In the book I love how Vito was able to put it together… how Don Fanucci even though he was bleeding from his neck was more concerned about his white suit… because it probably was his only nice suit…And the way he would attack weaker people and rat them out to the cops… is no real gangster…So Vito had to show Fanucci Who was the real Don
@@WarTheory when he accepted less money that was the final hint cause a real boss tells u what to pay u don’t negotiate but since fanucci was willing to take less that showed he was all talk
@@shawnbbunbbbybbb3942 From the book I believe Vito was too smart….for him to even try to lowball fanucci isn’t a risk Vito would’ve done…the game was to get fanucci to lower his Guard… that’s why he told Tessio and Clemenza don’t worry I never lie to my friends he’ll take what I give him…Straight up boss move
In the movie when DeNiro shoots Fanucci the towel catches on fire. That was not supposed to happen, it was a mistake with the props. When DeNiro cooly handles the towel the scene was kept.
I am utterly shocked that the scene where the towel catches fire wasn't scripted, you would think that it is obvious and inevitable that after firing the bulet the towel will catch fire
Superb performance by Gastone Moschin, in my opinion overlooked, but all the performances were superb, there were no weak players in The Godfather, Frances Ford Coppola made a masterpiece
@@WeezyGR I saw it on Cinemax a couple of years ago. It was mesmerizing. I assume since the Godfather is a Paramount movie it’s on their streaming service.
One of the things I noticed in the scene where Fanucci confronts Vito in the truck and gives him the ultimatum is Vito listens to him. He says nothing, but listens to what Fanucci has to say. He doesn't show any signs of being intimidated or enraged, which oddly gives him the upper hand in this situation. Whereas in the first movie where Sonny loses his temper in the meeting with the Turk Vito reproaches Sonny for not listening and tells him "Never let them know what you're thinking."
Don Fanucci brought his daughters into the discussion....hence (imho).... Vito choose to stay silent, that one time, in respect to them, but had NO intention of wetting the Don Fanucci's beak!
The same way you see in the meeting with Barzini in part 1. Vito remains stoic and reserved and lets his true enemies reveal themselves before him while barely saying anything. Vito is the epitome of ‘don’t interrupt your enemies while they’re making a mistake’. Always cool, calm, calculating and above all observant.
This is fabulous content and really shows how much books and film can differ. This new context of Fanucci is fabulous because it shows the intelligence of Vito as well as his ability to feign weakness, knowing that his opponent is actually far weaker.
6:37 A subtle, yet clear indication that Fanucci is a fraud can be seen in this photo. No true powerful mafia don would ever be seen in public with a suit so poorly tailored and unpressed-especially a don as flamboyant and "wealthy" as Fanucci.
Interesting , I always took this moment in the film on face value, where Don Vito took out a neighborhood bully, but understanding the character's calculated decisions adds more depth to the rise of Don Vito. Thanks enjoyed the video.
La Mano Nera, the Black Hand, was a fearsome organization. Stephen Talty's "The Black Hand" is a terrific read. The book includes some of the original, terrifying notes victims received. The other major crime, in addition to extortion, was kidnapping. The organization existed in several major American cities; it got so bad in New York City that Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt appointed Italian-born NYPD officer Joseph Petrosino, perhaps the bravest cop in history, to go after it, with a group of handpicked fellow officers. Joe would not be bribed, nor frightened away. The book is his story, as well.
True, but the Black Hand in Godfather II isn’t necessarily the same organization, or could be a diminished version of it living off past reputation and ripe for being knocked off.
@@bluemarlin8138 Well, Fanucci is a low-level Mafioso operative, extorting from the neighborhood, and despised by all. He would have answered to higher-ups, maybe even the fearsome Lupo the Wolf himself. There was no national organization at the time; that came later.
It's rare to find literary recommendations here, tbh - especially ones that are non-fiction and well-received. I've got a few first edition Nash books - not particularly scholarly, but damn they're fascinating.
Machiavelli said: "When you injure a man you must injure him in such a way that he cannot avenge himself of that injury"...Fanucci took no heed of such warnings. Vito observed Fanucci, saw him get attacked by some neighborhood toughs, who refused to pay and cut his throat as well. Fanucci ran off catching the blood in his hat yelling for help.. There were a few other things but most importantly Vito saw Fanucci as a leach and a paper tiger, and knew he was going to kill him after he set him up, knew he would accept whatever Vito would give him. Fanucci had cost Vito a job and then tried to tax him with no real power at all...Fanucci would soon be swimming with the fishes...lol.
“Men should be caressed or eliminated, because they avenge themselves for slight offences but cannot do so for grave ones.” The Mach must’ve been one hell of a guy… 😉
a teen street gang attacked him, that means he's was joke. Coincidentally or conveniently Vito was there in the shadows with a food delivery (alibi) But did Vito set up Don Fanucci in order test his gangster?
Nah it was just coincidence. Fanucci was kind of known as a dickhead in the neighborhood and the teen boys got tired of his shit and jumped him. Vito was just a random bystander at the time.
I often wondered this too. If he was truly in a group, they would've went hunting for Vito. The other thing that got me was how he had a lack of anyone around. Even as an important person, no matter how "safe" the area should be, the threat of enemies is always looming; he had no one watching over him. He could've been a Capo, but even they have someone walking close by. It would've meant he was a street soldier, but he dressed too well to be considered such. My theory was he had a cousin or because his last name was similiar to someone in the black hand, he got to pretend to be like he was one. One more thing, after his death, notice no one ever mentions the black hand again.
