Nino Valenti
From The Godfather Wiki
| Nino Valenti | |
|---|---|
| Biographical information | |
| Gender |
Male |
| Born |
1914, Little Italy, New York |
| Died | |
Nino Valenti was a friend of the Corleone Family.
[edit] Biography
Born in the same neighbourhood as Johnny Fontane, Nino was good friends with the singer in his youth, and remained so once Fontane became a star. He promised to get Nino a job in Hollywood, but never did, and Valenti continued to work on the garbage truck. At this time, he became a heavy drinker.
At the wedding of Connie Corleone, Nino played the mandolin and sang a song alongside his old friends, who had come to ask a favour of Vito Corleone, his Godfather. Vito accepted, helping Johnny win a part in a new war movie, and in gratitude, Johnny released a single with Nino, who appeared in a movie soon after.
Eventually, Nino realised that the Hollywood life was not for him, after being serviced at a movie screening by Deanna Dunn, and witnessing an almost orgiastic ceremony at the post-Oscar ceremony. He was, however, the only friend of Johnny Fontane's who was present at when Fontane won his Oscar.
He continued to drink, despite the advice of his doctors, and died in 1955. The Nino Valenti fund was named in his honor, a fund that helped aging actors and singers.
