Christians attend a watchnight service, the celebrations generally go on past midnight into January 1. Samoa, Tonga and Kiritimati, part of Kiribati, are the first places to welcome the New Year while American Samoa, New Year traditions and celebrations in Canada vary regionally. New Years Eve is generally a social holiday, in some areas, such as in rural Quebec, people ice fish in the old days. Since 2000, the highlight of New Years Eve celebrations is in Montreals old port, which comes alive with concerts that take place and fireworks at midnight. From 1956 to 1976, Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians serenaded Canada on the CBC, via a feed from CBS, after Lombardos death in 1977, the Royal Canadians continued on CBC and CBS until 1978. Following the finale of the series, the original cast continued to participate in New Years Eve specials in the years following. Similarly, the CBCs French language network Ici Radio-Canada Télé airs its own yearly New Years Eve comedy special, Bye Bye. Unlike Year of the Farce, Bye Bye has been presented by comedians, originally running from 1968 to 1998. Mexicans celebrate New Years Eve, by eating a grape with each of the chimes of a clocks bell during the midnight countdown. Mexican sweet bread is baked with a coin or charm hidden in the dough, when the bread is served, the recipient of the slice with the coin or charm is said to be blessed with good luck in the New Year. At the same time, they are expressed for all the good things during the year that is ending so that they continue in the new year. Mexicans celebrate with a dinner with their families, the traditional meal being turkey or pork loin. Afterwards many people attend parties outside the home, for example, in Mexico City there is a street festival on New Years Eve centered on the Zocalo, the citys main square. Celebrations include firecrackers, fireworks and sparklers and shouts of ¡Feliz Año Nuevo, in Puerto Rico, New Years Eve is celebrated with friends and family. The Puerto Rico Convention Center in San Juan is the attraction for Puerto Ricans during the celebration. It has Latin music and fireworks at midnight along with the signature song Auld Lang Syne in Spanish, in the United States, New Years Eve is celebrated with formal parties, family-oriented activities, and other large public events
23.
Cuban Revolution
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The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt conducted by Fidel Castros 26th of July Movement and its allies against the right-wing authoritarian government of Cuban President Fulgencio Batista. The revolution began in July 1953, and continued sporadically until the rebels finally ousted Batista on 1 January 1959, the 26th of July Movement later reformed along communist lines, becoming the Communist Party in October 1965. Castro’s organized attack set up on the end of Santiago de Cuba against the military barracks ended in despair. The Cuban Revolution had powerful domestic and international repercussions, in particular, it transformed Cubas relationship with the United States. Efforts to improve diplomatic relations have gained momentum in recent years, in the immediate aftermath of the revolution, Castros government began a program of nationalization and political consolidation that transformed Cubas economy and civil society. The revolution also heralded an era of Cuban intervention in military conflicts, including the Angolan Civil War. Although Batista had been relatively progressive during his first term, in the 1950s he proved far more dictatorial, Batista developed a powerful security infrastructure to silence political opponents. In the months following the March 1952 coup, Fidel Castro, then a lawyer and activist, petitioned for the overthrow of Batista. However, Castros constitutional arguments were rejected by the Cuban courts, after deciding that the Cuban regime could not be replaced through legal means, Castro resolved to launch an armed revolution. Striking their first blow against the Batista government, Fidel and Raúl Castro gathered 123 Movement fighters, on 26 July 1953, the rebels attacked the Moncada Barracks in Santiago and the barracks in Bayamo, only to be decisively defeated by government soldiers. The staged attack was in hope to spark a revolt against Batista’s government. He had around 150 factory and farm workers, after an hour of fighting the rebel leader fled to the mountains. Due to the large number of men, Hunt revised the number to be around 60 members taking at the opportunity to flee to the mountains along with Castro. Among the dead was Abel Santamaría, Castros second-in-command, who was imprisoned, tortured, numerous key Movement revolutionaries, including the Castro brothers, were captured shortly afterwards. In a highly political trial, Fidel spoke for four hours in his defense, ending with the words Condemn me. Through Castro’s defense he used nationalism, the representation and beneficial programs for the non-elite Cubans, Fidel was sentenced to 15 years in the Presidio Modelo prison, located on Isla de Pinos, while Raúl was sentenced to 13 years. However, in 1955, under political pressure, the Batista government freed all political prisoners in Cuba. Fidels Jesuit childhood teachers succeeded in persuading Batista to include Fidel, soon, the Castro brothers joined with other exiles in Mexico to prepare for the overthrow of Batista, receiving training from Alberto Bayo, a leader of Republican forces in the Spanish Civil War
24.