Bcuz around the time Vito takes over the neighborhood the commission and lucky Luciano wipe out "the mustache Pete's" old gaurd black hand bosses in "the castelmaerezza war" Vito was part of the new generation of mobsters who took over after these "fannuci types"
I agree that this is the most likely explanation. But even if Fanucci did have connections, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they would try to kill Vito. The Black Hand could have been a relatively small organization with an outsized reputation, much like Fanucci himself. They could put 2 and 2 together as to who had likely killed Fanucci, but by that point, Vito had established himself as a beloved figure in the area, with his own “muscle.” Not exactly the safest guy to go after. So they either played dumb as to who killed Fanucci to avoid appearing weak and took the loss in that neighborhood, or they just did business with Vito instead because he made a lot more money than Fanucci even thought about and was more respected anyway. It certainly wouldn’t be the first or last time a criminal organization forgave something like that if they were bluffers or saw a better business deal. And then Vito eventually pushed them out or absorbed them. Again, this is less likely based on what we know from the book and deleted scenes, but it would also fit with Vito’s character and what we see in the film.
When no one came after Vito after killing "Don" Fanucci it was a clue that he wasn't even made since Vito didn't ask permission to kill him and got away with it.
Love how subtly this is conveyed in the film. The deleted attack scene really hammers it home but there was always a niggling feeling in the back of my mind about how powerful Fanucci really was but it wasn’t made explicit although the signs are there. Love the insight these videos bring and they always increase my respect for these outstanding movies.
In the book, maybe so. But in the movie, Fanucci is clearly powerful and the people obviously fear him. Tessio and Clemenze fear him for some reason as does the shop keeper and all the people on the street during the parade and all the people in the theatre as well as backstage. As far as the movie goes, Vito took out a powerful and greatly-feared boss and everyone bows to him. The book certainly conveys something else, but the movie is not the book and deleted scenes can in no way hammer home any feelings about the character.
@@carltonreese4854 I always thought that Fanucci's perceived power was based on an exaggerated reputation rather than any demonstrable reality. Vito was definitely smarter than his partners and quickly realized that the emperor wears no clothes.
No mafia boss would ever threaten someone with having the cops come to their home. That was a big flaw that Vito caught immediately as he came from the old country and knew how true mafia bosses operated.
iI agree with your conclusions. Your video is well presented and very interesting. The key thing for me, (as you mentioned), is that Fanucci threatened to go to the police, and no real Mafioso chief with power and influence would ever do this. I also don't believe that any man of honor would hold a knife to the throat of a young woman while demanding money from her father. In my opinion, it was these things, and others that you mention which told Vito that Fanucci's power was a facade.
@@midasapprentice8670 Yes, on the payroll, but Sollozzo did not need to run to the police to tattle, about someone stealing dresses, not the same at all, in fact, not even close. And need I remind you that the Corleone family also had police on the payroll, but they didn't threaten others by saying they would rat on them to the police. Your analogy of Sollozo and McCluskey is silly.
The main reason behind Fanucci's facade crumbling and Vito being reasonably assured he would have no retaliation for his death is the fact he was gleeful to take 1/6th of the money promised and OFFERED him work even. A real gangster wouldn't be low balled so easily, thus knowing "the take whatever you can get" attitude is that of low ranked huckster and grifter, projecting power only, Vito killed him. The true brilliance, is Vito knows the good people saw Fanucci as powerful and killing him being a huge perceived powerplay (from a strategic and street cred standpoint) taken on by a POWERFUL crime lord... of course. the very fact Fanucci was a so successful at being feared, while being a low level huckster and unable to truly back up his assertions is what gave Vito his true ability to start his family. The Jump in respect and street cred wit this move is huge.
Great analysis. What I think should be added was that this episode of the film takes place by the end and just after World War 1. At that time there were no Five Mafia families nor a Mafia Commission in New York. There were lots of mostly smaller Mafia families. Some have counted them to be close to 30 in number. There was also rivalries between gangs with either Sicilian and Napolitanian ancestry. Irish and Jewish organized crime gangs were still around and wielded power, although Italian gangs were slowly surpassing them. Violence and homicides among the gangs and their prey were very common. In other words there was chaos and in such times it should have been a lot easier for an occassional but very unlikely impostor like Don Fanucci to hang around. Still his story needs to be explained further because a man acting like him would normally have been murdered a long time ago, but he is old.
Sociopaths do often show a few admirable traits. It's as much for themselves as for anybody else. They can convince themselves that deep down, they are good people.
Even as kid I wondered why fanucci was alone and why there was no retaliation or references to one after his death. The deleted scene confirmed what I suspected
Too bad that scene of Fanucci being attacked was not included; it would have accentuated Vito's intelligence, and not just his balls. Vito did a good detective job figuring out the real Fanucci, and it would have added to our understanding of why he was the real deal.
I had ZERO clue about this and always said I liked 1 better because of that “plot hole” in 2, but after seeing this it adds a whole new perspective to those scenes.. thank you!
I love your show, but I have to correct you on one small, but important detail: Fanucci wasn't based in Hell's Kitchen. Hell's Kitchen was run by Irish gangsters. No way Fanucci would even go walking around in The Kitchen let alone run it. The scenes with a young Vito Corleone in his early days braking into "The Life" was set on the Lower East Side, "Little Italy", the other side of Manhattan from Hell's Kitchen.
Good info. I always assumed that Fanucci was planning on killing Vito after he lowballed him and Vito struck first because the 'Don' tipped his hand that he would not let this slight go unpunished. Also, that Fanucci was much less respected and had weak ties to his 'muscle'. I never thought that Fanucci's ties were all a charade.
I feel like the quote, if I may paragraph the book, when Vito thinks about his justification for killing fanucci says it all ‘would Vito pay the money to save fanucci’s life? No. So why would he pay the money that he needed to keep himself and his family alive?’
Do one on Don ciccio I think? A real Don back in Italy who murdered most of Vito's family before he than Arranges a brilliant hit to take him out himself, as an adult later in life. that alone should be an entire other film.
