It showed to Frank that his testimony to the Committee would be heard by his brother and family, disgracing him and his family. To avenge Moe Greene would be icing on the cake. Additionally, some believe that the scene is meant to take place in the future and that Michael is picturing a time he can never get back or that he is reflecting on how he tried to separate himself from the rest of his family (evidenced by the fact that he remains behind in the dining room while everyone else goes to greet Vito) but was inevitably drawn into their business, losing several of them permanently in the process. rev2023.5.1.43405. Is it important to see 'The Godfather' before watching 'The Godfather: Part II'? How do you clean corroded battery terminals? Instead, the smooth charm he failed to use to quell Michael's questions earlier in the film comes to the surface once more. Pentangeli is prepared to testify against Corleone and his criminal empire, but Michael brings Pentangeli's brother, Vincenzo, to the hearing. What should I follow, if two altimeters show different altitudes? The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. How does Senator Geary know Michael Corleone's plan? Puzo, Mario and Coppola, Francis Ford. Why does Michael Corleone need a bodyguard to translate for him when he first met Apollonia's father? Hagen tells Pentangeli if he accepts responsibility for turning on the Corleone family and kills himself, Frank's family will always be taken care of, just as the families of confessed traitors in the Roman days who killed themselves were allowed to keep all of their possessions. Upon seeing his brother in the committee room, Frank denied his written testimony and feigned ignorance of the Corleone family's criminal activities. Michael tells Kay afterwards that what happened at the hearing was a personal matter between the brothers. (2) Frank Pentangeli is found dead in his bathtub, having slit his wrists. Upon this realization, he recants on his statements against Michael that would have put him in prison for perjury (lying under oath) Knowing that now Frankie had broken his FBI deal, and was looking at a life sentence, he cuts a deal with Tom as so his family and possible Willy Cici's family could keep their fortunes as Frankie is the head of his own New York Crime Family. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. In Trump adviser trial, comedian contradicts Stone's account, regales The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". [8] On November 15, Stone was found guilty on all seven counts, obstruction of proceedings, five counts of false statements, and one count of witness tampering. This shows that they don't need to get him, they'll get his family instead. Some viewers point out that Fredo was always shown to be naive, scared and weak. Coppola's theme of familial sacrifice is solidly hammered home, thanks to a series of flashbacks which explore the early life of Michael's father, Vito (De Niro). One timeline begins in 1901 and tells how nine-year old Vito Andolini (Oreste Baldini) emigrated from Sicily to become Don of the Corleone crime family in New York. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Honor is also a factor in the suicides of Ancient Roman noblemenit is a symbolic act that can expiate shame (see Metellus Scipio). The Senate subcommittee and the FBI thus consider Pentangeli very credible, and are certain that he can corroborate Cicci's testimony and charge Michael with perjury. The FAQ items below may give away important plot points. However, only the story of Vito Corleone (now played by Robert De Niro) came from the novel. I've read the book and seen the film many times and my feeling is the psychological aspect is more of a factor than the implied threat against his children. Who ordered the hit on Frankie Pentangeli in the Godfather 2? Vito, perhaps still in shock from the murder of his father, brother and mother back in Sicily, didn't speak much in his childhood so he did not reply, so an interpreter checked his immigration papers and found that his name was Vito Andolini from Corleone, Sicily. He told FBI agents, and was prepared to tell the committee, that Michael was the most powerful Mafia chief in the nation, and headed a crime family that controlled all of the gambling in North America and had ordered countless murders. Violation of this was considered the ultimate form of disgrace. This act itself already means he is dead from the perspective of any of the mafia families, and could only hope to live under an FBI programme with a false identity. Upon seeing his brother in the committee room, Frank denied his written testimony and feigned ignorance of the Corleone family's criminal . Edit, There are several possible reasons. That goes sideways when Michael never provides Pentangeli with the firepower he needs to protect his territory. Roth crumples backward in defeat, into the arms of the men and guards surrounding him. And I forgive you.". Why did Frank Pentangeli decide not to testify against Micheal in The Godfather || as Frank is in the court house Micheal, and Tom walk in with Franks brother, did Frank change his mind to avoid disappointing his Sicilian Mafioso brother or was it to ensure the safety of his brother in fear of retaliation from Micheal? Because Pentangeli's protective custody was so secure, Michael could not have him killed before the hearing. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Instead, he flew Vincenzo in from Sicily. In the Godfather, did Paulie and Carlo actually join the conspiracies for which they are killed? New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI, Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition. And we was like the Roman Empire. Why did Frank Pentangeli not testify? 6 What is the ending of the Godfather movie? E Jean Carroll: 'invincible old lady' tells Trump rape trial of years To Michael, Fredo's act of betrayal is straightforwardly unforgivable, regardless of motive and regardless of whether Fredo had been deceived.It's most likely that Johnny Ola killed the men himself. Vincenzo and Frank exchange a silent glance before the hearing. Why did Frank Pentangeli not testify? - Quick-Qa ca. Can you still use Commanders Strike if the only attack available to forego is an attack against an ally? Contents 1 Biography 1.1 The 1930s 1.2 Moving up in the family Fredo had thought he was safe when Michael said that he forgave him. If he had seen a gun in Vito's hand, he likely would have shut the door and ran. Hagen tells Frank that he did the right thing by recanting. In The Godfather Part 2, why does Frankie Pentangelli agree to testify We know he was in town, as he met with Michael earlier in the day. In The Godfather 2, Frankie Pentangeli walks into a bar. To do this, he uses Johnny Ola, his right hand man. In the 1950s, Clemenza and Tessio requested the opportunity to start their own families, as Emilio Barzini had been chipping away at their territories. 6 Who was Frank Pentangeli and what did he do? Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. The continuation of Michael Corleone's story was written specifically for the film by Coppola and Puzo. Why does Vito wrap his gun with a towel when he goes after Don Fanucci? There's another less obvious reason that was left out of the final cut of the film. It's been suggested that once Fredo realized that the hitman had attempted to kill Michael and Kay, Fredo killed the gunmen. [9] Stone was ultimately pardoned by President Donald Trump. Pentangeli thanks Hagen, returns to his assigned quarters, and slits his wrists while taking a bath. Edit, Al Neri (Richard Bright). states that Vincenzo is himself a Mafia chieftain in Sicily. Should I re-do this cinched PEX connection? An early draft of the film explains that Vincenzo, shocked that Frankie is about to break his blood oath and betray the Corleones to government authorities, attends the hearing to remind Frankie that he must not break the Mafia's code of silence, Omert. Because Pentangeli's protective custody was so secure, Michael could not have him killed before the hearing. Look closely at that scene. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Tom explains that this was the brother of Frankie. Frank Pentangeli : Those were the great old days,you know. In an earlier scene, Frankie, in a clear and obvious manner, shows his anger and disrespect to Michael because he is banning him from defending his own territory. As part of his plan, he insists that Pentangeli capitulate to the Rosato brothers so that Roth will not suspect that Michael is on to him. Later, at a Senate hearing into organized crime, Pentangeli was presented as a surprise witness. One of the policemen acting as an escort guns down Lampone in turn (he turns toward the man's shouts, as if accepting his bullet to the guts with pride). Edit, Coppola and Puzo originally intended for the character Peter Clemenza (Richard S. Castellano) to return and to focus on his troubles managing the New York family and his betrayal of Michael Corleone. is about to break his blood oath and betray the Corleones to Why did Michael Corleone only kill Carlo in the car? "The Godfather: Part II" (1974) - American Rhetoric It only takes a minute to sign up. Connie replies that she needs money. A man puts a cord around his neck and says Michael Corleone says hello. The evidence presented also showed that Stone urged Credico on multiple occasions to invoke his constitutional right not to testify and made references to Frank Pentangeli - a character in the . Identify blue/translucent jelly-like animal on beach. Fredo may have shown them a way to get in to the compound undetected and opened the drapes. Frank tells Hagen afterwards that Vincenzo is "ten times tougher" than himself, that he's "old fashioned" and that he could have had his own crime family if he moved to America. Why did Frank Pentangeli not testify against Michael? This is correct. Others point out that, when Michael told Anthony at the last minute that they were leaving, Fredo was left in the boat with Al Neri. There are a few reasons for this, the largest of which is resentment at Michael having killed Moe Greene in Godfather I. In The Godfather II, why does the appearance of Frank Pentangeli's The alternative to this honourable death offered by Hagen is, then, to be thrown into jail, probably getting killed there. Edit, The senate did question this. He is visibly angry with Michael when they are discussing Greene. Coppola, in his director's commentary on The Godfather Part II, mentioned that the scenes depicting the Senate committee interrogation of Michael Corleone and Pentangeli are based on the Joseph Valachi federal hearings and that Pentangeli is like a Valachi figure.