Fidel Castro
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Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who governed the Republic of Cuba as Prime Minister from 1959 to 1976 and then as President from 1976 to 2008. Politically a Marxist–Leninist and Cuban nationalist, he served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1961 until 2011. Under his administration, Cuba became a one-party socialist state, industry and business were nationalized, born in Birán, Oriente as the son of a wealthy Spanish farmer, Castro adopted leftist anti-imperialist politics while studying law at the University of Havana. After a years imprisonment, he traveled to Mexico where he formed a revolutionary group, returning to Cuba, Castro took a key role in the Cuban Revolution by leading the Movement in a guerrilla war against Batistas forces from the Sierra Maestra. After Batistas overthrow in 1959, Castro assumed military and political power as Cubas Prime Minister, adopting a Marxist–Leninist model of development, Castro converted Cuba into a one-party, socialist state under Communist Party rule, the first in the Western Hemisphere. Policies introducing central economic planning and expanding healthcare and education were accompanied by control of the press. These actions, coupled with Castros leadership of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1979 to 1983 and Cubas medical internationalism, following the Soviet Unions dissolution in 1991, Castro led Cuba into its Special Period and embraced environmentalist and anti-globalization ideas. In the 2000s he forged alliances in the Latin American pink tide—namely with Hugo Chávezs Venezuela—and signed Cuba up to the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas, in 2006 he transferred his responsibilities to Vice-President Raúl Castro, who was elected to the presidency by the National Assembly in 2008. Castro is a world figure. His supporters view him as a champion of socialism and anti-imperialism whose revolutionary regime advanced economic, critics view him as a dictator whose administration oversaw human-rights abuses, the exodus of a large number of Cubans, and the impoverishment of the countrys economy. He was decorated with various awards and significantly influenced various individuals. In 1960 Castro was bestowed with the Grand Slam Silver Trophy in the prestigious Ernest Hemingway International Billfishing Tournament after he caught a sailfish, Castro was born out of wedlock at his fathers farm on August 13,1926. His father, Ángel Castro y Argiz, was a migrant to Cuba from Galicia, aged six, Castro was sent to live with his teacher in Santiago de Cuba, before being baptized into the Roman Catholic Church at the age of eight. Being baptized enabled Castro to attend the La Salle boarding school in Santiago, in 1945 he transferred to the more prestigious Jesuit-run El Colegio de Belén in Havana. Although Castro took an interest in history, geography and debating at Belén, he did not excel academically, in 1945, Castro began studying law at the University of Havana. Admitting he was illiterate, he became embroiled in student activism. In 1947, Castro joined the Party of the Cuban People, a charismatic figure, Chibás advocated social justice, honest government, and political freedom, while his party exposed corruption and demanded reform. Though Chibás came third in the 1948 general election, Castro remained committed to working on his behalf, in later years anti-Castro dissidents accused him of committing gang-related assassinations at the time, but these remain unproven
25.
Caporegime
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Caporegime is an Italian word, which is used to signify the head of a family in Sicily, but has now come to mean a ranking member, similar to captain or senior sergeant in a military unit. In general, the indicates the head of a branch of an organized crime syndicate who commands a crew of soldiers. The Mafia, particularly the American Mafia, is divided into distinct. Individual crew members report to the capo, the crew collects protection and other money for the capo, who at regular intervals gives a share of the collected money to the underboss and/or the boss. Estimates of average income of a capo varies and is difficult to quantify, income is dependent on the success and size of a capos crew and the state of the economy at the time. Mafia crews are usually independent from other, with members typically operating strictly within their own crew. Asking Mafia members how many crews and how individuals are in a family is prohibited because of the Mafias oath of secrecy. Sometimes a crew might specialize in areas like gambling, while other crews might be more involved in legitimate interests like construction. A crew might also operate in certain geographical areas, the number of caporegimes/crews depends on the size of a family. The Gambino crime family has had more than 20 capos whereas the St. Louis crime family has had fewer, in the Mafia, when a boss makes a decision, he passes instructions down through the chain of command. Whenever he issues orders, in most cases he gives them to the capo, in some cases, he gives orders to the consigliere, who in turn passes them to the capo. In either case, it is the capo who passes them to the soldiers in his crew, for years, this made it extremely difficult to indict a boss for illegal acts, since the soldiers almost never receive orders directly from him. A caporegime acts as a buffer between the soldiers and the boss, effectively, a caporegime operates his own small family within the framework of a larger family. Each capo is in charge of a mini-gang or a crew of soldiers and these men may or may not be based in close proximity. For example, Bonanno crime family capo Joey Gambino had crew members spread throughout New Yorks five boroughs, capos have varying degrees of power. Some are relatives or close friends of the boss, which gives them more influence, a capo with an active crew that generates a lot of profits is always respected. For example, when he was a capo, John Gotti was widely respected and tolerated due to the profits his crew generated for the Gambino crime family, despite their various blunders and mistakes, they successfully avoided getting killed by their superiors and were tolerated due to this fact. On the other hand, capo Joe Sferra of the DeCavalcante crime family was demoted to soldier, in 1984, a more severe loss of power occurred to Salvatore Salvie Testa, a once rising Philadelphia crime family capo
26.
Israel
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Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in the Middle East, on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea. The country contains geographically diverse features within its small area. Israels economy and technology center is Tel Aviv, while its seat of government and proclaimed capital is Jerusalem, in 1947, the United Nations adopted a Partition Plan for Mandatory Palestine recommending the creation of independent Arab and Jewish states and an internationalized Jerusalem. The plan was accepted by the Jewish Agency for Palestine, next year, the Jewish Agency declared the establishment of a Jewish state in Eretz Israel, to be known as the State of Israel. Israel has since fought several wars with neighboring Arab states, in the course of which it has occupied territories including the West Bank, Golan Heights and it extended its laws to the Golan Heights and East Jerusalem, but not the West Bank. Israels occupation of the Palestinian territories is the worlds longest military occupation in modern times, efforts to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict have not resulted in peace. However, peace treaties between Israel and both Egypt and Jordan have successfully been signed, the population of Israel, as defined by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, was estimated in 2017 to be 8,671,100 people. It is the worlds only Jewish-majority state, with 74. 8% being designated as Jewish, the countrys second largest group of citizens are Arabs, at 20. 8%. The great majority of Israeli Arabs are Sunni Muslims, including significant numbers of semi-settled Negev Bedouins, other minorities include Arameans, Armenians, Assyrians, Black Hebrew Israelites, Circassians, Maronites and Samaritans. Israel also hosts a significant population of foreign workers and asylum seekers from Africa and Asia, including illegal migrants from Sudan, Eritrea. In its Basic Laws, Israel defines itself as a Jewish, Israel is a representative democracy with a parliamentary system, proportional representation and universal suffrage. The prime minister is head of government and the Knesset is the legislature, Israel is a developed country and an OECD member, with the 35th-largest economy in the world by nominal gross domestic product as of 2016. The country benefits from a skilled workforce and is among the most educated countries in the world with one of the highest percentage of its citizens holding a tertiary education degree. The country has the highest standard of living in the Middle East and the third highest in Asia, in the early weeks of independence, the government chose the term Israeli to denote a citizen of Israel, with the formal announcement made by Minister of Foreign Affairs Moshe Sharett. The names Land of Israel and Children of Israel have historically used to refer to the biblical Kingdom of Israel. The name Israel in these phrases refers to the patriarch Jacob who, jacobs twelve sons became the ancestors of the Israelites, also known as the Twelve Tribes of Israel or Children of Israel. The earliest known artifact to mention the word Israel as a collective is the Merneptah Stele of ancient Egypt. The area is known as the Holy Land, being holy for all Abrahamic religions including Judaism, Christianity, Islam
27.
