Vincent Corleone

Vincent Santino Corleone (né Mancini) is a fictional character in the 1990 feature film The Godfather Part III, in which he is portrayed by Andy García,^[1] who was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance. Vincent is the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone and his mistress Lucy Mancini. He eventually succeeds his uncle Michael as head of the Corleone family. Retroactive continuity ("retcon") was employed to create the character's existence for The Godfather Part III, as it is evident from Mario Puzo's original novel that Lucy did not conceive a child with Sonny.

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 not included as one of the Corleone family. When his uncle, Michael Corleone, offers him employment in one of the family's legitimate businesses, Vincent declines, preferring to work for Joey Zasa, who by then is running the remains of the Corleone criminal empire in New York City. Vincent attempts to endear himself to his uncle by trying to protect him from rival Mafia families, Michael is hesitant preferring to go toward legitimate business but the aging Michael sees that Vincent has inherited Sonny's temper and fears he will suffer his father's fate. Michael 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 and Neri's approval). Michael is angry at Vincent for acting without his approval, and is troubled by Vincent's burgeoning romance with Michael's daughter (and Vincent's cousin) Mary. Michael fears that Vincent's growing involvement in the "family business" will put Mary in danger. Mary asks Vincent about the stories he heard about Sonny and Michael in the "old days". Vincent tells her that Sonny was a legend and "the prince of the city" and that he heard numerous stories about Sonny, who died prior to Vincent's birth. Vincent calls Michael "a hero that saved the family". Mary asks if it's true that Michael killed his brother Fredo, Vincent says they're "just stories".

When Michael realizes that his old ally, Don Altobello, has turned against him, he has Vincent spy on Altobello, making him think that he wants to 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 politician.

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 Lucchesi, 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 storyline depicting Vincent's reign heading the Corleone family. Vincent, deviating from his predecessors' morals, would have entered the family into the drug trade, driving the Corleone clan back into corruption and eventual decline. Vincent's story ends with him being killed similarly to Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, and presumably ending the Corleone crime family.

This proposed film, titled The Godfather Part IV or The Godfather: The Final Part, would include flashbacks to Vito Corleone's early days as 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 all expressed interest in the film. However, this project has lain dormant since Puzo's death in 1999.

Family

• Sonny Corleone — father
• Lucy Mancini — mother
• Francesca Corleone — paternal half-sister
• Kathryn Corleone — paternal half-sister
• Frank Corleone — paternal half-brother
• Santino Corleone, Jr. — paternal half-brother
• Vito Corleone — paternal grandfather
• Carmela Corleone — paternal grandmother
• Tom Hagen — adopted paternal uncle
• Fredo Corleone — paternal uncle
• Michael Corleone — paternal uncle
• Constanzia "Connie" Corleone — paternal aunt
• Anthony Corleone — paternal cousin
• Mary Corleone — paternal cousin/lover
• Victor Rizzi — paternal cousin
• Michael Rizzi — paternal cousin

References