“IL PADRINO”
these words refer to the best-selling book and multiple Oscar award-winning
movie The Godfather. There is no one who doesn’t know about this movie. But we
don’t usually talk about the book. So, let’s talk about our favorite crime
family.
The
Godfather was written by an American writer named Mario Puzo, he was an author,
screenwriter and journalist. He was known for writing crime novels about
Italian mafia and Sicilian mafia, his most famous work is obviously The
Godfather but the other books he has written are “The Sicilian”, “The Last
Don”, “Omerta” and “The Family” etc. The screenplay of THE GODFATHER was
directed by Francis Ford Coppola who is considered as one of the greatest
filmmakers of all time. Some of his works are “The Rainmaker”, “The
Conversation”, “Bram Stroker’s Dracula” etc.
The book is set in America, a few years after world war 2, the Corleone crime family is fighting against the 5 mafia families of New York. When a deal goes wrong Don Vito, Corleone finds himself victim to the gunmen send by Sollozzo and now due to the circumstances his sons Santino “Sonny” Corleone and Michael Corleone must take charge of the family business with the help of their adoptive brother and consigliere Thomas “Tom” Hagen and two other capos “Clemenza” and “Salvatore Tessio”. According to the revenge plan formed by Santino, Michael kills Sollozzo and McCluskey an police officer, the war escalates and Michael is forced into hiding at Sicily and Sonny is killed which forces Michael to take the reins of the Corleone Crime Family which was very saddening for his 2nd older brother Federico “Fredo” Corleone. Under the counselling of his father Michael organizes a plan to kill the heads of all the 5 families that is Emilio Barzini, Philip Tattaglia, Carmine Cuneo and Victor Stacci. He kills his brother-in-law “Carlo Rizzi” as he played a crucial part in Santino’s murder by pinpointing his location to Barzini. Michael also kills “Tessio” as he tried to orchestrate a plan to kill Michael. After successfully executing his plan, Michael moves with his family to Las Vegas and sells his legitimate family business “Genco Olive Oil pvt. Ltd.” Which was based in New York. The book also contains the back story of Don Vito Corleone whose actual name before he fled to America was Vittorio Andolini.