Law of Return
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The Law of Return is Israeli legislation, passed on 5 July 1950, which gives Jews the right to live in Israel and to gain Israeli citizenship. The Law of Return 5710-1950 was enacted by the Knesset, Israels Parliament, the Law declares the right of Jews to come to Israel, Every Jew has the right to come to this country as an oleh. Follow-up legislation on matters was contained in the Nationality Law of 1952. The Law of Return was modified in 1970 to extend the right of return to non-Jews with a Jewish grandparent, the law since 1970 applies to those born Jews, those with Jewish ancestry and converts to Judaism. In the Law of Return, the State of Israel put into practice the Zionist movements credo which called for the establishment of Israel as a Jewish state and those who immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return are immediately entitled to gain citizenship in Israel. However, differences of opinion have arisen as to whether a person who claims citizenship under the Law of Return should be registered as Jewish for census purposes. According to the definition, a person is Jewish if his or her mother is Jewish. Orthodox Jews do not recognize conversions performed by Reform or Conservative Judaism, however, the Law provides that any Jew regardless of affiliation may migrate to Israel and claim citizenship. Originally, the Law of Return was restricted to Jews only, a Jew can be excluded from Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return if he or she is considered to be dangerous to the welfare of the State of Israel. Jews who have a past that involves a crime, such as murder. This clause has been used to exclude applicants a handful of times since Israels establishment, the 1970 amendment was induced by the debate on Who is a Jew. Until then the law did not refer to the question, there are several explanations for the decision to be so inclusive. One is that as the Nuremberg Laws did not use a definition in its definition of Who is a Jew. Another explanation is the 1968 wave of immigration from Poland, following a campaign by the government. These immigrants were very assimilated and had many family members. The Israeli Rabbinate is a purely Orthodox body that is far more strict in defining who is a Jew and this creates a situation in which thousands of immigrants who are eligible for citizenship under the Law of Returns criteria, are ineligible for Jewish marriage by the Israeli Rabbinate. As of 2008,2,734,245 Jews have immigrated to Israel since 1950, hundreds of thousands of non-Jews have received Israeli citizenship, as the law confers citizenship to all offspring of a Jew and their spouses. The Supreme Court of Israel ruled in 1989 that Messianic Judaism constituted another religion, the argument was made by the applicants that they had never been Jews according to halakha, and were not therefore excluded by the conversion clause
28.
The Godfather (novel)
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Constanzia Connie Corleone is a fictional character in The Godfather, a novel by Mario Puzo and the 1972 film The Godfather. In the film, Connie is portrayed by Talia Shire, the sister of 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. Born in 1925, Connie is the youngest child and only daughter of mafia don Vito Corleone and she is the sister of Sonny, Fredo and Michael Corleone. She marries Sonnys friend Carlo Rizzi and her father was very displeased that Connie married a man who was not only half northern Italian, but also had a criminal history. He only agreed to the marriage on condition that they hold an old-style Sicilian wedding, Carlo, who Puzo characterizes as a punk sore at the world, periodically abuses and cheats on Connie in frustration at being shunted aside by the Corleone family. The night of their wedding turned out to be a harbinger of things to come, after one particularly bad beating, Connie complains to her father, who refuses to help. The book reveals that in truth, Vito was outraged at how Carlo treated Connie, connies family grow to resent Carlo and his mistreatment of Connie, especially her oldest brother Sonny. One day, when Sonny visits Connie, he finds her in tears, Sonny chases and beats up Carlo in the street, threatening to kill Carlo if he hurts Connie again. Corleone rivals Emilio Barzini and Philip Tattaglia recruit Carlo to bring Sonny into the open, Carlo has a mistress call the house and a fight with Connie ensues that ends with Carlo again beating Connie. Connie calls the Corleone compound asking Sonny for help, an enraged Sonny drives off alone to help Connie, leaving his bodyguards following in a separate car. At a toll booth Sonny is shot and killed by Barzinis Tommy gun-wielding men, Michael returns from Sicily and takes Sonnys place as Vitos heir apparent. When Vito dies, Michael becomes the new Don and avenges Sonnys murder by having the heads of the Five Families killed, Connie flies into a rage when she finds out Carlo is dead and blames Michael, denouncing him in front of his wife Kay. In The Godfather Part II, Connie has remarried, divorced and she remains bitter toward Michael and announces that she intends to marry Merle Johnson, which Michael disapproves of. At the end of the film, Connie returns for her mothers funeral and she intercedes on Fredos behalf after Michael disowns him for conspiring with Corleone rival Hyman Roth, pleading with Michael to forgive him. Michael publicly appears to forgive Fredo, Connie later says that Fredo had drowned, unaware that Michael had him killed. After Michael and Kay divorce, Connie helps care for Michaels two children, Anthony and Mary, in a flashback at the end of the film, it is revealed that Sonny introduced her to Carlo in 1941 during Vitos birthday party. In The Godfather Part III, Connie is very close to her nephew Vincent Mancini, Connie encourages Michael to bring Vincent into the Corleone family and support him in his feud with Joey Zasa. When Michael suffers a stroke and recuperates in the hospital Connie
29.