Great analysis dude. I think it was pretty obvious it got around that Vito killed Fanucci when his name started to get around the neighborhood for doing people favors. Vito had a lot of locals hero worshipping him after Fanucci was taken out. As if he liberated them from this supposed black hand tyrant. Of course some people still had to be educated such as Don Roberto but it did not take long for him to change his mind. Notice how Roberto was very quick to leave and not stay for coffee when he visited Vito's Genco office. It would be fascinating to see a well written, brilliantly directed prequel where we get to see the rise of Don Vito and the formation of the 5 families after the gang war between the two bosses and his reaction to a Chicago Gangster loosely based off Al Capone when he was asked to kill Vito by one of those bosses but was warned off by Vito. To see Vito combine forces with under bosses of those families such as Tattaglia, Cuneo, Stracci and of course the ambitious, cunning Barzini take those two bosses out with Vito and set up the commission would be awesome. There could potentially be another classic trilogy in a prequel out of those stories. The first being the rising of the commission. The second movie could be to the first war between the Corleone Family were Vito ruthlessly regain power with the feared Luca Brazi which results in almost bringing two families down (Tattaglia, Stracci) in a territory and trade dispute only to end with Barzini calling a meeting to end it the war in a way to get back to business and to feign that Barzini is coming off as a peace negotiator which is a chess move to throw The Corleones off the scent regarding his future plans to overthrow the Corleone Empire. The HUGE finale is the third movie involving the fruition of Barzini's plan over a number of years in the second war. This is obviously prior to the original Godfather movie. While Don Vito recovers from being shot in the throat, Sonny takes over the family in a ruthless, vicious campaign for vengeance in the first attempted coup of the five families and take over it's assets. Obviously this fails when Sonny is found to be a much more cunning, ruthless opponent as a young Don. Later, an un easy truce is made by Don Vito and other Don’s after a recovering Vito uses his political connections and power to slowly squeeze the other families businesses in to submission through police raids and corrupt judges which sets up the original Godfather without screaming it at the audience.. This trilogy doesn't need silly wink, wink, nod nods. It would have to be true to the original classics.
Fanucci doesn't operate in Hell's Kitchen. he operates in Little Italy. Mulberry st. do your homework. It wasnt a parade. it was the Feast of San Genarro
Don Corleone's real power derives (more than anything) from overtaking the Genco Olive Oil business. It's a perfect front and a perfectly legitimate business causing it to be the best possible double edged sword for all his needs. He can filter illegal funds through it and make a proper living through the sale of Olive Oil to his fellow Italians. How many of them use it to substitute butter? Genius stuff Vito.
Watching the movie it was clear to me that Fanucci was mostly hot air and that Vito drew the same conclusion. By leaving the scene. out Coppola gives the audience credit for seeing the signs that Vito did.
Where in the movie are those clues that Fanucci was mostly hot air? Every single person in the movie, with the exception of Vito, was afraid of Fanucci and paid tribute to him, bowing at his feet. In the movie, Vito was taking out someone every single person in Little Italy feared.
It never really says how Tessio came in the picture. Was he already friends with Peter Clemenza even before he knew Vito Corleone, but in the story it's like one day out of the blue in terms of the storyline of the movie Salvatore Tessio shows up...
Fanucci parades through the neighborhood like a guappo but Vito notices that Fanucci has no actual organization. In witnessing Fanucci's assault by the three attackers, Vito noticed that he ran solo, no cohorts or bodyguards, unlike the dons in Sicily. Vito noticed that this one-man 'Black Hand' could easily be taken out.
I don’t know it just always seemed obvious to me that he wasn’t a big threat even with the scene of him being attacked by not being in there but interesting point of view
I actually think the attack scene would've made it more obvious. I like how when Vito low balls him it still comes off as a gamble that Fannuci could still be the real deal, but instead shows Vito's calculated intuition that he knew exactly what he was doing. I think the street fight scene would've taken something from that moment.
Dons send their men to shake down people. They'd never do it themselves. Not to mention that we had already seen the men of a mafia don blow away Vito's entire family, including his mother. Doesn't make Fanucci much of a threat in comparison.
This is the point in Vito's life when he is fully committed to becoming a gangster. A role he was born to play and didn't realize until then. He sensed Fannuci was a gas bag and didn't have the Mafias backing. Great scene.
With the scene taken out, Vito was either extra bold or he was extra cunning, but it can't be both ways at once. Personally, I always found it odd that Fanucci was killed so easily and with so little recourse and, without ever really thinking about it, it was something that I was unsure of in the movie. I think including the scene that was cut would do more to display Vito's character: that he was very cunning, and although he had the courage and self-assurance to act boldly on what he thought was true, he was not rash or reckless.
I have one difficulty with Godfather II, which I have so far not been able to figure out. It starts with the scene where Vito and his compatriat Tesio/Clemenza? are in the theatre, Fanucci stands up and is admonished by the crowd to sit down, but the crowd goes silent when they recognize Fanucci. Vito then asks his compatriat who this person is, and why are people apparently afraid of him, whereupon Vito is told who Fanucci is and that he is connected to the "Black Hand" etc. What I don't understand is that Vito is not just off the boat. He has apparently grown up in that area along with his partners, so why is he in the dark vis. Fanucci? Why does Vito have to be made aware of just who Fannuci is, and why people fear him? Is it just a vehicle to let the audience know who this villain is? Am I missing something?
Not certain but maybe up until then Vito hadn't necessarily considered a life in crime and was so far just focused on living an honest life. It was only when he started a young family and got into hardship that his focus began to change. He started to look for alternative methods.
@@Gregorskorino - Okay, maybe this and maybe that. You're free to improvise your own scenario. I still think that a major failing of the movie is that Vito alone in the entire neighbourhood is unaware of Fanucci.
@@majob - This I understand, I've obviously seen the technique used countless times. I just think that there must be other, more subtle or innovative ways to do this.
Martin Scorsese (or Coppola) should make a movie about brave Joe Petrosino and his battle with the Black Hand in turn-of-the-20th-century America. Terrific subject for a film.
I admire work done by this channel to help all uneducated people who can’t read by themselves books like “Godfather” or are just not bright enough to understands film based on that book. Usually those people are left alone but you are helping them. Great work!
