Emilio Barzini

Don Emilio Barzini is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather and in its film adaptation, in which he is portrayed by Richard Conte.

In the novel

Barzini presides as head of one of New York's Five Families, and is reckoned as the second most powerful Mafia boss in the country, behind only Vito Corleone. He has interests in markets such as narcotics, gambling and prostitution, and is also interested in Las Vegas and Nevada. Unlike Corleone, he is not considered a "Mustache Pete" and is greatly respected by younger Mafia leaders.

Corleone respects him enough to invite him to the wedding of his daughter Connie. However, when Corleone refuses to participate in the heroin trade, Barzini secretly conspires with the other families to make war against the Corleones, forcing them to make peace and open up their territory to drug trafficking. To this end, he approaches Corleone's son-in-law, Carlo Rizzi, with a ploy to draw Sonny Corleone into an assassination. After Sonny's death, Don Corleone agrees to lend his political protection to the enterprise and to never break the peace. It had initially appeared that Philip Tattaglia was leading the anti-Corleone alliance. However, at the peace summit, Vito realizes that Barzini was the actual mastermind.

Not satisfied with the Corleones' submission, Barzini begins chipping away at their territory in New York City. At Don Corleone's funeral, Barzini approaches Corleone caporegime Salvatore Tessio to organize another peace summit where Corleone's successor, Michael, would be ambushed. Barzini doesn't know, however, that he has walked into a trap. Michael has been planning for some time to eliminate Barzini and the other dons, and deliberately allowed Barzini to move in on the Corleone interests in order to lull him into inaction. Shortly after Vito's funeral, Barzini is assassinated along with the other conspirators. Corleone enforcer Al Neri, disguised as a police officer, shoots and kills Barzini, his bodyguard, and his driver on the steps of the New York Supreme Court courthouse at Foley Square.

In other media

In Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptation of The Godfather, Barzini is portrayed by Richard Conte.

In The Godfather: The Game, Barzini has protagonist Aldo Trapani's father killed, motivating him to take revenge. In the game, Trapani kills Don Barzini on the court steps.