[1]. Who is Frank Pentangeli, The Godfather character in Roger Stone's Even though at the end, Michael pretended to forgive Fredo, if Michael suggested that Fredo go fishing alone with Al Neri, Michael's personal hitman; Fredo likely would have been suspicious and not have gone along with it and gone back into hiding. Once again, family loyalty undoes one of Puzo and Coppola's characters. Did Michael order the hit on Pentangeli? - Yoforia.com Vincenzo's guardianship. +1 Wow, never knew that. Why did Frank Pentangeli not testify against Michael? He immigrated to New York, United States. He also moved into the old Corleone estate on Long Island. Why core of the Earth is in a semi solid state? Pentangeli prefers open warfare against Roth and the Rosatos, but reluctantly obeys Michael's order. Credico said he did a Pentangeli impression for a doorman friend of his from the 1970s and that it became an inside joke between the two of them, but that his impression wasn't of the scene . (1) Roth returns from Israel and is taken into custody by the police. Hagen tells a story about what would happen to traitors during those Roman days, implying that the correct thing for Pentangeli to do now is to kill himself. Why did Frank kill himself in The Godfather Part II? Roth's wariness does not protect him. early draft of the film explains that Vincenzo, shocked that Frankie He is nicknamed "Frankie Five Angels" from his last name, which is formed from the Greek-derived prefix penta- (meaning "five") and the Italian word angeli ("angels"). How do you clean corroded battery terminals? The saga of the Corleone crime family would continue to develop, gaining a lukewarmly received film sequel, a video game midquel, and several novels from the pen of late author Mario Puzo, which fill in gaps that take place between events during the movie series. This portion of the article discusses a character's suicide. Why did nobody at the senate hearing question the glaring situation of the brother of a witness against the accused mobster sitting right next to the accused? These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. One final flashback to 1941 shows the Corleones as a happy family at a birthday dinner for Vito, as remembered by an exhausted and disgusted Michael after Fredo's murder. How did Michael know that Roth was behind the assassination attempt at his home, not Frank Pentangeli? Cookies help us deliver our Services. A second theory is that Vincenzo is a powerful Mafia chieftain in Sicily. Puzo and director Francis Ford Coppola wrote the screenplay for The Godfather Part II. His brother's presence [at the Senate hearing], as well as the stare they exchanged, serves as a threat that if Frankie follows through with his planned testimony, retribution will be taken against his children, who are living in Sicily under Vincenzo's guardianship. Is it possible to reduce 2 kgs in a month? It showed to Frank that his testimony to the Committee would be heard by his brother and family, disgracing him and his family. It's safe to say any objections Connie has to Michael's ways and doings are easily solved by her need for financial support. Why did Michael Corleone not forgive his brother Fredo? The first movie also provides many of the references to loyalties and disloyalties in the family and describes how Michael Corleone came to take over his father's position as Don. Instead, he flew Vincenzo in from Sicily. Some characters are clearly inspired by historical persons. "The Godfather, Part II" is a rare sequel which equals (and some might say surpasses)the film which preceded it. What is the difference of tie beam and plinth beam? Later that night, Michael narrowly escapes an assassination attempt at his home. Fredo later explains to Michael that Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg) and Ola had assured him it was not going to be an actual hit, just a ruse to frighten Michael into being more cooperative in his business negotiations. Michael then goes to Frankie to reveal that he knows it was actually Roth behind the hit. Why does Don Corleone give in so easily in The Godfather? He knew that Fanucci's (Gastone Moschin) reign was primarily based on bluffs and intimidation, rather than a large, strong organisation backing him (there was even a deleted scene showing Fanucci getting attacked and wounded by a group of street kids, which showed how weak Fanucci actually was). Instead, he flew Vincenzo in from Sicily. UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - Politico Instead, he flew Vincenzo in from Sicily. Mariposa family Corleone family Frank Pentangeli Michael watches it happen, searching for absolution from a power even higher than his own. Pentangeli discussed how tough his brother was, much tougher than himself. Pentangeli: I live, uh, in an army barracks with the FBI guys. Vito's mother was also saying he was slow-witted to downplay Vito's intelligence and therefore his potential threat to Don Ciccio, in the hopes the Don would be merciful. Why does Frank Pentangeli agree to kill himself? Behind the scenes He only survived due to his own screams, which alerted a nearby police officer. I feel that in part two, it explains that Vincenzo, s. Episode about a group who book passage on a space ship controlled by an AI, who turns out to be a human who can't leave his ship? The second story begins in 1958 as Vito Corleone's grandson Anthony (James Gounaris), son of Michael (Al Pacino) and Kay (Diane Keaton) Corleone, makes his First Communion and ends about a year or two later when young Anthony, his uncle Fredo (John Cazale), and Al Neri (Richard Bright) go fishing. A second reason is that seeing his brother makes him feel ashamed for breaking the omert. