Vito Corleone Fictional character Date of Birth: 07.12.1891 Country: Italy

1. Vito Corleone: The Character
2. Biography of Vito Corleone

Vito Corleone: The Character

The fictional character, Vito Corleone, is the embodiment of the Italian Mafia. His portrayal by Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro in different films both earned them an Oscar. While the character was brought to life through the efforts of the writers and actors, credit is also due to the talent of the original author, Mario Puzo. Vito Andolini Corleone is the main character in Puzo's book "The Godfather" and the first two films of Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather" series.

Biography of Vito Corleone

Vito Andolini Corleone was born in the small Sicilian town of Corleone. His father, Antonio Andolini, was killed by a local crime boss, and his older brother, Paolo, vowed to avenge their father's death but was subsequently killed himself. Later, the gangsters came to the Andolini house to kill the last remaining boy. Vito's mother initially tried to plead for forgiveness, but she ultimately sacrificed herself by stabbing the gang leader in the throat, allowing Vito to escape.

Vito fled Sicily on a transport ship and made America his new home. In America, Vito was adopted by the Italian Abbandando family, and their son, Genco, became his new brother. For a while, Vito earned an honest living working in the Abbandando store, but he was eventually fired when a local gangster, Don Fanucci, wanted to place his nephew in the store. With the help of his new friends, Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio, Vito learned how to survive through less honest means, committing various crimes and carrying out assignments for others.

In 1920, Vito committed his first murder, killing Fanucci, who had discovered their exploits and demanded a cut of their earnings. Vito took care of Fanucci at his own house, shooting him three times. As Fanucci's local empire began to crumble, Corleone took over the vacant position as the criminal authority in the district, treating the people under his control with respect.

After accumulating wealth and power, Corleone decided to settle his last unfinished business. He returned to Sicily and killed the crime boss who had once destroyed his family.

In the early 1930s, Vito Corleone had built an entire criminal organization, and the syndicate he created was one of the largest in the country. His old friends held leadership positions in the company, and soon his eldest son, Santino, also became involved. Around 1939, the Corleone family headquarters moved to Long Beach, New York.

In 1945, representatives from other mafia families offered Vito the opportunity to organize a joint venture in the drug trade. However, Vito declined, as he considered drugs to be unworthy business and believed that his political contacts would reject such an offer. Santino, on the other hand, appeared to show interest in the deal, for which he received a harsh reprimand from his father. Shortly after, an assassination attempt was made on Vito, and he was shot on the street. Although Corleone survived the attempt, it was clear that his enemies would not stop there. With the help of a corrupt police officer, his enemies ensured that there was no security for Corleone in the hospital. Fortunately, his younger son, Michael, arrived in time to recognize the danger and take the necessary steps to save Vito.

It took Vito three months to recover, during which time Santino managed the family. Michael convinced his older brother to allow him to eliminate the assassins, after which he went into hiding in Sicily. Later, the conflict between the mafia clans escalated, and Santino became its new victim. Vito returned to lead the family and even found the strength to mediate a reconciliation among the mafia families. Although Vito had always tried to keep Michael away from the criminal world, he eventually got involved. After Vito's death from a heart attack while playing with his grandson in the garden, Michael dealt a devastating blow to all those who opposed Corleone in the final conflict and became the new don. Vito's last words were, "Life is so beautiful."