Hyman Roth
From The Godfather Wiki
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| Hyman Roth | |
|---|---|
| Biographical information | |
| Gender |
Male |
| Eye color |
Blue |
| Hair color |
Grey |
| Born |
December 31, 1891 |
| Died |
March 3, 1959 (aged 67) |
| Family |
Roth |
| Title(s) |
Don |
| Portrayed By | |
- "If I could only live to see it, to be there with you. What I wouldn't give for twenty more years! Here we are, protected, free to make our profits without Kefauver, the goddamn Justice Department and the F.B.I. ninety miles away, in partnership with a friendly government. Ninety miles! It's nothing! Just one small step, looking for a man who wants to be President of the United States, and having the cash to make it possible. Michael, we're bigger than U.S. Steel. "
- ―Hyman Roth to Michael Corleone[src]
Hyman Roth was a Jewish investor and a business-partner of Vito Corleone, and later his son Michael.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Born Hyman Suchowsky in Hell's Kitchen, New York he changed it at the suggestion of Vito Corleone who discovered his hero was Arnold Rothstein for fixing the World Series. He had one brother, Sam.
Roth worked diligently for the Corleone Family during Prohibition, and was a close friend and ally of Moe Greene, the "inventor" of Las Vegas. Roth, as well as Vito Corleone, both got their starts working together running molasses out of Cuba. It is suggested, however, that Vito Corleone never fully trusted Roth.
By the late 1950s, Roth is based in Miami and lives like a typically quiet, middle-class Jewish man approaching old age — though in reality he is by now a wealthy and very powerful crime boss. His right hand man is the Sicilian Johnny Ola. Roth, though in ill health, is about to enter into an extraordinarily profitable business partnership with the corrupt Cuban government, but is thwarted by Fidel Castro’s Communist revolution. At about this time, Roth manipulates Michael's brother Fredo into giving him information he uses to make an attempt on Michael's life. Aware that Batista's regime is on the brink, Roth makes alliances with Esteban Almeida, a man with ties to revolutionary Fidel Castro. The two plot with CIA Agent Henry Mitchell to gain power in Cuba after Castro's revolution, using Dominic Corleone as their main tool, framing his rival, Samuele Mangano, as an enemy, forcing Corleone to come to Roth for assistance.
[edit] Assassination Attempt
During the last night of Batista's leadership, Michael, who has known that Roth has betrayed him, decides that "Roth would not see the New Year." After ordering the murder of Johnny Ola in the same night, Michael has his bodyguard try to kill Roth. Roth is ill and lying in bed when Michael's bodyguard sneaks in and tries to suffocate Roth with a pillow. Fortunately for Roth, members of the military storm the hospital and kill the bodyguard.
[edit] Death
By the end of the movie, Roth publicly states that he wishes to retire and live the twilight of his life in Israel — which is a sign that he gives up the feud against the Corleones. But Michael is not satisfied yet. As Roth returns from Israel, having had his request to live there "as a Jew in the twilight of his life" refused by the Israeli High Court, he arrives at the airport and prepares to be taken into Federal Custody in the US. However, he is assassinated by Corleone caporegime Rocco Lampone, who was posing as a reporter, and Don of New York, Dominic. Much like with his former boss Aldo Trapani, Dominic successfully flees the scene, but as Rocco flees he is shot by a police officer.
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[edit] Real life sources
Roth is largely based on real-life gangster Meyer Lansky, who was also Jewish and ran molasses from Cuba. Lansky also had an alliance with Fulgencio Batista, and left after his regime collapsed. He also had a strong friendship with Bugsy Siegel, on whom Moe Greene is based.
The scene where he is shot is similar to the death of Presidential assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.