The Sicilian
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The Sicilian is a novel by Italian-American author Mario Puzo. Published in 1984 by Random House Publishing Group, it is based on Puzos most famous work and it is regarded as The Godfathers literary sequel. In this novel, the spelling of Salvatore Giulianos name was changed by Puzo to Guiliano. This novel, though a work of fiction, is based on the real life exploits of Giuliano and they discuss with Michael the details of his fathers agreement to allow Michael to usher the bandit Salvatore Turi Guiliano out of Sicily and to America. Michael is told of a testament, a set of documents Guiliano has composed that would be damning to certain officials of the Italian government if released. Michael is taken to Guilianos house where he meets Turis parents and Gaspare Aspanu Pisciotta, Michael is informed that Turis pregnant fiancée is heading to America first, ahead of Guiliano, and only when she sends word back that she is safe, will Turi leave for America. Michael is also told he is to be entrusted with Guilianos testament, maria Lombardo Guiliano gives Michael a black statue of the Virgin Mary as a gift as he parts. The bulk of the focuses on the life of Salvatore Guiliano and how he rose to his legendary status as a bandit. He was born in the village of Montelepre, west of Palermo and his godfather, Hector Adonis, a small man tormented his entire life for his small stature, was a professor of history and literature at the University of Palermo. He is a close personal friend of the Guiliano family, a mentor for Turi. In September 1943, the town of Montelepre was preparing for its annual festa for its towns patron saint. Montelepre was a poor town, and in this period, food was very scarce. Black market laws were enforced, but smuggling was another matter. The Allied Military Government for Occupied Territories was using the remnants of the previous fascist government, especially the Carabinieri, but since the Carabinieris pay was irregular, and most of their income was bribes from major black marketeers, they focused their attention on minor operators. On a September morning in 1943, Turi Guiliano and his best friend Aspanu Pisciotta travelled to the town of Corleone to procure some food for his sisters engagement party. On the way back, they were stopped by the carabinieri, Turi was shot, but he also managed to shoot his attacker, a police Sergeant, through the eye. Turi was carried by Aspanu to a monastery, where he was taken care of by the monks there, helped by the Abbot Manfredi. Here he was nursed back to health, and Aspanu Pisciotta developed his undying loyalty to Turi, leaving the monastery, he and Aspanu made their way back to Guilianos home in Montelepre, knowing he was still being sought for the murder of the Sergeant
30.
The Family Corleone
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The Family Corleone is a 2012 novel by Ed Falco, based on an unproduced screenplay by Mario Puzo, who died in 1999. It is the prequel to Puzos The Godfather and it was published by Grand Central Publishing and released May 8,2012. The novel, set in the Great Depression, is the story of how Vito Corleone consolidated his power to become the most powerful Don in New York City. Also, it tells of Sonny Corleones inauguration into the family business, the novel also reveals how Luca Brasi first became associated with the Corleones, and introduces a number of new characters, including the crime boss Giuseppe Mariposa. The Washington Posts Patrick Anderson wrote, Falco has captured Puzos rich prose style, if you want to read another installment of the Corleone story, The Family Corleone is a solid piece of work. Kirkus Reviews gave it a review, calling it, A worthy addition to the lurid world of the Five Families. The estate of Mario Puzo had sought to keep Paramount Pictures from producing a film based on the novel. This has been resolved, with Paramount gaining the rights to make more Godfather films, an audio book of The Family Corleone was produced by Hachette Audio, read by Bobby Cannavale
31.
The Godfather (film series)
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The Godfather film series consists of three American crime drama films directed by Francis Ford Coppola inspired by the novel of the same name by Italian American author Mario Puzo. The series follows the trials of the Corleone family, Italian Americans whose patriarch, Vito Corleone and his youngest son, Michael Corleone, becomes his successor. All three films were distributed by Paramount Pictures and released in 1972,1974 and 1990, the series achieved success at the box office, with the films earning over $550 million worldwide. The first two films have received wide acclaim since release, the former, The Godfather, is seen by many as one of the greatest films of all time and its sequel, The Godfather Part II, is viewed by many as the best sequel in cinematic history. The series is awarded, winning 9 out of 29 total Academy Award nominations. The Godfather, the first film in the franchise, was released on March 15,1972, the feature-length film was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based upon Mario Puzos novel of the same name. The plot begins with Don Vito Corleone declining an offer to join in the business with notorious drug lord Virgil Sollozzo. While in Sicily, Michael travels around the country and meets a woman whom he marries. Michael returns to America after the news of his brother Sonnys murder, after returning, Vito turns over the reins of the family to Michael. Michael plans to move the business to Las Vegas, but before the move. Other subplots include Vitos daughters abusive marriage, Johnny Fontaines success in Hollywood, the Godfather Part II, the second film in the franchise, was released on December 20,1974. The feature-length film was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based upon Mario Puzos novel of the same name. The film is in both a sequel and a prequel to The Godfather, presenting two parallel dramas. The Godfather Part III, the film in the franchise, was released on December 25,1990. Francis Ford Coppola returned as director for the film, while also writing the screenplay with the help of the author Mario Puzo. It completes the story of Michael Corleone, a Mafia kingpin who tries to legitimize his criminal empire, the fourth film was supposed to be a prequel. Many famous actor were announced to star in the film, robert De Niro, Andy García and Talia Shire were slated to reprise their roles as Vito Corleone, Vincent Corleone and Connie Corleone respectively. Ray Liotta was rumored to had a role in the movie, on June 21,1999, The Hollywood Reporter reported that a fourth film with García as in the lead role was in works
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The Godfather Part III
