Salvatore Tessio
From The Godfather Wiki
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| Salvatore Tessio | |
|---|---|
| Biographical information | |
| Gender |
Male |
| Eye color |
Brown |
| Hair color |
Grey |
| Born |
May 6, 1890 |
| Died |
September 4, 1955 (aged 65) |
| Family | |
| Title(s) | |
| Portrayed By | |
- "Tell Mike it was only business. I always liked him."
- ―Salvatore Tessio[src]
Salvatore Tessio was one of Don Vito Corleone's most trusted friends and also his Caporegime. He was played by Abe Vigoda.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Tessio began with his friends Peter Clemenza and Vito Corleone as low-level hoodlums in New York City's Little Italy. He was already known in the neighbourhood as being both savvy and dangerous, and yet, he had connections from an early age, being good friends with gunsmith Agostino Coppola.
When the three owed money to Don Fanucci, Tessio was the first to concede with Vito's plan of giving the Don considerably less than they had agreed. Shortly after, both men understood that Fanucci had been murdered by Vito, but never mentioned it to him.
[edit] Position of Power
It was Tessio who played a major part in The Olive Oil War, personally executing enemy Don, Salvatore Maranzano on New Year's Eve. As Vito rose to prominence in the Mafia underworld, Tessio and Clemenza rose with him, each eventually settling into the Caporegime roles. However, Vito informed the two men not to meet together socially, telling them it was a security precaution. Tessio understood immediately that it was merely to prevent the two from plotting against their boss and complied.
Tessio owned the Embassy Club in Brooklyn and made it his base of operations. From there, he managed his Mafia soldiers and was very well-connected throughout the borough. Most federal investigators considered Tessio the smarter and savvier of the two capos. In fact, many groups believed that Tessio ran a seperate organisation. This was used to the Family's advantage several times.
[edit] Betrayal
- "It's the smart move. Tessio was always smarter."
- ―Michael Corleone[src]
His regime included soldiers Nick Geraci, Momo Barone, Eddie Paradise and Lego Coalliere. Although Tessio was initially the more trusted of the two capos during the war with the Five Families, and was issued the task of assassinating Bruno Tattaglia and crippling the power structure in the Tattaglia Family. Tessio never completely trusted Vito's son Michael, and so began plotting against him after Michael took over the family following his father's death.
Ultimately, Tessio arranged for Michael's assassination at a peace summit set up by Emilio Barzini, who had become the strongest Don in New York. However, Michael had anticipated the plot by way of a warning from his father, who intimated that the person who approached him about the peace summit would be the family traitor. As a result, Michael had Tessio killed instead. Before his execution, Tessio asked Tom Hagen to tell Michael that it was not a personal act of violence, but simply business.
[edit] Death
In the film, Tessio's death occurs offscreen.; Willie Cicci simply drives Tessio to an unknown site where he will be executed. The game picks up where the film leaves off: Willie drives Tessio to the Embassy Club, where Aldo Trapani was to execute him. However, upon arriving at the club, Tessio makes a last stand with bodyguards who are still loyal to him. Trapani managed to defeat the bodyguards and executed Tessio. Before his death, Tessio again reiterated that his betrayal was only business.
The novel The Godfather Returns provides an alternate depiction of Tessio's death: Willie drove Tessio to The Two Toms, where his traitorous men were executed. Tessio was then executed by Nick Geraci, and his death was attributed to the Barzini Family, which explained the death of Don Barzini at the same time.
