The Godfather: Real-Life Mafia Inspirations Behind Don Corleone

• There were a number of influential real-world mafia members who contributed to The Godfather’s backstory for Vito Coreleone.
• Carlo Gambino influenced Vito Corleone’s backstory, including the manner of the character’s death.
• The most notable mobster to influence Don Coreleone’s story was Frank Costello, who disliked violence as much as The Godfather’s patriarch.

The Godfather is one of the greatest films ever made, and the influence of Don Vito Corleone, the patriarch of the mafia family at the heart of The Godfather movie series, is easy to see. Any time a corpulent mob boss pops up in pop culture, in everything from Star Wars to Futurama, it’s fair to assume that it’s a riff on Marlon Brando’s iconic mob boss. And Vito Corleone’s iconic scene where he listens to requests during his daughter’s wedding is one that has been replicated in many series and films.

As authentic as The Godfather films may have felt to critics and fans, however, they were not based on a true story or a specific crime family. Yet while The Godfather wasn’t based on a true story, as the film is an adaptation of Mario Puzo’s 1969 novel of the same name, the inspiration for Vito came from real-life crime bosses. Mario Puzo drew inspiration for his book from the history of the “Five Families,” and even from legendary singer Frank Sinatra. And for Vito Corleone’s character, Puzo based Corleone’s backstory and personality on a composite of real-life criminal bosses. Here’s a rundown of the mafia figures that Puzo combined to create Vito, which gave Marlon Brando and Francis Ford Coppola the raw materials to create a masterpiece.

Updated May 3, 2024 by Florencia Aberastury: The rich history of The Godfather is steeped in realism, with many real-life mobsters contributing to the creation of Marlon Brando’s portrayal of Don Vito Coreleone. While it’s impossible to pinpoint one single inspiration for the character, Coreleone is an amalgamation of multiple notable mob affiliates. This article has been updated to further explore the inspiration for Don Coreleone, as well as to adhere to CBR’s most current standards for formatting.

Carlo Gambino Provided Vito Corleone’s Backstory

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A collage of Jack Nicholson and Michael Corleone from The Godfather

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Just like the Corleone family in The Godfather film series, the Gambino crime family is one of the “Five Families” of New York City’s organized crime. Carlo Gambino was the leader of this crime family, and his backstory is similar to the one given to Vito. He was a Sicilian who immigrated to the United States by himself as a young man and quickly became a “made man” in the mafia before becoming the crime boss of the Gambino crime family.

• Carlo Gambino was born in Palermo, Sicily, Italy, and entered the United States in 1921.
• The Gambino crime family takes its name after Carlo Gambino, who was the crime boss at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963.
• Gambino also worked for a small trucking firm owned by his cousin’s family.

Like Vito, Gambino also rose to the head of a crime syndicate — the Commission of the American Mafia. And despite a more than a 50-year career in the mafia, Gambino was able to mostly avoid prison, only serving a 22-month sentence on a tax evasion charge. Just like Vito Corleone, Carlo Gambino had four children: Thomas, Joseph, and Carlo, and a daughter, Phyllis Gambino Sinatra. Gambino’s oldest son, Thomas, led a life similar to that of Sonny Corleone as well, being a longtime caporegime of the Gambino crime family. Carlo Gambino led the commission from 1959 until his death on October 15, 1976, when, just like Vito, he died due to a heart attack.

Joseph Bonanno Handed Vito Corleone His Heart

Corleone and Bonanno Both Survived A Failed Assassination Attempt

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Also known by the colorful nickname Joe Bananas, Bonanno was another Sicilian immigrant turned American mob boss. Bonanno was a part of “The Young Turks” mafia group that warred with the old guard mobsters, whom they derisively called “the Mustache Petes.” Bonnano rose to power in the Bonanno Crime Family following the murder of Salvatore Maranzano.

• Joseph Bonanno was born in Castellammare del Golfo, Sicily.
• Bonanno was the crime boss of the Bonanno crime family from 1931 to 1968.
• Bonanno’s father was also involved in organized crime, back in Castellammare del Golfo.

Something of a wunderkind, Bonanno took control of his family at the age of 26, making him one of the youngest ever bosses of a mafia family. However, unlike Gambino, Bonanno didn’t keep his seat of power long. Bonnano had to flee to Canada in 1963 after an assassination plot backfired and, just like Vito, urged his son to avoid the family business. And after a brief return to New York led to “The Banana War,” Bonanno retired permanently to Arizona, where he wrote his autobiography, A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno.

Joe Profaci Gave Vito Corleone His Business Venture

Profaci and Coreleone Were Both Major Players In The Olive Oil Industry

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Beyond being yet another Sicilian mobster, a key component of Profaci’s business dealings was directly adapted to Vito’s backstory in The Godfather. Profaci used his legitimate olive oil business, which was incredibly successful, as a front for his criminal activities. This business venture also protected Profaci from federal tax evasion charges. Profaci also owned 20 other businesses that employed several hundred workers in New York.

• Giuseppe “Joe” Profaci was born in Villabate, in the Province of Palermo, Sicily.
• Joe Profaci was the boss and founder of what later became the Colombo crime family.

Mamma Mia Importing Company gave Profaci a cash cow in addition to his illicit business dealings when the demand for olive oil increased following World War II, and his success in the field led people to dub him the Olive Oil King. Vito had a similarly successful olive oil company, Genco Pura Olive Oil Company, which he started with his surrogate brother Genco Abbandando. In The Godfather films, Vito’s olive oil company soon became America’s largest olive oil importing company, mirroring Profaci’s real-life success in the field.

Frank Costello Was the True Inspiration for Vito Corleone

Costello and Corleone Shared A Particular Distaste For Unnecessary Violence

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Frank Costello is the mafia boss considered the biggest inspiration for Vito, affecting Brando’s performance the most. Brando studied recordings of Costello’s testimony at the Kefauver Senate hearings on organized crime, which were so publicized, they aired in movie theaters. One thing that sets Costello apart from his contemporaries, and sets Vito apart from most cinematic gangsters, is his distaste for violence. Costello’s lawyer, George Wolfe, said that his client was unlike other mob bosses because “…he was civilized, he spurned the bloody violence in which previous bosses had reveled.”

• Frank Costello was born in Lauropoli, in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region, Italy.
• Costello was the crime boss of the Luciano crime family.
• Costello also served as consigliere, while Charlie “Lucky” Luciano was the leader of the new Luciano crime family.

Another detail Costello and Corleone have in common, is that both had survived an assassination attempt. Frank Costello survived an assassination attempt ordered by Vito Genovese, much like Vito Corleono survived Sollozzo’s assassination attempt. However, Frank Costello’s assassination attempt resulted in Costello’s retirement and relinquishment of power of the Luciano crime family to Vito Genovese, a family that later became the Genovese crime family. The Godfather went a different route, and instead famously had Michael take revenge on his father’s assassination attempt before later becoming the new boss of the Corleone family. Brando played Corleone as a similarly principled mafioso in his legendary performance, setting the character apart from his contemporaries.

Marlon Brando in The Godfather (1972)

The Godfather (1972)

Don Vito Corleone, head of a mafia family, decides to hand over his empire to his youngest son Michael. However, his decision unintentionally puts the lives of his loved ones in grave danger.

DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaRelease DateMarch 24, 1972CastAl Pacino, Marlon Brando, James CaanWritersFrancis Ford Coppola, Mario PuzoRatingRRuntime2 hours 55 minutesMain GenreCrimeGenresDrama, CrimeProduction CompanyParamount Pictures, Albert S. Ruddy Productions, Alfran Productions