I saw it on TV the other night and two things were not entirely clear to me:
Don Fanucci (the “Black Hand” killed by young Vito Corleone) always wears a white three-piece suit with a black band on the left (only the left) lapel of his coat. What does that band signify? Is it a Sicilian thing? Is he a widower who wears it as a token of mourning, or what?
At the Congressional hearing, Frankie Pentangeli is ready to testify against Michael Corleone, but recants when Michael brings Frankie’s brother (all the way from Sicily) to the hearing. Is this because Michael is subtly threatening to kill Frankie’s brother if he testifies, or because his brother’s mere presence is enough to make Frankie ashamed of being a rat?
#2: Both, probably, even though I understood it more to be a message of “don’t be a rat” than “we’re going to kill your brother if you testify against Michael.”
I always thought it was an omerta thing — i.e. that in Sicily the policy of never ratting someone out to the authorities was so ingrained that it would shame the entire family if he testified. Michael brought his brother there, and when Frankie saw him it reminded him of his moral oath as a mobster. I never thought that it was a threat to harm his family.
Maybe the Black Hand equivalent of a rainbow ribbon.
I always thought both, particularly since it is followed by Vito killing Don Ciccio in 1925. All the other Andolini males had been killed by Don Ciccio as mere insurance against what they amy do in future.
I always thought it was mainly to remind Frankie of the old ways, the old country, don’t be a fink, etc.
And another reason, I’ve always thought just the opposite that they were threatening to kill him. If they were planning on killing the brother, couldn’t he have easily yelled out (even if he spoke just Italian) for help? The guy’s in the Senate for God’s sake!!! Also, isn’t it a little incriminating if they killed the brother after Frankie testified?
Anyway, I thought it was another signal to Frankie that the brother was ‘telling’ him “hey I’m here with Michael Corleone. If he is the guy you think put a “hit” on you, why the Hell would I be with him?”
Michael was saying, “I have your broher in my hand. You cannot doubt this evidence of your own eyes. Betray me and he dies.” At that point Michael had no means of communication with Pentangeli except what he could show him, without words, in open court. And no means to kill him, of course. It was the most explicit threat he could get away with.
I think it was a little more subtle than that. It was a reminder that he was supposed to be family, while also reminding him that consequences of being a rat will also descend on his family. Maybe not even by killing them, but by their being ostracized and shamed. But there might be some killing involved. You never know…
The brother has no idea he may be under threat of death. He’s naive, and completely trusts Michael.
Who knows who the brother is, or that he is even in America? He can just be made to quietly disappear. Frankie knows Michael is ruthless. He won’t risk that the Feds will be able to protect his brother, even if he tells them.
I agree completely with **Boyo Jim’s ** take on it. It’s clearly a threat by Michael. As I recall, Frankie’s reaction is more one of rank fear than shame.
With regard to #2, according to Wikipedia’s entry for Frank Pentangeli , the last paragraph states:
Pentangeli’s character was originally written to be the returning character Pete Clemenza. Richard Castellano, the actor who portrayed Clemenza in The Godfather, however, agreed to return only on the condition that his girlfriend at the time be allowed to rewrite his dialogue to his own satisfaction. Rather than give in to this demand, director Francis Ford Coppola rewrote the script so that Clemenza had recently died of a heart attack. Pentangeli was created to be Clemenza’s successor. Pentangeli first appears wearing a black band in remembrance of Clemenza, which is how his death is explained to the audience.
OK, I screwed this up. My answer was actually referring to question #1, for which I thought you were talking about Frank Pentangeli (who was referenced in your second question).
Anyway, I don’t remember a black arm band on Don Fanucci’s arm, but perhaps the reason that he did wear this armband was the same reason FP wore his?
Now that I think of it, after Frankie Pentangeli fails to testify, Michael’s wife says “all he [Frankie’s brother] had to do was show his face”. To which Michael replies “It was between the brothers Kate, I had nothing to do with it”.
This seems to indicate it had to do with the “old country, don’t be a fink” mentality as opposed to the threat they were going to kill him.
And finally, since we’ve had less discussion about the first question of the OP, I’ll give you my take, for what it is:
I think the black band is a clumsy Hollywood way to show the audience that Don Fanucci is in the Black Hand. At one point, Genco tells Vito that Fanucci is in the Black Hand, but I think the whole “show the audience, don’t tell them” meme is at work. I think the producer/director just wanted to make sure it was crystal clear that Don Fanucci was a mobster, and not just a man in a white suit.
In short, my opinion is that it’s a movie contrivance that doesn’t have much historical basis.
On point 2, I always thought that Michael was showing FP that they had his brother, and that if he testified, his brother had a date with a band saw later on. The brother didn’t cry out because he didn’t speak English and wasn’t aware he was in danger. I thought it was pretty lame that the senators find out who the brother is and don’t do something like have him put in protective custody.
#2 was about Omertà, not a threat of physical violence on his brother. The Brother was a tough old Sicilian Mafia Boss. He was there to shame his brother into doing the right thing by their code.
I forgot to add, this character is not in the book. He replaced Clemenza.
I agree that Frankie’s brother was brought in as a reminder about Omertà, not a hostage.
During his final talk with Tom, doesn’t Pentageli even talk about how his brother is tougher than he (Frankie) is? Doesn’t sound like a naive victim to me.
