Vincent Mancini-Corleone

Vincent Santino Corleone (born Vincent Mancini) is a fictional character in the 1990 feature film The Godfather Part III, in which he is portrayed by Andy García, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance. His storyline, as well as the movie itself, appears to be exclusive to Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather film trilogy, as Vincent's very existence questions the original novel by Mario Puzo, where it is clear that his mother, Lucy Mancini, is not pregnant.

Coppola has said that Vincent is, roughly speaking, an amalgamation of the five Corleone family males. Coppola describes Vincent as having Vito's cunning, Michael's ruthlessness, Fredo's sensitivity, Sonny's fiery temper and Tom Hagen's absolute loyalty.

Fictional character biography

The Godfather Part III

Born as Vincent Mancini in the late 1940s, he is the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone and Lucy Mancini, and is therefore raised outside of the Corleone family. His uncle, Michael Corleone, offered him a job in the legitimate world. However, Vincent declined, preferring to work for Joey Zasa, who by then was running the remains of the Corleone criminal empire. Vincent endeared himself to his uncle by trying to protect him from rival Mafia families; the aging don sees that Vincent has inherited Sonny's temper and fears he will suffer his father's fate, and so takes him under his wing with the encouragement of his sister, Connie.

Vincent saves Michael from an assassination attempt orchestrated by Zasa. Later that night, Michael is sent to the hospital with a diabetic stroke. Believing Zasa will take another run at Michael, Vincent then personally murders Zasa (with Connie's approval). Michael is outraged when he finds this out, even though Vincent used the same logic that Michael used to kill Virgil Sollozzo 34 years earlier when he made an unsuccessful attempt on the life of his own father. Michael is more troubled, however, by Vincent's burgeoning romance with Michael's daughter (and Vincent's cousin) Mary. Remembering how he lost his first wife, Apollonia, to a car bomb intended for him, Michael fears that Vincent's growing involvement in the "family business" will put Mary in danger as long as she and Vincent are together.

When Michael realized that his old ally, Don Altobello, had turned against him, he had Vincent spy on Altobello, making him think that he wanted to run away with Mary and strike out on his own. It is there that Vincent learns the real mastermind in the plot against his uncle is Licio Lucchesi, a powerful Italian political figure.

Vincent reports back to Michael, asking for permission to strike back. Michael not only tacitly agrees, but formally retires as Don and names Vincent his successor. Vincent's time spent with Michael has made him into a new man: much wiser, patient, and aware of his status as the new Don. His first act as Don is to order the deaths of Lucchessi, Frederick Keinszig and Archbishop Gilday. In return for being elevated, Vincent ends his relationship with Mary. The same night the romance ends, however, Mary is killed in an assassination attempt on Michael. An enraged Vincent quickly kills the assassin responsible, Mosca, with a single shot to the chest.

Abandoned sequel

What follows in Vincent's story, according to author Mario Puzo and director Francis Ford Coppola, is not exactly known. However, on The Godfather Part III's DVD commentary, Coppola explains that both he and Puzo had envisioned a fourth part to the saga, one storyline of which would deal with Vincent's reign as head of the Corleone family. Vincent, in opposition to the morals of his predecessors, was to have heavily involved the family in the drug trade—particularly the smuggling of cocaine—driving the Corleone clan back into corruption and eventual decline. Vincent's story ends with Vincent being hunted down and killed in a police shootout in a manner similar to the death of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar by the Search Bloc, and presumably bringing about the permanent end of the Corleone crime family.

This proposed film, titled The Godfather Part IV or The Godfather: The Final Part, would also have flashbacks to Vito Corleone's early days as a Don, and the childhood days of Sonny, Fredo, Michael and Connie Corleone, when they discover exactly the nature of their father's business. The film would also have portrayed the early days of Tom Hagen, Luca Brasi and Johnny Fontane, and Vito's first meeting with Hyman Roth. According to Coppola, Puzo had composed a rough draft alternating between Vincent's reign as boss and the "Happy Years" of 1926–1939. Leonardo DiCaprio, Luis Guzmán, Ray Liotta, and García himself have all expressed interest in doing this film. However, this project has largely lain dormant since Puzo's death in 1999.

Family

• Vito Corleone — Grandfather.
• Carmela Corleone — Grandmother.
• Santino Corleone — Father.
• Lucy Mancini — Mother.
• Tom Hagen — Adopted Uncle.
• Costanzia 'Connie' Corleone-Rizzi — Aunt.
• Fredo Corleone — Uncle.
• Michael Corleone — Uncle.
• Anthony Vito Corleone — Cousin.
• Mary Corleone — Cousin.
• Michael Rizzi — Cousin.
• Victor Rizzi — Cousin.
• Francesca Corleone — paternal half-sister
• Kathryn Corleone — paternal half-sister
• Frank Corleone — paternal half-brother
• Santino Corleone, Jr. — paternal half-brother