Frederick Keinszig

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Frederick Keinszig is a fictional character appearing in The Godfather Part III. He was portrayed by Austrian actor Helmut Berger.

Nicknamed "God's Banker," Keinszig is the Swiss chief accountant of the Vatican Bank. As such, he represents the Vatican on the board of International Immobiliare, a European real estate company in which the Church has a quarter interest and which comes under the control of Michael Corleone. However, he is also part of a large conspiracy with Don Licio Lucchesi and Archbishop Gilday to scam Michael out of hundreds of millions of dollars and give it to persons holding positions of political power. The three accomplished this by constantly stalling the conclusion of the deal and harping on the ill health of Pope Paul VI, as the Pontiff's personal approval is necessary to finalize the transfer of Immobiliare to Corleone control.

After the Pope's death, Cardinal Lamberto was elected the new Pontiff (he took the name John Paul I) and promptly requested a meeting with Keinszig to discuss reform of the Vatican Bank. However, Keinszig mysteriously departed Rome, along with a large amount of money and several important documents. After Michael's nephew Vincent Mancini-Corleone became the new Godfather, he ordered the deaths of Keinszig, Lucchesi, and the Archbishop in revenge for their swindling of his uncle. Accordingly, Vincent's dispatched assassin penetrated Keinszig's house and smothered him with a pillow as he lay on a bed. His corpse was subsequently hung from a bridge, in full view of the public.

The character of Frederick Keinszig is loosely based on Roberto Calvi, the head of the Vatican-controlled Banco Ambrosiano that spectacularly collapsed in 1982, causing a large scandal in Italy.