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The Godfather Part III is a 1990 American crime film written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, and directed by Coppola. A sequel to The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, it completes the story of Michael Corleone, a Mafia kingpin who attempts to legitimize his criminal empire. The film also includes fictionalized accounts of two events, the 1978 death of Pope John Paul I and the Papal banking scandal of 1981–82. The film stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, and Andy García, and features Eli Wallach, Joe Mantegna, George Hamilton, Bridget Fonda, Coppola and Puzo preferred the title, The Death of Michael Corleone, but Paramount Pictures found that unacceptable. Coppola subsequently stated that The Godfather series is two films and that Part III is the epilogue, Part III received mixed reviews compared to the critical acclaim that the first two films received. It grossed $136,766,062 and was nominated for seven Academy Awards including the Academy Award for Best Picture, in 1979, as Michael Corleone is approaching 60, he regrets his ruthless rise to power and is especially guilt-ridden for having his brother Fredo murdered. He has semi-retired from the Mafia, leaving management of the business to Joey Zasa. Michael uses his tremendous wealth and power in an attempt to rehabilitate his reputation via numerous charitable acts, Michael and Kay are divorced, their children, Anthony and Mary, live with Kay. At a ceremony in St. Patricks Old Cathedral, Michael is named a Commander of the Order of Saint Sebastian, at the reception, Anthony tells his father that he is leaving law school to become an opera singer. Kay supports his decision, but Michael asks Anthony to complete his law degree, Anthony refuses to adhere to his fathers wishes. Michael and Kay have a reunion, in which Kay reveals that she. Vincent Mancini, Sonny Corleones illegitimate son with Lucy Mancini, arrives at the reception and he is embroiled in a feud with Zasa, who has involved the Corleone family in drug trafficking and turned Little Italy into a slum. Michaels sister, Connie, arranges a meeting between Vincent and Zasa, when Zasa calls Vincent a bastard, Vincent bites Zasas ear. Vincent overpowers two hitmen sent to him and learns that Zasa was responsible. Michael, troubled by Vincents fiery temper but impressed by his family loyalty and he makes a tender offer to buy the Vaticans 25% share in the company, which will give him controlling interest. Immobiliares board quickly approve the offer, pending ratification by the Pope, Don Altobello, an elderly New York Mafia boss and Connies godfather, visits Michael, telling him that his old partners on the Commission want in on the Immobiliare deal. Michael wants the deal untainted by Mafia involvement and pays off the mob bosses from the sale of his Las Vegas holdings, Zasa receives nothing and, declaring Michael his enemy, storms out. Altobello follows Zasa, saying he will reason with him, minutes later, a helicopter hovers outside the conference room and opens fire
33.
The Godfather (1991 video game)
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The Godfather is a side scrolling shoot em up game released by U. S. The plot is based on the three Godfather films, the game has five levels of gameplay which reflect the locations seen in the movies, including the streets of New York City, Miami, and the village of Corleone in Sicily. It was released for several computer formats, including the Commodore Amiga, critical reception to the Amiga version was mixed, ranging from 40% to 95%. Amiga Computing praised its graphics, but panned both its gameplay and addictiveness and awarded it a below-average 40% overall, the Godfather is a side scrolling shooter with occasional first person shooter sequences. The object of the consists of getting to the end of the levels while shooting enemy gangsters on the street. The player must be not to hit any innocent people. At the end of level, there is a boss. The last level consists of taking down a helicopter while protecting Michael Corleone
34.
The Godfather (2006 video game)
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The Godfather is a 2006 open world action-adventure video game developed by EA Redwood Shores and published by Electronic Arts. Marlon Brando also recorded dialogue for Vito Corleone, in what would be his acting job. Al Pacino, who played Michael Corleone in the film, is absent in both likeness and voice, choosing to lend his image instead to Scarface, The World Is Yours. The Godfather received mixed to positive reviews across most systems, although the PlayStation Portable version was seen as inferior to the others. The game was a success, selling over two million units. In 2009, a sequel was released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. Based on the 1974 film, The Godfather Part II, the sequel did not sell as well nor do as well with critics as had the original, the game features both a lock-on system and a manual aiming system. In the manual system, the players have complete freedom to aim wherever they wish, in the lock-on system, when the player locks a target, a targeting reticule appears on-screen. The longer the player is locked on, the smaller the reticule gets, within the lock-on system, the player also has a certain degree of freedom to aim manually, the reticule can be moved around the locked on target, allowing the player to target specific areas. If the reticule turns red, the player has found a weak point, all enemies have five weak points, their two knees and their two shoulders, plus their groin. If the player one of their knees, the enemy will no longer be able to run. If the player hits a shoulder, the enemy wont be able to back or fight. Hitting the groin accomplishes the same effect as a knee shot, the other mode of combat in the game is melee combat, for which the game uses a system dubbed BlackHand, after the Black Hand extortion method. Once the player has locked onto an NPC, either hostile or non-hostile, the system allows for light attacks, heavy attacks and directional attacks. Players can also wield numerous melee weapons, such as bats, tire irons, police batons. For the PlayStation 3 Dons Edition and the Wii Blackhand Edition, the BlackHand system has been enhanced, utilizing the motion sensor capabilities of the SIXAXIS, a major part of The Godfathers gameplay is extorting businesses. The player must extort business to earn enough respect to level up, to complete certain missions, when the player is attempting to intimidate a business owner into paying protection money, a meter appears on screen with a green bar and a red bar. To get the owner to agree to pay, the player must intimidate them until the meter fills up to the green bar, after this point, the more intimidation the player can achieve, the more money the owner will pay out
35.
