{"id":98602,"date":"2024-04-12T10:09:28","date_gmt":"2024-04-12T14:09:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=98602"},"modified":"2024-04-25T15:16:16","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T19:16:16","slug":"how-the-godfather-movie-almost-didnt-get-made-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/how-the-godfather-movie-almost-didnt-get-made-part-1.html","title":{"rendered":"How \u2018The Godfather\u2019 Movie Almost Didn\u2019t Get Made (part 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry details how it took a deal with the real Mafia to get the gangster film \u201cThe Godfather\u201d made. Melissa is a genealogist who has a website, americana-archives.com<\/a>, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBehind every great fortune lies a great crime.\u201d
\n–Honore de Balzac<\/p>\n

The story behind the making of the epic movie The Godfather<\/em>, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is almost as interesting and complicated as the film itself.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Boston Record American (Boston, Massachusetts), 31 March 1972, page 41<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mario Puzo penned the saga of a fictious Italian immigrant, Vito Corleone aka the \u201cGodfather,\u201d who made his great fortune in America by his role in an organized crime organization known as the Mafia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Puzo\u2019s novel, The Godfather<\/a>, released in 1969, sold more than 21 million copies and was considered one of the most successful fiction books ever written, but to many Italian Americans the book was an all-out insult.<\/p>\n

The negative depiction of Italian Americans fueled outrage. Puzo was labeled a traitor to his own people.<\/p>\n

When Paramount Studios announced that Puzo\u2019s work would go to screen, a battle broke out in the streets of New York and The Godfather<\/em> movie almost did not get made.<\/p>\n

The movie did get produced, of course, and is universally recognized as one of the greatest films ever made \u2013 receiving seven Academy Award nominations and winning five, including Best Picture. Here is a photo of Marlon Brando in the iconic title role, for which he won an Oscar for Best Actor.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
New York Post (New York, New York), 7 November 2006, page 83<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the get-go, Paramount received threats over allegedly negative depictions of Italian Americans. A legion of politicians, civil leaders, judges, unions, and businessmen promised to derail production of the movie, calling it \u201cAnti-Italian\u201d and discriminatory.<\/p>\n

Many of those warnings came handwritten, like this one in a Riverside Independent-Enterprise<\/em> newspaper article.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Riverside Independent-Enterprise (Riverside, California), 15 August 1971, page 33<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Robert Evans, the head of Paramount Productions, and his wife (legendary actress Ali McGraw) were the first to receive threats.<\/p>\n

The film\u2019s producer, Albert S. Ruddy, was next. When he came to New York to begin production, massive protests rose up including aggressive acts of intimidation.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: (left to right): producer Al Ruddy with Marlon Brando while filming \u201cThe Godfather.\u201d Credit: Sonny Black.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For example, a message was delivered warning that Ruddy \u201csleeps with the fishes\u201d if he tried making the movie. To ease this atmosphere, Ruddy struck a deal with a Mafia boss. And once that compromise was made this Mafia movie was real as well as fictional. For example, many real Mafia members appeared in the movie, especially the extravagant wedding scene.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Riverside Independent-Enterprise (Riverside, California), 15 August 1971, page 29<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This article reports:<\/p>\n

On Feb. 25 [1971] Al Ruddy went for help. He went in search of a godfather of his own. On that night he was driven to the Park Sheraton Hotel for his first meeting with Joseph Colombo Sr. and about 1,500 delegates of the Italian-American Civil Rights League.<\/p>\n

Colombo was not only the boss of one of New York\u2019s five Mafia families and thereby qualified for godfather status, but also the founder of the League, with which he had established himself as the dominant force in New York\u2019s Italian-American community.<\/p>\n

Ruddy approached Colombo confidently that night because he had previously sat in midtown restaurants with Colombo\u2019s son, Anthony, and worked out a tentative accord. Ruddy had agreed to delete \u201cMafia,\u201d \u201cCosa Nostra\u201d and all other Italian words from the script. He had promised to allow the League to review the script and change anything it felt was damaging to the Italian-American image. And finally, he had agreed to turn over the proceeds of the film\u2019s New York premiere to the League\u2019s hospital fund.<\/p>\n

\u2026The moment he reached that agreement with Colombo, Ruddy\u2019s troubles were over. Suddenly, with Colombo\u2019s imprimatur, the threats of union woes evaporated. Planned demonstrations and boycotts were called off. A location for the godfather\u2019s mall with a garden large enough for the huge wedding sequence was found on Staten Island, and Colombo\u2019s men made a house-to-house tour of the neighborhood, smoothing ruffled Italian-American feathers.<\/p>\n

Somehow, even the protest letters from Italian-American groups stopped once it was understood that an agreement had been reached with the League. When the [film] shooting actually began Ruddy found that with Colombo\u2019s men around, instead of being harassed by neighborhood toughs, shaken down by various unions, visited by corrupt cops and generally treated like any other movie company in New York, \u201cThe Godfather\u201d troupe was untouchable.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ruddy\u2019s alliance with Colombo and the Italian-American Civil Rights League gave him the backing to produce the move and begin filming in New York City. The League, formed in April 1970, had grown quickly in power and influence, with its supporters including prominent congressmen, celebrities, and the clergy.<\/p>\n

And to boot \u2013 the League\u2019s head spokesman was a Mafia chieftain who held a stronghold over all of New York during that time. His crew were powerful, and they held the keys to the city.<\/p>\n

For example, one fellow, Stephen Aiello, who served as the League\u2019s educational chairman, was later appointed by Jimmy Carter as assistant on ethnic\/urban affairs. He also held the office of president of the New York City Board of Education.<\/p>\n

Although Ruddy \u201cmade peace\u201d with a real \u201cgodfather,\u201d he kept the fictional Corleone family tree intact and future branches sprang up to create two \u201cGodfather\u201d sequels.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Detroit News (Detroit, Michigan), 15 December 1990, page 34<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Much of my information has come from documentaries and interviews. The best dish came from the newspaper publications of New York Magazine<\/em> editor and author Nicholas Pileggi, who served up all the scandal before the film premiere.<\/p>\n

Also, in 2022 Paramount<\/a> released a compelling series entitled The Offer<\/a>, which depicts Ruddy\u2019s experience in making the film. Although liberties were taken in this depiction, it is worth watching and quite entertaining.<\/p>\n

Stay tuned! There is more to come about how The Godfather<\/em> movie was saved by a League mobster. Plus, Frank Sinatra\u2019s role in the drama!<\/p>\n

Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! Start a 7-Day Free Trial<\/a><\/p>\n

Note on the header image:<\/em><\/strong> Photo caption: James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Marlon Brando clown around. Duvall and Brando had an ongoing mooning contest. New York Post (New York, New York), 14 December 2008, page 72.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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