Who is that guy having dinner with the Corleones while they are awaiting the phone call for where they can find the Turk and Captain McCluskey? He never says a word. IIRC, he’s wearing a brown suit.
It’s not Al Neri, because Al is too lean.
It’s not Rocco, because Rocco has too large a jaw.
So, anybody know who it is??
Thanks,
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From my memory.
Tom Hagen tells Sonny to check with his agent Philips, as to where McCluskey would be, as cop have to leave word on where he can be reached.
When Philips calls back, Tom Hagen, Tessio , Clemenza are dining together. Tessio tells Clemenza about the place,to get a gun in there.
I’m pretty sure Sollozzo would not be having dinner with the Coreleones. Did you mean Tessio?
Thanks.
It’s not Tom Hagen.
As a matter of fact, I don’t recall him anywhere else in the whole film.
Are you referring to the guy on the far right in this shot? I think that is Rocco.
Just watched that particular scene again. It is Rocco Lampone.
Well, hold on, if you will. Isn’t Rocco the one who put Paulie down?
He seemed to have a jaw about 5 times larger, to me. I mean, from this shot, he has a large jawline, but, from the front the guy I’m thinking of doesn’t have same. Am I just confused again? To be honest, I never noticed the above linked still, so, it could be him, as I also can see nobody else at table with them, but, from the front, it looks like another person.
If I remember correctly, it was the late Richard Bright (Al Neri.) Presumably, he was the “someone very good” who planted the gun inside the restroom.
Yes, it is Rocco who shoots Paulie.
I don’t think it can be Al who plants the gun because in the book (which I haven’t read in a long time so I might be wrong), I think it is Michael who talks Al into joining the family, and that is after Michael has returned from Italy.
And there isn’t anything in the film to suggest it was Al who plants the gun, mainly because he doesn’t show up until just before Michael’s trip to Las Vegas.
Even though it would make perfect sense that the extra guy at the table while they are waiting for the call about McCluskey is Rocco (he’s rising fast in the family and has their full confidence), I’m not sure that it is him. The main reason is that there is a good closeup of the guy during that scene, and he appears to have a full head of hair, while Rocco is definitely balding. That’s not conclusive, but unless someone has a better idea, I’m leaning toward it not being him. At the very least, if it’s not Rocco, maybe we can toss his identity on to the pile of niggling unanswered Godfather questions.
Years since I’ve seen the movie, and I’ve never read the book, but is it possible that he’s just some guy who works for the family? Not high enough to be a Caporegime or anything, but high enough or at least trusted enough to be in the room with them? I’m thinking like a trusted underling who can be on hand if anything goes down and they need someone in a hurry. (I hate to say “Gopher” in this context)
I agree with you:
At about 1:18:33, 6 men are seen: Tom Hagen, Sonny, Michael, Clemenza, Tessio, and our mystery man are at the table.
When Michael asks Sonny, “How long will it be before I can come back?” (1:20:28), Tom Hagen, Sonny, Michael, and Tessio are in the shot. However, Clemenza, our mystery man, and another man have just left.
There’s a Godfather Wiki out there that summarizes (usually too briefly) the characters, etc. in both the novel and the movies.
Here’s Rocco’s page. And here’s Neri’s page.
Rocco made his bones with the hit on Paulie. He had been working for Clemenza for some time before that. Later, Michael sets him up as the head of a secret caporegime. (There’s a hint of that in the movie when Tom questions Michael about some of the expenses Michael is running up.) Rocco organizes the hits on the heads of the 5 families, personally participating in the hit on Phillip Tattaglia. Due to various screwups he is forced to do the hit on Hyman Roth himself and that’s the end of Rocco. The same actor is used in II and is shown a bit more.
Neri comes along later. An ex-cop thrown off the force he is brought in as an enforcer to replace Luca Brasi. In the book he kills Moe Greene, in I he dons his old uniform and kills Emilio Barzini. (Postponing the hit in the movie on Moe makes him unable to do both jobs.) He takes over Tessio’s regime. Again same actor used again in II. The shot of him cleaning up in the bathroom after the Senator’s hooker is killed is chilling.
Note that Richard Bright is credited as Neri in I and Al Neri in II (and III). Tom Rosqui is not listed in the credits for I, but is for II. Rocco just wasn’t that important a character in I to deserve much face time in the shot in the OP. Neri would rate more.