The Godfather II (video game)
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The Godfather II is a 2009 open world action-adventure video game developed by EA Redwood Shores and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was released worldwide for all platforms in April 2009, the game is based on the 1974 film The Godfather Part II, and is a sequel to the 2006 game The Godfather, which was based on the 1972 film of the same name. As with the first game, Dominics original story intersects with the narrative of the film on multiple occasions, whereas the first Godfather game received a generally positive reception, The Godfather II received mixed to negative reviews across all platforms. Common criticisms included graphical glitches, technical bugs, poor AI, many critics also felt the game deviated too much from both the plot and tone of the film, and that it was too easy and too short. Whereas the first game sold well, the sequel was a commercial failure and its poor critical and commercial performance led EA to scrap plans to adapt the third film. The game features both a system and a manual aiming system. In the manual system, the player has complete freedom to aim wherever they wish, If the reticule turns red, the player has found a weak point. All enemies have four weak points - their two knees and their two shoulders, If the player shoots one of their knees, the enemy will no longer be able to run, but will continue to shoot back. If the player hits a shoulder, the enemy wont be able to back or fight. The other mode of combat in the game is melee combat, once the player has locked onto an NPC, either hostile or non-hostile, they can use the right analog stick or the shoulder buttons to engage in melee combat. The system allows for light attacks, heavy attacks, powered attacks, players can also wield numerous melee weapons, such as baseball bats, tire irons, police batons, and snooker cues. A major part of The Godfather IIs gameplay is extorting businesses, when the player is attempting to intimidate a business owner into paying protection money, a meter appears on screen with two red bars. To get the owner to agree to pay, the player must intimidate them until the meter fills up to the first bar, after this point, the more intimidation the player can achieve, the more money the owner will pay out. However, if the meter passes the red bar, the owner will begin to fight back. Intimidation methods include beating the owner up, throwing them around, smashing their shop, hanging them off ledges, attacking customers, a new element of gameplay in The Godfather II is Crime Rings. Every business is part of a larger multi-business crime ring, and once the player has taken over every business in a crime ring. However, these bonuses are available to any rival family who controls the crime ring, until the player takes over any single business within the ring. For either the player or a family to receive the crime ring bonus, they must control every business in the crime ring
36.
Tom Hagen
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Tom Hagen is a fictional character in Mario Puzos novel Godfather and Francis Ford Coppolas films The Godfather and The Godfather Part II. He was portrayed by Robert Duvall in the films, Hagen is the informally adopted son of the mafia don Vito Corleone. He is a lawyer and the consigliere to the Corleone mafia family. 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. Sonny Corleone befriends 11-year-old Tom, who was living on the street after running away from an orphanage, when Sonny brings Tom home and demands he be taken in, the Corleone family allowed him to stay. Hagen considers Vito his true father, though Vito never formally adopts Tom, after law school, Hagen wanted to work in the Corleone business. His non-Italian ancestry precludes his formal membership into the family but when consigliere Genco Abbandando dies. This results in the other New York families derisively calling the Corleones, though Hagen immerses himself in the Sicilian-American lifestyle, and speaks Sicilian, he has a non-Italian physical appearance. His Northern European appearance being advantageous to his work, allowing him to travel, while Hagen loves all the Corleones, he idolizes Sonny, and blames himself for Sonnys murder. Hagen is thus restricted to handling the familys legitimate business, Michael claims Hagen is not a war-time consigliere. In the novel, Hagen later tells Michael that he figured out the reason that he was demoted. The novel and first film portray Hagen aiding Vito and Michael Corleone in warring against the other ruling New York Mafia families, in The Godfather Part II, set in the late 1950s, Hagen serves as Michaels 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 years before in an unspecified manner. His role in the story between the second and third films, including his death, is portrayed in Mark Winegardners sequel novels, The Godfather Returns, 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 family, the son of an abusive alcoholic. Sonny Corleone finds the orphaned Hagen living on the street and suffering from a bad eye infection, Sonny takes him home and demands he live with the Corleone family. Vito Corleone becomes a father to Hagen, but never officially adopts him out of respect for the boys father. In the novel, Hagen asks to work for Vito after graduating law school
37.
Sonny Corleone
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Santino Sonny Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzos 1969 novel The Godfather and its 1972 film adaptation. The character also appears in flashback sequences in the films 1974 sequel. In the novel and film, he is the oldest son of the mafia don Vito Corleone and he has two brothers, Fredo and Michael, a sister, Connie, and an adopted brother, Tom Hagen. In the film, Sonny was portrayed by James Caan, who reprised his role for a scene in Part II. Director Francis Ford Coppolas son Roman Coppola played Sonny as a boy in the 1920s scene of that film, in both the novel and the movie, Sonny is the eldest of Vito Corleones four children, and depicted as the most volatile and confrontational. He is heavily involved in his fathers crime family, at age 16, Sonny committed a robbery. When Sonnys godfather, Peter Clemenza informed Vito about it, Vito demanded his son explain himself, Sonny said he had witnessed Vito murder the feared Black Hand gangster Don Fanucci. He now wants to sell olive oil like his father, Vito, understanding that Sonny wanted to join the Corleone crime family, sent him to Clemenza for training. Sonny made his bones when he was 19, by his mid-20s, he was promoted to a caporegime in the Corleone family. By the end of World War II, he is his fathers underboss and heir apparent, Sonny also possesses a more patient side, at age 11, he brought home a homeless boy, Tom Hagen, demanding he be allowed to live with the family. Hagen eventually rises through the ranks to become Vitos consigliere, as the eldest child, Sonny acts as protector to his younger siblings and has a close relationship with his youngest brother, Michael and only sister, Connie. The novel shows he is unable to harm women, children and this trait probably saved Connies abusive husband, Carlo Rizzi, from being fatally beaten by Sonny when Carlo refuses to fight back. Sonny is married to Sandra with whom he has four children, but he has several mistresses, including Lucy Mancini, in the novel, Sandra ignores his infidelities because she is unable to tolerate his enormous penis. Sonny’s life is upturned in 1945, when Virgil The Turk Sollozzo, backed by the Tattaglia family, during the meeting, Sonny spontaneously speaks out-of-turn, expressing an interest in the deal that Vito had declined. Vito later reprimands Sonny for revealing his thoughts to an outsider, Sollozzo later attempts to have Vito assassinated, believing Sonny, as his fathers successor, will bring the Corleone family into the drug trade. The failed assassination attempt leaves Vito near death, making Sonny acting boss of the Corleone family, Sonny orders Clemenza to execute Vitos traitorous bodyguard Paulie Gatto. Sollozzo mounts a second attempt on Vito at the hospital that Sonnys youngest brother Michael thwarts. Sonny then orders Bruno Tattaglia, son and underboss of Sollozzos ally Philip Tattaglia, Sollozzo proposes that Michael to be sent to hear a truce proposition
38.