That would have made for an interesting discussion. Tessio saw the logic in Vito's plan and reluctantly agreed. Clemenza was afraid of the repercussions of not paying Fanucci, but had no hesitation in being ready to blow the head off a cop for stealing a rug. It's how Clemenza became the muscle caporegime and Tessio the smart one. _"Tessio was always smarter."_
Paulie called in sick and was replaced by Fredo. That being said, Solozzo was right in saying that "The don was slipping" and that ten years before he would have never had gotten to him.
He is a low-level member of La Mano Nera, the Black Hand, the original Sicilian criminal organization in America. He controls his small portion of Manhattan's Little Italy, and personally extorts immigrants in the pre-Five Families, pre-Syndicate era. He would have had higher-ups, to whom he answered. Two of the most powerful actual Mafia figures in New York at the time were the Corleone, Sicily-born Giuseppe Morello (1868-1930), who went to prison in 1910 and was murdered twenty years later, and the fearsome Ignazio Lupo, "Lupo the Wolf" (1877-1947), who was associated with Morello. Lupo also went to prison in 1910. Released, having long outlived his era, he died in Brooklyn in 1947, with a new, younger generation of mob leaders in control.
The scene’s with Michael & Fanucci are a flashback. They likely deleted the “Fanucci being attacked scene” because how do you portray a flashback within a flashback?
The scene with Fanucci being attacked by the guys from 9 street was actually not deleted, and Vito even discusses it the next day with his co worker at the bar, but interesting breakdown of fanucci though.
You can tell from the movie, or they perceived him as a fake gangster and bully boy. I noticed that about his apartment too. But great observation. Something we all knew but, particularly me, never verbalised.
Removing the attack scene was a good move because the movie scenario was not just to show an ordinary person standing up to corruption, but a boy becoming a man. He stalked like a child and ended up facing the fear of a figure he experienced as a boy. Fanucci represented everything he had to run from and the realization that these men are not as strong as they appear to be. He became a man who confronted fear in order to protect his community, friends, and family. The boy hid in the shadows watching. It coincided with Michael graduating from a naive and ambitious leader into one who realized the things he must do to protect his family and remain in power.
though i do agree most of the deleted scenes in both movies were not terribly essential having read the book it was really interesting to see the full version (taped on to vhs with commercials cut) some years later and seeing how much of the book was reflected in the deleted scenes.
*Paulie's SHOCKING Secret Hiding in Plain Sight | Goodfellas Explained:*
th-cam.com/video/yTCsco7rmbU/w-d-xo.html
I thought I was a member too, bawss 🥺
Sorry my dude, but channel shout outs are for Capo tiers and above
In the book I love how Vito was able to put it together… how Don Fanucci even though he was bleeding from his neck was more concerned about his white suit… because it probably was his only nice suit…And the way he would attack weaker people and rat them out to the cops… is no real gangster…So Vito had to show Fanucci Who was the real Don
Wasn't Vito. Not yet
@@soupperson280 once Vito put it all together before he paid him... Is when the Don was born
@@soupperson280 huh?
@@WarTheory when he accepted less money that was the final hint cause a real boss tells u what to pay u don’t negotiate but since fanucci was willing to take less that showed he was all talk
@@shawnbbunbbbybbb3942 From the book I believe Vito was too smart….for him to even try to lowball fanucci isn’t a risk Vito would’ve done…the game was to get fanucci to lower his Guard… that’s why he told Tessio and Clemenza don’t worry I never lie to my friends he’ll take what I give him…Straight up boss move
He never had the makings of a varsity crime lord. 🏈🤌🏼 🇮🇹
Lmao!!!!!
lol
Uncle Junior? That you?
@@GrislyAtoms12 …the fu€k you want? A kick in the rear ?
😂😂😂
In the movie when DeNiro shoots Fanucci the towel catches on fire. That was not supposed to happen, it was a mistake with the props. When DeNiro cooly handles the towel the scene was kept.
You learn something new everyday!
I am utterly shocked that the scene where the towel catches fire wasn't scripted, you would think that it is obvious and inevitable that after firing the bulet the towel will catch fire
"When DeNiro cooly handles the towel"
Heh. Even if the pun wasn't intended, it's a good one.
Source?
Superb performance by Gastone Moschin, in my opinion overlooked, but all the performances were superb, there were no weak players in The Godfather, Frances Ford Coppola made a masterpiece
The miniseries that shows ALL the footage, almost 550 minutes long, in chronological order, NEEDS to be released on DVD.
It is long overdue.
Where can I get this
@@WeezyGR I saw it on Cinemax a couple of years ago. It was mesmerizing. I assume since the Godfather is a Paramount movie it’s on their streaming service.
"Any man who believes he is in total control of people is a man who's belief will end violently." Elliott Ness, circa 1931.
True, a man cannot even see that his most right hands friends or wife and kids will stab him in the back.
One of the things I noticed in the scene where Fanucci confronts Vito in the truck and gives him the ultimatum is Vito listens to him. He says nothing, but listens to what Fanucci has to say. He doesn't show any signs of being intimidated or enraged, which oddly gives him the upper hand in this situation. Whereas in the first movie where Sonny loses his temper in the meeting with the Turk Vito reproaches Sonny for not listening and tells him "Never let them know what you're thinking."
Don Fanucci brought his daughters into the discussion....hence (imho).... Vito choose to stay silent, that one time, in respect to them, but had NO intention of wetting the Don Fanucci's beak!
A favorite scene. You can just read Vito's mind loud and clear.
Sonny doesn’t lose his temper he likes the idea of selling drugs
The same way you see in the meeting with Barzini in part 1. Vito remains stoic and reserved and lets his true enemies reveal themselves before him while barely saying anything. Vito is the epitome of ‘don’t interrupt your enemies while they’re making a mistake’. Always cool, calm, calculating and above all observant.
This is fabulous content and really shows how much books and film can differ. This new context of Fanucci is fabulous because it shows the intelligence of Vito as well as his ability to feign weakness, knowing that his opponent is actually far weaker.
6:37 A subtle, yet clear indication that Fanucci is a fraud can be seen in this photo. No true powerful mafia don would ever be seen in public with a suit so poorly tailored and unpressed-especially a don as flamboyant and "wealthy" as Fanucci.
"Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak." - Sun Tzu, The Art of War
"Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak." - Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Interesting , I always took this moment in the film on face value, where Don Vito took out a neighborhood bully, but understanding the character's calculated decisions adds more depth to the rise of Don Vito. Thanks enjoyed the video.
La Mano Nera, the Black Hand, was a fearsome organization. Stephen Talty's "The Black Hand" is a terrific read. The book includes some of the original, terrifying notes victims received. The other major crime, in addition to extortion, was kidnapping. The organization existed in several major American cities; it got so bad in New York City that Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt appointed Italian-born NYPD officer Joseph Petrosino, perhaps the bravest cop in history, to go after it, with a group of handpicked fellow officers. Joe would not be bribed, nor frightened away. The book is his story, as well.
Ok, it was just a movie, OK?
Move on...
Fool
True, but the Black Hand in Godfather II isn’t necessarily the same organization, or could be a diminished version of it living off past reputation and ripe for being knocked off.
@@bluemarlin8138 Well, Fanucci is a low-level Mafioso operative, extorting from the neighborhood, and despised by all. He would have answered to higher-ups, maybe even the fearsome Lupo the Wolf himself. There was no national organization at the time; that came later.
It's rare to find literary recommendations here, tbh - especially ones that are non-fiction and well-received.
I've got a few first edition Nash books - not particularly scholarly, but damn they're fascinating.
Machiavelli said: "When you injure a man you must injure him in such a way that he cannot avenge himself of that injury"...Fanucci took no heed of such warnings. Vito observed Fanucci, saw him get attacked by some neighborhood toughs, who refused to pay and cut his throat as well. Fanucci ran off catching the blood in his hat yelling for help.. There were a few other things but most importantly Vito saw Fanucci as a leach and a paper tiger, and knew he was going to kill him after he set him up, knew he would accept whatever Vito would give him. Fanucci had cost Vito a job and then tried to tax him with no real power at all...Fanucci would soon be swimming with the fishes...lol.
Yes plus Fanucci threatened him with the police. No real boss would do that
Those who live by the sword.....
But this is not in the movie I saw.
@@carltonreese4854 Read the book or go to "Deleted scenes" in the Godfather and you'll see it.
“Men should be caressed or eliminated, because they avenge themselves for slight offences but cannot do so for grave ones.”
The Mach must’ve been one hell of a guy… 😉
a teen street gang attacked him, that means he's was joke.
Coincidentally or conveniently Vito was there in the shadows with a food delivery (alibi) But did Vito set up
Don Fanucci in order test his gangster?
I'm surprised no one in that neighborhood killed Fanucci, long before.
Yea just like when Bobby Bacala got attacked by that teen street gang in the Sopranos
Nah it was just coincidence. Fanucci was kind of known as a dickhead in the neighborhood and the teen boys got tired of his shit and jumped him. Vito was just a random bystander at the time.
The real clincher is when he threatened Vito with the police, no Mafia chief ever does this.
I often wondered this too. If he was truly in a group, they would've went hunting for Vito. The other thing that got me was how he had a lack of anyone around. Even as an important person, no matter how "safe" the area should be, the threat of enemies is always looming; he had no one watching over him. He could've been a Capo, but even they have someone walking close by. It would've meant he was a street soldier, but he dressed too well to be considered such. My theory was he had a cousin or because his last name was similiar to someone in the black hand, he got to pretend to be like he was one. One more thing, after his death, notice no one ever mentions the black hand again.
Bcuz around the time Vito takes over the neighborhood the commission and lucky Luciano wipe out "the mustache Pete's" old gaurd black hand bosses in
"the castelmaerezza war" Vito was part of the new generation of mobsters who took over after these "fannuci types"
@@MoejiiOsmanTV interesting
I agree that this is the most likely explanation. But even if Fanucci did have connections, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they would try to kill Vito. The Black Hand could have been a relatively small organization with an outsized reputation, much like Fanucci himself. They could put 2 and 2 together as to who had likely killed Fanucci, but by that point, Vito had established himself as a beloved figure in the area, with his own “muscle.” Not exactly the safest guy to go after. So they either played dumb as to who killed Fanucci to avoid appearing weak and took the loss in that neighborhood, or they just did business with Vito instead because he made a lot more money than Fanucci even thought about and was more respected anyway. It certainly wouldn’t be the first or last time a criminal organization forgave something like that if they were bluffers or saw a better business deal. And then Vito eventually pushed them out or absorbed them. Again, this is less likely based on what we know from the book and deleted scenes, but it would also fit with Vito’s character and what we see in the film.
Really excellent analysis of Fanucci. He's a character I never would have thought to dissect. Again, well done!
When no one came after Vito after killing "Don" Fanucci it was a clue that he wasn't even made since Vito didn't ask permission to kill him and got away with it.
Don Fanucci yelled, screamed and howled for help, that never came!
Love how subtly this is conveyed in the film. The deleted attack scene really hammers it home but there was always a niggling feeling in the back of my mind about how powerful Fanucci really was but it wasn’t made explicit although the signs are there. Love the insight these videos bring and they always increase my respect for these outstanding movies.
In the book, maybe so. But in the movie, Fanucci is clearly powerful and the people obviously fear him. Tessio and Clemenze fear him for some reason as does the shop keeper and all the people on the street during the parade and all the people in the theatre as well as backstage. As far as the movie goes, Vito took out a powerful and greatly-feared boss and everyone bows to him. The book certainly conveys something else, but the movie is not the book and deleted scenes can in no way hammer home any feelings about the character.
@@carltonreese4854
I always thought that Fanucci's perceived power was based on an exaggerated reputation rather than any demonstrable reality. Vito was definitely smarter than his partners and quickly realized that the emperor wears no clothes.
No mafia boss would ever threaten someone with having the cops come to their home. That was a big flaw that Vito caught immediately as he came from the old country and knew how true mafia bosses operated.
