Few films are as legendary as ‘The Godfather’, but what if it had never been made? Before Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece redefined cinema, real-life mobsters nearly shut it down.
They weren’t happy about a movie that could expose their world to mainstream audiences. In a twist that could have come straight from the film itself, Hollywood and the Mafia came to an uneasy truce. However, it came with a price.
The Mafia Didn’t Want ‘The Godfather’ Films To Negatively Stereotype Italians
After Paramount Pictures secured the rights to Mario Puzo’s novel ‘The Godfather’, the production faced a major roadblock. Unsurprisingly, it was none other than the Mafia itself. Italian-American groups, led by Joe Colombo, a New York mob boss, fiercely opposed the movie. Moreover, their biggest issue with the film was its usage of the word “Mafia.”
Colombo and his supporters claimed The Godfather would reinforce negative stereotypes of Italians. However, their protest wasn’t limited to press conferences. The Mafia allegedly harassed the film crew, sabotaged production, and sent death threats to producer Al Ruddy. According to Vanity Fair, Ruddy was warned by police that he was being followed.
This forced him to switch cars frequently to evade his pursuers. Things escalated even further when mob-connected unions began striking, delaying filming and increasing costs. Location owners who initially agreed to let the crew film on their properties suddenly backed out, almost certainly due to Mafia intimidation. It became clear that making ‘The Godfather’ without addressing the real Mafia was nearly impossible.
‘The Godfather’ Producer Al Ruddy Made A Deal With The Mob
With all these incidents growing, ‘The Godfather’s producer, Al Ruddy, decided to negotiate with the Mafia directly. He met with Joe Colombo and promised that all mentions of the words “Mafia” and “Cosa Nostra” would be removed from the script. He also agreed to cast some real-life mobsters as extras and even donate proceeds from the film’s premiere to the League.
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Incredibly, the deal worked and the threats stopped. However, while the Mafia had no problem influencing the film’s content, their involvement didn’t end there. Despite their initial resistance, the Mafia became strangely involved in the film’s production. Real-life mobsters were cast in small roles, most notably Lenny Montana, who played the enforcer Luca Brasi.
Before acting, Montana had worked as a bodyguard for a powerful crime family. His nervous stuttering in his scene with Marlon Brando was actually real as he was starstruck. Additionally, instead of removing the scene, Coppola loved the authenticity and kept it in the final cut. Montana’s story took an even wilder turn when he was reportedly hired by another mobster to rough up Al Ruddy.
According to reports, Montana actually attacked Ruddy before showing up on set the next day like nothing had happened. Even with all the behind-the-scenes chaos, ‘The Godfather’ became one of the greatest films ever made. Ironically, the Mafia’s attempt to control its portrayal may have helped make it more realistic. The film’s success paved the way for other iconic films and shows about organized crime in Hollywood, including ‘Goodfellas’ and ‘The Sopranos’.