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. However the deal was a set up and Tony Rosato himself garroted Pentangeli, claiming to have been sent by Michael. Frank Pentangeli is a fictional character from the 1974 film The Godfather Part II, portrayed by Michael V. Gazzo. Michael then asks Roth if he'd be upset if he had Frankie killed. Michael then introduces Johnny to Fredo, and they act like it's the first time they met. Who was Frank Pentangeli and what did he do? Fredo says he's never met them. This is a valid answer as Frank's first thought was that it was Michael that placed the hit on him, which is exactly what Roth wanted him to think.However, when he realizes it was not Michael he feels shame for having betrayed the Corleone family. Pentangeli took this as an insult and left in despair, saying "There will be no trouble from me". Believing that Michael ordered him murdered, Pentangeli provides a sworn statement to investigators that Michael is the head of the most powerful Mafia family in the nation, controls virtually all gambling activity in North America, and has ordered countless murders. Fredo refused to give any information, as he didn't know anyway. Hyman Roth agrees to the hit.This was done by Michael to give Roth a sense of security and superiority that Michael was wrong about who ordered the hit. Respect, a form of honor, is an nearly all important to Sicilian Mafiosi. Pentangeli agreed, promising to end his feud with the Rosato Brothers and giving the impression that Michael supported their claim, so as to give Roth the impression that Michael did not know he was conspiring against him. Frank urged his brother on several occasions to come to America, however, Vincenzo opted to stay in what Frank described as a "two-mule town". Frank Pentangeli - Wikipedia Credico said an impression of Pentangeli was not in his public repertoire. Your brother is on your enemy's hand and so are all your other odds. It's pretty good reading if you've been curious about this too. Acclaimed by film reviewers and beloved by viewers, the performances of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, among others, have gone down in the annals of cinema history, gaining a legendary reputation as time has passed. Can I use my Coinbase address to receive bitcoin? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. @NapoleonWilson - When Tom goes to visit Frankie in custody and they go through the story about how Romans would commit suicide in order to protect their families and make sure they were taken care of, Frankie mentions his brother was so powerful that he could have come to America and had his own crime family. 1900[1] Partinico, Sicily, Italy How are engines numbered on Starship and Super Heavy? Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Instead, he flew Vincenzo in from Sicily. Clemenza's successor, Frank Pentangeli, refused to hand over the territories, but was told to negotiate by Michael Corleone, who was in business talks with Roth. Frank is a caporegime in the Corleone family, running the family's operations in New York City while Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), his brother and underboss, Fredo (John Cazale), consigliere Tom Hagen and the other two capos, Rocco Lampone (Tom Rosqui) and Al Neri (Richard Bright), are based in Nevada. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. However, he breaks his agreement with the FBI and denies all he had previously said. Anyway, it suggests the two most probable reasons are: to threaten Frankie, by showing him that his family isn't safe to shame Frankie for betraying his family. He was an old associate and friend of Vito Corleone, having worked with him in the early days of the olive oil business. Frightened, Frank recants his earlier statements, saying he "told the FBI guys what they wanted to hear," and now claims that the Corleone family is innocent of any wrongdoing, thus perjuring himself before the Senate committee. Since the murder was committed during the fireworks ceremony and Vito had properly disposed of the gun, there would be no way that he would have been caught. In The Godfather II, why does the appearance of Frank Pentangeli's brother at the senate hearing make him change his mind about testifying? Born User Reviews There is also a third Godfather movie, The Godfather Part III (1990) (1990). Edit, It's more likely they were standing guard and simply caught Michael's body guard in the act. The Ending Of The Godfather, Part II Explained. