The Godfather's Loyal Clemenza "Never" Would've Testified, Actor Said
One of the best things about The Godfather was Richard Castellano , aka Peter Clemenza, a caporegime under Don Vito Corleone . Richard Castellano - the last name ring a bell? Never mind that the film likely served as one of the mob's greatest recruitment tools ever. And if you're wondering, I did ask a couple of wiseguys what they thought of The Godfather. One, who asked to be referred to as anonymous, told me that Don Vito actually was based on a composite of all five titular family bosses. Also, he revealed, a made guy was murdered as a direct result of the film's release, a story I'll save for another time (it had something to do with the actor who played Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo -- "a top narcotics man," in consiglieri Tom Hagen's words). Former Gambino capo Micheal "Mikie Scars" DiLeonardo was succinct. "Epic," he described the first two Godfather films. As for the widely despised third offering: ...