Carmela Corleone
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Carmela Corleone, a fictional character in Mario Puzos The Godfather, is the wife of Don Vito Corleone. Carmela is portrayed by Italian-American Morgana King in Francis Ford Coppolas film adaptation of the novel, 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 MezzO Mare. Although King was born Maria Grazia Morgana Messina in Pleasantville, New York, her parents were from Fiumefreddo di Sicilia, Province of Catania, 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 Vitos death in 1955 and they had four children – Sonny, Fredo, Michael and Connie. They also took care of a friend of Sonny, Tom Hagen, 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 as an adult, in the novel, she develops a close relationship with Michaels girlfriend and future wife, Kay. Carmela Corleone dies toward the end of the sequel, Carmela was disturbed by Vitos change from a kind, quiet young man to a pragmatic and ruthless criminal. However Carmela seems to forgive Vito for his 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 husbands soul to him from going down there. In The Godfather Part IIs flashback scenes, the young Carmela is portrayed by Francesca De Sapio, Carmela is a major character in the 2012 prequel novel The Family Corleone, which portrays their early years together, raising a family as Vito becomes a crime boss
39.
Kay Adams-Corleone
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For similar names, see Kaye Adams Katherine Kay Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzos The Godfather. She was portrayed by Diane Keaton in Francis Ford Coppolas trilogy of films based on the novel, Kay is a native of Hanover, New Hampshire, and the only child of a Baptist minister and his wife. She is the girlfriend and eventual second wife of Michael Corleone, the youngest son of Don Vito Corleone. In 1945, while attending Dartmouth College, Kay met and fell in love with Michael, as a non-Italian, she is an outsider to the Corleones world, and symbolizes Michaels initial desire to live a more Americanized and honest life, separate from his familys. When she and Michael attend his sister, Connies wedding, they sit at an away from the family. In the book, the other guests notice how Kays manner is freer than expected from an unmarried woman, Kay is initially unaware that the Corleones are a powerful Mafia family. In the novel, Michael at first attempts to explain his father to her by depicting him as an unethical business man. After a failed attempt on his father, Michael murders Virgil Sollozzo. While hiding there, Michael falls in love with and marries a local woman. Kay has no knowledge of Michaels whereabouts or his marriage and eventually returns to her hometown to work as a teacher. She asks Corleone family consigliere Tom Hagen to deliver a letter to Michael, during this time, Kay develops a close relationship with Michaels mother, Carmela. Apollonia is killed in a car bombing targeting Michael, after recovering from his injuries, he returns to the United States. More than a year following his return, Michael seeks out Kay, wanting them to reunite and they marry after he promises the Corleone family will be completely legitimate within five years. In the novel, Kay and Michael reunite after Kay phones Carmela Corleone, Carmela informs Kay that Michael has returned home and invites Kay to the Corleone house to see him. Michael wants to marry her, but explains that until the family becomes fully legitimate, at the time, it appears that Kay knows nothing about Michaels previous marriage. In the novel, he admits to being with one woman since their separation. Kay and Michael marry and have two children, Anthony and Mary and they are born within two years of each other, leading Michael to joke that Kay is more Italian than Yankee. Kay retorts that Michael is more Yankee than Italian because he takes his work home with him
40.
Anthony Corleone
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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, 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. He is the son of Michael and Kay Corleone, and the brother of Mary Corleone. He was not mentioned by name in the novel, Anthony has a small role in the first film, his only scene of consequence is when he witnesses the death of his grandfather, Vito Corleone, who is playing with him in the garden. The second films plotline opens in 1958, with Anthonys first communion and it continues with an extravagant banquet held in his honor at the family estate near Lake Tahoe. During it, his fathers time is taken up with tending to the family business. Anthony receives many gifts, mostly from people he does not know, later in the film, he and his sister, Mary, overhear their parents arguing, Kay voices her concerns that Michaels soldati are Anthonys primary playmates. Michael refuses to believe he has influenced his son in any negative way, Michael and Kay are divorced by the end of the film, Anthony seems to resent his mothers role in his parents split, and as a result is sullen and not affectionate during her visit. At the end of the film, he has developed a relationship with his Uncle Fredo. When they are about to go fishing together, Michael calls Anthony away, Fredo is then assassinated by Al Neri at Michaels order. Sometime in the 1960s, Michael gave Kay custody of Anthony, Michael, infuriated, wants him to finish school. Michael finally relents at Kays urging and she privately tells Michael that Anthony knows that he had Fredo killed. Anthonys operatic debut is the lead in Cavalleria Rusticana in Palermo and his family join him for the premiere. As a gift, he performs the traditional Sicilian ballad Brucia La Terra, during this visit, he, like his parents, disapproves of Marys romance with their cousin, Vincent Corleone. The film concludes with Anthonys performance, Anthony appears in Mark Winegardners sequel novels The Godfather Returns and The Godfathers Revenge. In the former novel, he witnesses Fredos murder from his bedroom window, in these novels, Anthony has a difficult relationship with his father, he loves Michael, but does not want to become like him. Anthonys ambivalence hurts Michael, but he understands it, as he had felt the same way about his own father
41.
