Corleone Crime Family

From The Godfather Wiki

The Corleone Crime Family (1925-2005) is one of the Five Families operating in New York. It was formed by Don Vito Corleone and the two men who would later become his Caporegimes, Pete Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio, who fronted their operations by starting the Genco Pura Olive Oil Company.

They became the most powerful family in America after defeating Salvatore Maranzano in the 1930s and bought a Compound in Long Beach.

However, in the mid 40s, a business proposition from Tattaglia drug kingpin Virgil Sollozzo nearly destroyed the family, hospitalising Don Vito Corleone and forcing his eldest son Sonny in action.

The situation was further escalated when the youngest Corleone brother Michael killed Sollozzo and his police captain bodyguard, Mark McCluskey, forcing him to flee to Sicily and starting a mob war. The war claimed the life of Sonny, and the still weak Don Vito sued for peace with the other Families, realising that his true enemy was not Tattaglia, but Emilio Barzini, who was attempting to crush the Corleones and take over their position as the most powerful Family.

After Don Vito's death from a heart attack, the family business was taken over by Michael, who destroyed the other families and moved the family to Las Vegas, Nevada. Michael was attempting to make his business legitimate, but was drawn back into crime after a failed attempt on his life by Miami gangster Hyman Roth, who was attempting to stop the takeover of Las Vegas.

This action resulted in Roth's death as well as the death of Michael's own brother Fredo, who had unwittingly conspired against the Corleones. The Corleone Family continued to struggle on, and was almost completely legitimate by 1979.

It was said that both Coppola and Puzo would make "The Godfather IV" which would be about the ending of the Corleone Family and the death of Vincenzo Mancini, as he lead the family into drug dealing, and eventually bringing about the family's demise. The Corleone Family ends in 2005 (See Vincent Mancini on Dons below), so the Corleones would have lasted for 80 years.

[edit] Family

• Don - Vito Corleone, Michael Corleone, Santino Corleone, Vincent Mancini
• Underboss - Santino Corleone, Fredo Corleone, Al Neri
• Consigliere - Genco Abbandando, Tom Hagen
• Caporegimes - Peter Clemenza, Frank Pentangeli, Salvatore Tessio, Al Neri, Rocco Lampone, Lou Pennino
• Soldatis - Paulie Gatto, Al Neri, Rocco Lampone, Willie Cicci,
• Enforcers - Luca Brasi

[edit] Dons

• 1925 - 1946, 1948-1950 - Vito Corleone
• 1946 - 1948 - Santino Corleone
• 1950 - 1980 - Michael Corleone
• 1958 - 1959 - Tom Hagen (Acting Don)
• 1980 - 2005 (quited) Vincent Mancini

[edit] Clemenza's Family

After Michael made the move to Nevada, his fomer capo Clemenza was allowed to stay behind to form his own family, which still used the Corleone name. When Clemenza died of a supposed heart attack he was succeded by Frank Pentangeli and later Joey Zasa.