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. So you'd know that I could hurt you. Pentangeli appears to testify before a congressional committee investigating organized crime. Why is the Godfather quoted in the Roger Stone indictment? - Quartz Edit, The Godfather: Part II is based on The Godfather (1969), a novel written by Italian-American author Mario Puzo [1920-1999], source of The Godfather (1972) (1972), the first movie in The Godfather franchise. I think that I did things to myself; to hurt myself. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Michael asks Frankie to make peace with the Rosatos to bide their time. Noteit was Tom who told the story, not Frank. For more information, please see our Why would Michael Corleone get approval from Hyman Roth to kill Frankie Pentangeli? Though not explicitly stated, it is implied that Roth wanted revenge for the death of Moe Greene (Alex Rocco), a friend of his who was assassinated on Michael's orders in the previous film. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. On the commentary, he mentions that the scene with the dead prostitute is to remind the audience that members of the Cosa Nostra are as ruthless as they are honorable. He ordered Pentangeli to do nothing, as he did not want a war to interfere with an upcoming deal with Hyman Roth, who supported the Rosato Brothers. Suspecting that Hyman Roth was behind the assassination attempt, Michael met with Pentangeli and asked him to help take his revenge. I got my own family, senator. Because Pentangeli's protective custody was so secure, Michael could not have him killed before the hearing. Who is more powerful IAS or army officer? Michael also seems to doubt that Roth is truly dying: as they plan the hit, he says "He's been dying of the same heart attack for 20 years.". The final film only Vito wants to see if he can bargain with Fanucci, and persuade him to cut down on his demands. Edit, It's strongly advised that the movies be viewed in sequence. It also has the advantage of giving Fanucci a false sense of security, making it easier to catch the Don off guard for the assassination. What happened to Clemenza in the Godfather 2? By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Why did DOS-based Windows require HIMEM.SYS to boot? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. This scene is played very blatantly to bring out it has a deeper meaning, which is that this evidence of disloyalty was then obviously leaked to Roth, who used it to play his card: he faked as if Michael was trying to kill Frankie to punish his disloyalty. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. A rift grows between Pentangeli and Michael, however, that eventually results in Pentangeli betraying the family. What are the advantages of running a power tool on 240 V vs 120 V? Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Why did Frank Pentangeli decide not to testify against Micheal - Reddit He was prone to making rash decisions and would not readily back down from a fight when challenged, particularly on matters of honour, such as his disputes with the Rosato Brothers. An early draft of the film's script explains that Vincenzo, shocked that Frankie is about to break his blood oath and betray the Corleones to government authorities, attends the hearing to remind Frankie that he must not break the Mafia's code of silence, omert. "Mafiosi are known among themselves as 'men of honour' or 'men of respect'.". Male Affiliation Why did Pentangeli not testify against Michael? 9 10 comments Best In the video game adaption of The Godfather Part II, Pentangeli acts as a mentor to Dominic after he has been made the new Don of New York. Michael carrying out the murder of his brother also carries additional weight: in the flashback, Fredo is the only one who is supportive of Michael's plans.The scene is also one final indicator of Vito's impact throughout the events of the film series, even though he doesn't physically appear in the scene: Michael notes that Sonny is speaking like Vito while Tom mentions that he and Vito have had conversations about Michael's future. Committee Chairman: We have here, finally, a witness that will further testify to Michael Corleone's rule over a criminal empire that controls all of the gambling in this country and perhaps in other countries. Later on we find out that Roth ordered the hit as Michael confronts him about it. Frank Pentangeli with Michael Corleone at Lake Tahoe. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Frank has his last conversation with Tom Hagen. | Michael V. Gazzo: Frankie Pentangeli - IMDb The only way out is to get what your enemy wants. Godfather 2: Why did Roth had Pentangeli killed? These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Stone asked a "Person 2" to "do a Frank . Edit, The Godfather: Part II tells two stories in two different timelines. Aug. 10, 2016. Ed Sheeran blasts music expert for 'criminal' testimony in trial - Los Michael then goes to see Frankie and reveals that he knows it was Roth who betrayed him. In The Godfather 2 Frankie Pentangeli is before a committee ready give evidence against Michael Corleone. Upon seeing his brother in the committee room, Frank denied his written testimony and feigned ignorance of the Corleone familys criminal activities.