Mary Corleone
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Mary Corleone is a fictional character in The Godfather Part III, portrayed by Sofia Coppola. She is the daughter of Michael Corleone and Kay Adams and sister of Anthony Vito Corleone, Mary first appears in The Godfather Part II as the youngest child of Michael and Kay. She is a child in the late 1950s. Like Anthony, she not have a significant role or story arc in the film. Mary is one of the characters of Godfather Part III. Her fathers favorite, she is sheltered from the violent world of the Corleone crime family and she falls in love with her cousin, Vincent Mancini, Sonny Corleones illegitimate son and Michaels protégé. While the family is traveling in Sicily, Michael tells Mary he disapproves of the romance and he fears that Mary could suffer the same fate as his first wife, Apollonia, who was killed by a car bomb intended for him 30 years earlier. Toward the end of the film, Michael names Vincent as his successor, after her brothers debut concert, the assassin Mosca tries to kill Michael. One bullet grazes Michaels shoulder, but the other accidentally hits Mary in the torso, Michael is devastated by Marys death, which happens as he is beginning to finally put his criminal life behind him and rekindle his estranged relationship with Kay. A broken man, he retires to Sicily, where he dies of old age. Sofia Coppola, the daughter of director Francis Ford Coppola, was cast in the role after the choice, Winona Ryder. Rebecca Schaeffer was set to read for this role, as well, Coppolas performance was panned by most movie critics 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, Marys aunt, Connie Corleone, is played by Talia Shire — Sofia Coppolas real-life aunt. Mary appears as a character in Mark Winegardners sequel novels The Godfather Returns and The Godfathers Revenge, although in the original novel. — Cousin, son of Sonny Corleone
42.
Vincent Corleone
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Vincent Santino Corleone is a fictional character in the 1990 feature film The Godfather Part III, in which he is portrayed by Andy García, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance. Vincent is the son of Sonny Corleone and his mistress Lucy Mancini. He eventually succeeds his uncle Michael as head of the Corleone family, retroactive continuity was employed to create the characters existence for The Godfather Part III, as it is evident from Mario Puzos original novel that Lucy did not conceive a child with Sonny. In The Godfather, Sonny Corleone and Lucy Mancini were having an illicit affair, being illegitimate, as a youth he was not included in the Corleone family. Vincent is eventually embroiled in a feud with Zasa when he senses that Zasa is trying to usurp Michaels power, Michael tries to make peace between the two, but this fails, Zasa calls Vincent a bastard, and Vincent bites his ear. That night, Zasa sends two hitmen to kill Vincent, but Vincent kills them instead after forcing them to reveal who hired them. Vincent attempts to ingratiate himself with his uncle by protecting him from rival Mafia families, who are in league with Zasa, encouraged by his sister Connie, Michael takes Vincent under his wing and starts mentoring him. Michael admires Vincents loyalty and intelligence, but also notes that the man has his fathers recklessness. Vincent saves Michael from an assassination orchestrated by Zasa at a Mafia summit in Atlantic City. That same night, Michael is hospitalized following a diabetic stroke, believing Zasa will make another attempt on Michaels life, Vincent murders Zasa. Michael is angry that Vincent used violence to deal with Zasa, when Michael learns that his old friend Don Altobello is the traitor within the family, Michael has Vincent spy on him. Michael tacitly agrees, then retires as Don and names Vincent his successor. Michaels influence has made Vincent into a new man, wiser, more patient and his first act is to order the murders of Lucchesi, Keinszig, and Gilday. Connie kills Altobello by poisoning him, in return for being made Don, Vincent agrees to end his relationship with Mary. That same night, Altobellos assassin Mosca accidentally kills Mary during an attempt on Michaels life, enraged, Vincent kills Mosca with a single gunshot. What follows in Vincents story, according to author Mario Puzo, however, on The Godfather Part IIIs DVD commentary, Coppola explains that both he and Puzo had envisioned a storyline depicting Vincents reign heading the Corleone family. Vincent, deviating from his predecessors morals, would have entered the family into the trade, driving the Corleone clan back into corruption. Vincents story ends with him being killed similarly to Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar and this proposed film would have been titled either The Godfather Part IV or The Godfather, The Final Part
43.
Sandra Corleone
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Sandra Corleone is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzos novel The Godfather, the Godfather film trilogy, and the Godfather video game. She was portrayed by Julie Gregg in the first film, born in 1917, she married Sonny Corleone, with whom she had four children, Francesca Corleone, Kathryn Corleone, Frank Corleone and Santino Corleone. She and Sonny live in a house in the Corleone Mall, after Sonnys death, she takes her children to live with her parents in Florida. She is depicted as a woman who immigrated from Italy as a child who does not enjoy sex with Sonny. She is aware, and thankful, that he is unfaithful, Sonny has a mistress, Lucy Mancini and they have a son, Vincent. Sandra appears in a scene in The Godfather Part II. Michael approves but suggests that her fiance changes his college studies, in a deleted subplot, Sandra becomes Tom Hagens 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, Sandra is a minor character in The Godfather Returns and The Godfathers Revenge, Mark Winegardners sequels to Puzos novel. In The Family Corleone, she appears as a teenager, the granddaughter of Signora Colombo, a minor character in the original novel