Fanucci was a paper Don holding the title until a real Don came along
You could not have released this one at a more perfect time. This very topic was on my mind yesterday. Well done 👏👏👏
The guy could fix a lightbulb, so there's that.
No self-respecting Don as flamboyant as Fanucci would ever lower himself to fix a light bulb. He'd at least get a caporegime to deal with it.
iI agree with your conclusions. Your video is well presented and very interesting. The key thing for me, (as you mentioned), is that Fanucci threatened to go to the police, and no real Mafioso chief with power and influence would ever do this. I also don't believe that any man of honor would hold a knife to the throat of a young woman while demanding money from her father. In my opinion, it was these things, and others that you mention which told Vito that Fanucci's power was a facade.
Remember Sollozzo went to the police. He had Captain McCluskey on his payroll.
@@midasapprentice8670 Yes, on the payroll, but Sollozzo did not need to run to the police to tattle, about someone stealing dresses, not the same at all, in fact, not even close. And need I remind you that the Corleone family also had police on the payroll, but they didn't threaten others by saying they would rat on them to the police. Your analogy of Sollozo and McCluskey is silly.
The main reason behind Fanucci's facade crumbling and Vito being reasonably assured he would have no retaliation for his death is the fact he was gleeful to take 1/6th of the money promised and OFFERED him work even. A real gangster wouldn't be low balled so easily, thus knowing "the take whatever you can get" attitude is that of low ranked huckster and grifter, projecting power only, Vito killed him. The true brilliance, is Vito knows the good people saw Fanucci as powerful and killing him being a huge perceived powerplay (from a strategic and street cred standpoint) taken on by a POWERFUL crime lord... of course. the very fact Fanucci was a so successful at being feared, while being a low level huckster and unable to truly back up his assertions is what gave Vito his true ability to start his family. The Jump in respect and street cred wit this move is huge.
The 1st giveaway was he collects himself. What boss makes collections? He has no soldiers with him. It's always him by himself.
The clincher for me is when Fanucci threatens Vito with going to the police to tattle. No Mafia chieftain would ever do this.
Great analysis. What I think should be added was that this episode of the film takes place by the end and just after World War 1. At that time there were no Five Mafia families nor a Mafia Commission in New York. There were lots of mostly smaller Mafia families. Some have counted them to be close to 30 in number. There was also rivalries between gangs with either Sicilian and Napolitanian ancestry. Irish and Jewish organized crime gangs were still around and wielded power, although Italian gangs were slowly surpassing them. Violence and homicides among the gangs and their prey were very common.
In other words there was chaos and in such times it should have been a lot easier for an occassional but very unlikely impostor like Don Fanucci to hang around. Still his story needs to be explained further because a man acting like him would normally have been murdered a long time ago, but he is old.
Fanucci most definitely wore shorts.
With matching garter suspenders for his socks.
I love how Vito ruled with a certain level of compassion
Sociopaths do often show a few admirable traits. It's as much for themselves as for anybody else. They can convince themselves that deep down, they are good people.
@mm43501 Says the sociopath.
47 years old, just a fvckin kid, still no video about Billy.
Hey Phil Ain't seen ya in 20 Years where ya been?
Who's Billy?
This is one of my favorite channels on TH-cam. Keep up the always excellent work.
Even as kid I wondered why fanucci was alone and why there was no retaliation or references to one after his death. The deleted scene confirmed what I suspected
Too bad that scene of Fanucci being attacked was not included; it would have accentuated Vito's intelligence, and not just his balls. Vito did a good detective job figuring out the real Fanucci, and it would have added to our understanding of why he was the real deal.
The discovery of how intelligent Vito actually was made the reverence of Vito more impactful.
I had ZERO clue about this and always said I liked 1 better because of that “plot hole” in 2, but after seeing this it adds a whole new perspective to those scenes.. thank you!
In the book all the characters are flushed out better AL Nery and Luka Broka are really scary the book tells u why.
Fanucci was a good way for Vito to level up on his way to Ciccio.
I love your show, but I have to correct you on one small, but important detail: Fanucci wasn't based in Hell's Kitchen. Hell's Kitchen was run by Irish gangsters. No way Fanucci would even go walking around in The Kitchen let alone run it. The scenes with a young Vito Corleone in his early days braking into "The Life" was set on the Lower East Side, "Little Italy", the other side of Manhattan from Hell's Kitchen.
You beat me to it.
dude is wrong about several details.
@@Abraxas0365 Doesn’t say what details…
@@hoagiemacintosh781 Read a book.Im not here to teach.
@@Abraxas0365 You're saying we should read the fucking Godfather just to see what you're talking about?
“Tell your friends I’m not asking for much, just enough to WET MY BEAK”
Good info. I always assumed that Fanucci was planning on killing Vito after he lowballed him and Vito struck first because the 'Don' tipped his hand that he would not let this slight go unpunished. Also, that Fanucci was much less respected and had weak ties to his 'muscle'. I never thought that Fanucci's ties were all a charade.
I feel like the quote, if I may paragraph the book, when Vito thinks about his justification for killing fanucci says it all
‘would Vito pay the money to save fanucci’s life? No. So why would he pay the money that he needed to keep himself and his family alive?’
Thank you! I always wondered why Fanucci lived in a poor brownstone like the other poor people.
Too bad that they cut killing Fanucci scene. Gastone Mouchine played Fanucci to the perfection!!
The Godfather movies and source materials are so interesting. Another great breakdown. Much appreciated
I'll always respected fanucchi hat grab when money was on the table. I wished I was so skilled like that.
Love the channel, don’t bother waiting and get us that ‘Rise of Don Vito’ vid please 👍🏾
Don Fanucci truly took fake it till you make it to the end.
'Hell's Kitchen' is midtown Manhattan on the West Side, Little Italy is a ways downtown and to the East... :-)
On seeing this notification, I was looking forward to *_wet my beak_* watching this.
Do one on Don ciccio I think? A real Don back in Italy who murdered most of Vito's family before he than Arranges a brilliant hit to take him out himself, as an adult later in life. that alone should be an entire other film.
