Emilio "The Wolf" Barzini is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and in its 1972 film adaptation, in which he is portrayed by Richard Conte. The Barzini crime family was inspired by the Genovese crime family.
Ultimately, Tessio betrays Michael by helping arrange his assassination at a peace summit with Barzini and Philip Tattaglia. The summit will be held in Tessio's fiefdom in Brooklyn, where Michael will presumably be safe. In return, Tessio was to inherit the Corleone family upon Michael's death.
Upon his father's death, Michael succeeds him as the don of the Corleone crime family. In June 2003, Michael Corleone was recognized as the 11th most iconic villain in film history by the American Film Institute, although some critics consider him to be a tragic hero.
Emilio Barzini was the head of the Barzini crime family. He serves as the main antagonist of the The Godfather and the video game of the same name. He was portrayed by the late Richard Conte.
Hyman Roth (born Hyman Suchowsky) is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1974 film The Godfather Part II. He is also a minor character in the 2004 novel The Godfather Returns. Roth is a Jewish mobster, investor and a business partner of Vito Corleone, and later his son Michael Corleone.
Osvaldo "Ozzie" Altobello is a fictional character and the primary antagonist of the 1990 film The Godfather Part III.
Michael tries to turn the family into a legitimate enterprise, but his ruthlessness and obsession with revenge keeps him in the criminal underworld - and ultimately destroys his family and his life.
It could also be the odd inclusion of incest, the lazy writing of the script, the notoriously shoddy editing between scenes, or the fact that Coppola's heart simply wasn't in it, as he never wanted to make the film. Fans of the series ignore the third film for a reason, and each person has their own.
Mosca, the assassin hired by Don Altobello to kill Michael, descends upon the opera house during Anthony's performance, killing two of Vincent's men who delay his opportunity.
For Italian Americans, Fredo Corleone was not simply the weak son of Don Vito Corleone, the Godfather; his moral and physical weakness also posed an existential threat to the family “business.” Ever since John Cazale's extraordinary performance in the first two “Godfather” films (1972 and 1974) Fredo has been ...
In The Godfather II, Vito Corleone chooses his younger son, Michael, instead of his older son, Fredo, as his successor. This decision is based on Michael's intelligence and ability. Fredo, who is considered weak, is dismissed to do more menial tasks for the family.
Fredo betrayed his brother to rival gangster Hyman Roth, who used him as a pawn in a plot to destroy the Corleone Family. Fredo provided unspecified information on the Corleone family in return for receiving compensation (what kind is never specified) independently of the family.
Why did Michael Corleone finally answer his father's calling and ultimately turn his back on a life as a good, upstanding human being? Because a group of men threatened Michael's father, Vito Corleone, and the well-being of the Corleone Family.
Enraged, Sonny speeds towards Connie's apartment in Hell's Kitchen ahead of his bodyguards. At the Long Beach Causeway toll plaza, Barzini's men trap Sonny and shoot him to death. During a meeting with the other crime family dons to establish peace, Vito realizes that Barzini masterminded Sonny's murder.
Paulie has seemingly betrayed Vito—and thus the family—by selling him out. In The Godfather, this kind of betrayal is the worst of all sins.
Luca Brasi is Don Vito Corleone's personal enforcer, and the only man Vito himself fears. While slow-witted and brutish, Brasi is fiercely loyal and has a reputation as a savage and remorseless killer.
After her brother's debut concert, the assassin Mosca tries to kill Michael. One bullet grazes Michael's shoulder, but the other accidentally hits Mary in the torso, fatally wounding her. Michael is devastated by Mary's death, and screams in torment while cradling her dead body.
In Winegardner's 2006 sequel, The Godfather's Revenge, Fredo appears in one of Michael's dreams. In the dream, Fredo warns Michael about an unspecified threat, and asks him why he had his own brother killed. Much of the novel portrays Michael dealing with his guilt over Fredo's murder.
Barzini, Greene, Tattaglia, Stracci and Cuneo were killed in rapid succession by Corleone button men while Michael stood at the baptism ceremony for his nephew, Carlo's son, betraying Vito's peace submit vow. Fabrizio, who had been hiding out in Buffalo, was blown up by a car bomb planted by the Corleones.
In the original cut, Michael retires to his Lake Tahoe estate after Mary's murder – then one day slumps over in his chair and dies. In the new cut, everything is set up the same; but Michael is denied an on-camera death. Instead, he's forced to live with the guilt of losing his closest loved one.
Instead, we see a lonely old man, still living with his demons, as some new text appears on the screen: “When the Sicilians wish you 'Cent'anni', it means 'for long life' … and a Sicilian never forgets.” In other words, Michael no longer gets the reprieve of death.
Michael realizes and Altobello authorized the attack and he suffers a diabetic stroke, and is subsequently hospitalized. During the attack, in a near-delirium, Michael screams out the name of his brother, Fredo, whose murder he had ordered some 20 years earlier.
Michael is cold-blooded, ruthless, smart, and determined. His ability to think clearly under fire, to be decisive, and to command respect makes him an excellent Godfather. Of Vito's children, he is certainly the best candidate to take over the family.
Zasa later wiped out most the Commission, yet Michael and his old friend Don Altobello escaped. Michael had a diabetic stroke, and whilst incapacitated, Connie gave Vincent and Al Neri the go-ahead to kill Zasa.
He is uncomfortable with people. Even his relationship with his father and his wife and kids is uneasy, perhaps even cold. Michael doesn't smile much for a reason. Many would call Michael a psychopath for the ruthless murders of his adversaries, but his actions, though brutal, are those of a sociopath.