Great analysis dude.
I think it was pretty obvious it got around that Vito killed Fanucci when his name started to get around the neighborhood for doing people favors. Vito had a lot of locals hero worshipping him after Fanucci was taken out. As if he liberated them from this supposed black hand tyrant. Of course some people still had to be educated such as Don Roberto but it did not take long for him to change his mind. Notice how Roberto was very quick to leave and not stay for coffee when he visited Vito's Genco office.
It would be fascinating to see a well written, brilliantly directed prequel where we get to see the rise of Don Vito and the formation of the 5 families after the gang war between the two bosses and his reaction to a Chicago Gangster loosely based off Al Capone when he was asked to kill Vito by one of those bosses but was warned off by Vito. To see Vito combine forces with under bosses of those families such as Tattaglia, Cuneo, Stracci and of course the ambitious, cunning Barzini take those two bosses out with Vito and set up the commission would be awesome.
There could potentially be another classic trilogy in a prequel out of those stories. The first being the rising of the commission. The second movie could be to the first war between the Corleone Family were Vito ruthlessly regain power with the feared Luca Brazi which results in almost bringing two families down (Tattaglia, Stracci) in a territory and trade dispute only to end with Barzini calling a meeting to end it the war in a way to get back to business and to feign that Barzini is coming off as a peace negotiator which is a chess move to throw The Corleones off the scent regarding his future plans to overthrow the Corleone Empire. The HUGE finale is the third movie involving the fruition of Barzini's plan over a number of years in the second war. This is obviously prior to the original Godfather movie.
While Don Vito recovers from being shot in the throat, Sonny takes over the family in a ruthless, vicious campaign for vengeance in the first attempted coup of the five families and take over it's assets. Obviously this fails when Sonny is found to be a much more cunning, ruthless opponent as a young Don. Later, an un easy truce is made by Don Vito and other Don’s after a recovering Vito uses his political connections and power to slowly squeeze the other families businesses in to submission through police raids and corrupt judges which sets up the original Godfather without screaming it at the audience..
This trilogy doesn't need silly wink, wink, nod nods. It would have to be true to the original classics.
Get to work. I’d watch this.
Fanucci doesn't operate in Hell's Kitchen. he operates in Little Italy. Mulberry st. do your homework. It wasnt a parade. it was the Feast of San Genarro
I don't even recall Hell's Kitchen ever brought up in the book concerning Fanucci.
Don Corleone's real power derives (more than anything) from overtaking the Genco Olive Oil business. It's a perfect front and a perfectly legitimate business causing it to be the best possible double edged sword for all his needs. He can filter illegal funds through it and make a proper living through the sale of Olive Oil to his fellow Italians. How many of them use it to substitute butter? Genius stuff Vito.
i often wondered why no one came after Vito, and why it was so easy for him to take over.
Good Job!
EXCELLENT analysis...very good video!!!!
Still have never regretted hitting Like before listening
This is absolutely essential information to understand what the Fauci character was all about. Excellent analysis.
Fanucci was the grandfather of Frank Lopez.
Vito:This guy is soft !
Watching the movie it was clear to me that Fanucci was mostly hot air and that Vito drew the same conclusion. By leaving the scene. out Coppola gives the audience credit for seeing the signs that Vito did.
Where in the movie are those clues that Fanucci was mostly hot air? Every single person in the movie, with the exception of Vito, was afraid of Fanucci and paid tribute to him, bowing at his feet. In the movie, Vito was taking out someone every single person in Little Italy feared.
It never really says how Tessio came in the picture. Was he already friends with Peter Clemenza even before he knew Vito Corleone, but in the story it's like one day out of the blue in terms of the storyline of the movie Salvatore Tessio shows up...
A
@ Eddie Schwab
Read the Novel please.
They were friends.Tessio is described by Vito on first meeting him as having the air of a 🐍 quite snake...
Only error is early reference to Hell's Kitchen as Fanucci's area of influence which is 1.5 miles from Little Italy
Fanucci sold wolf tickets and paid the price for it.
Fanucci parades through the neighborhood like a guappo but Vito notices that Fanucci has no actual organization. In witnessing Fanucci's assault by the three attackers, Vito noticed that he ran solo, no cohorts or bodyguards, unlike the dons in Sicily.
Vito noticed that this one-man 'Black Hand' could easily be taken out.
I don’t know it just always seemed obvious to me that he wasn’t a big threat even with the scene of him being attacked by not being in there but interesting point of view
I actually think the attack scene would've made it more obvious. I like how when Vito low balls him it still comes off as a gamble that Fannuci could still be the real deal, but instead shows Vito's calculated intuition that he knew exactly what he was doing. I think the street fight scene would've taken something from that moment.
Dons send their men to shake down people. They'd never do it themselves. Not to mention that we had already seen the men of a mafia don blow away Vito's entire family, including his mother. Doesn't make Fanucci much of a threat in comparison.
This is the point in Vito's life when he is fully committed to becoming a gangster. A role he was born to play and didn't realize until then. He sensed Fannuci was a gas bag and didn't have the Mafias backing. Great scene.
Ain't no such thing as halfway crooks. 😌
For years I always wondered why Vito had no comeback for that killing,thanks, it always bugged me.
Genco was also a big influence on Vito, whose father gave Vito a job. His first and long time consigliere before Tom.
That seems as if it's total bs. It was simply dumb luck he didn't go to his haunt...He was another boss before lucky.
With the scene taken out, Vito was either extra bold or he was extra cunning, but it can't be both ways at once. Personally, I always found it odd that Fanucci was killed so easily and with so little recourse and, without ever really thinking about it, it was something that I was unsure of in the movie. I think including the scene that was cut would do more to display Vito's character: that he was very cunning, and although he had the courage and self-assurance to act boldly on what he thought was true, he was not rash or reckless.
Great observations and discussion
I have one difficulty with Godfather II, which I have so far not been able to figure out. It starts with the scene where Vito and his compatriat Tesio/Clemenza? are in the theatre, Fanucci stands up and is admonished by the crowd to sit down, but the crowd goes silent when they recognize Fanucci. Vito then asks his compatriat who this person is, and why are people apparently afraid of him, whereupon Vito is told who Fanucci is and that he is connected to the "Black Hand" etc. What I don't understand is that Vito is not just off the boat. He has apparently grown up in that area along with his partners, so why is he in the dark vis. Fanucci? Why does Vito have to be made aware of just who Fannuci is, and why people fear him? Is it just a vehicle to let the audience know who this villain is? Am I missing something?
Not certain but maybe up until then Vito hadn't necessarily considered a life in crime and was so far just focused on living an honest life. It was only when he started a young family and got into hardship that his focus began to change. He started to look for alternative methods.
@@Gregorskorino - Okay, maybe this and maybe that. You're free to improvise your own scenario. I still think that a major failing of the movie is that Vito alone in the entire neighbourhood is unaware of Fanucci.
It was a setup for the audience to inform them who Don Fanucci was and why he was feared through Vito as a Proxy. Films do this all the time
@@majob - This I understand, I've obviously seen the technique used countless times. I just think that there must be other, more subtle or innovative ways to do this.
Simply put, Don Fanucci had the locals in the neighborhood fooled into believing he was much more powerful than he really was, it was a facade.
Martin Scorsese (or Coppola) should make a movie about brave Joe Petrosino and his battle with the Black Hand in turn-of-the-20th-century America. Terrific subject for a film.
I like how vito was always in the shadows taking in important information thats going on around him
I admire work done by this channel to help all uneducated people who can’t read by themselves books like “Godfather” or are just not bright enough to understands film based on that book.
Usually those people are left alone but you are helping them.
Great work!
I was hoping to see you go into detail on the kitchen scene when Vito in effect usurped the leadership of the 3 from Clemenza.
That would have made for an interesting discussion. Tessio saw the logic in Vito's plan and reluctantly agreed. Clemenza was afraid of the repercussions of not paying Fanucci, but had no hesitation in being ready to blow the head off a cop for stealing a rug. It's how Clemenza became the muscle caporegime and Tessio the smart one.
_"Tessio was always smarter."_
@@PhantomFilmAustralia Great take...
@@idideleven And a great angle from you, sir.
Great video I always felt something about Fanucci felt off
Great analysis.
Vito was a genius
Ooo I got a shout out... SALUTE. Love your channel
Damm! I always saw fannuci that way even without the deleted scene. Coppella must have implied it in some way. Genius!
Fannucci couldn't have been too bad if he didn't have security. Unfortunately, Vito didn't learn from it, did the same thing & almost was killed.
Paulie called in sick and was replaced by Fredo. That being said, Solozzo was right in saying that "The don was slipping" and that ten years before he would have never had gotten to him.
Amazing analysis!👍🏾
He is a low-level member of La Mano Nera, the Black Hand, the original Sicilian criminal organization in America. He controls his small portion of Manhattan's Little Italy, and personally extorts immigrants in the pre-Five Families, pre-Syndicate era. He would have had higher-ups, to whom he answered. Two of the most powerful actual Mafia figures in New York at the time were the Corleone, Sicily-born Giuseppe Morello (1868-1930), who went to prison in 1910 and was murdered twenty years later, and the fearsome Ignazio Lupo, "Lupo the Wolf" (1877-1947), who was associated with Morello. Lupo also went to prison in 1910. Released, having long outlived his era, he died in Brooklyn in 1947, with a new, younger generation of mob leaders in control.
I saw that scene in the 1974 original before it was cut & left on an office floor
The scene’s with Michael & Fanucci are a flashback. They likely deleted the “Fanucci being attacked scene” because how do you portray a flashback within a flashback?
great video
The scene with Fanucci being attacked by the guys from 9 street was actually not deleted, and Vito even discusses it the next day with his co worker at the bar, but interesting breakdown of fanucci though.
The scene was deleted for the theatrical release. It does appear in extended versions of the movie though.
Nice breakdown. Still one of the greatest killings in Hollywood history in my opinion.
You can tell from the movie, or they perceived him as a fake gangster and bully boy. I noticed that about his apartment too. But great observation. Something we all knew but, particularly me, never verbalised.
Removing the attack scene was a good move because the movie scenario was not just to show an ordinary person standing up to corruption, but a boy becoming a man. He stalked like a child and ended up facing the fear of a figure he experienced as a boy. Fanucci represented everything he had to run from and the realization that these men are not as strong as they appear to be. He became a man who confronted fear in order to protect his community, friends, and family. The boy hid in the shadows watching.
It coincided with Michael graduating from a naive and ambitious leader into one who realized the things he must do to protect his family and remain in power.
These deleted scenes with Fanucci were in the longer Godfather TV-series edition back in the 70’s.
Lol the thumbnail made me laugh . Next we will see “Don Fanucci CANCELED” lmao
Don Fanucci never had the makings of a varsity athlete.
though i do agree most of the deleted scenes in both movies were not terribly essential having read the book it was really interesting to see the full version (taped on to vhs with commercials cut) some years later and seeing how much of the book was reflected in the deleted scenes.
Ive seen a version where fanucci gets attacked....once. then never seen it in any other version. I thought maybe it was another movie.
The phrase 'wet my beak' always makes me laugh.
At 10:19 he says "And thanks for watchinG' - will an English speaking man spell G at the end of watchinG??
Thanks for lettin me" wet my beak" a little bit on this video
Is Fanucci’s territory Hell’s Kitchen in the book? Because in the film it’s Little Italy.
Never thought of it that way.
Don Fanucci is what Eazy-E of NWA would describe as being a “fake gangster.”
So why didn’t “the mob” move in earlier and take over Fannuci’s territory?
Most likely, Fanucci was a tributary for a bigger boss, or his territory was not too economically important.
I also like how Vito didn't put any money in, he retrieved and kept it all, and Clemenza and Tessio were still out $50😉🤣
Nicely reasoned.