Frank Pentangely...

Dear Fellow Members:

In some previous topic called "About Me" I was making reference to Frank Pentangely, not to me... Sorry if I wasnt in off clear.
Now this topic is about Frank Pentangely, the Godfather character... OK? Did you like him? Or dislike him? Anything you want to add as a feedback that you consider important.

Love ya all!
Frankie

Actually Im stealing that line from Latin Don, hope theres not problem.

Frankie Five Angels was a great character, and I would've loved to see Clemenza in GF II instead, but also would've rather seen Frankie betray Mike than Fat Clemenza.

Yeah! I agree, that betrayal was to be perform by Frankie.
In my personal opinion Frankie was the best character ever!
See ya!
FRANK

Frankie Five Angels was one of my favorite characters in the trilogy. I loved his mannerisms, and the way that he spoke.

" MICHAEL, your sitting high up in the Sierra mountains. And your drinkin' - uh, what's he drinkin'? Champaign, Uh, Champaign Cocktails"


"My family no mangiare Reno; no mangiare Las Vegas -- and no mangiare with HYMAN ROTH!"


"And I want everyone here to know -- there's not gonna be no trouble from me! Don Corleone. Cicc', a porta!"


Excellent dialogue with fantastic delivery. Frankie Pentangelli is definitely one of the best GF charaters.


Don Cardi

I think we can all agree that Michael V. Gazzo was electrifying as Five Angels...

Don Cardi:
That are such valuable quotes from such a valuable character! If anyone have more quotes, please write them down and reply with them.

I dont mangiare with no Hyman Roth

Frankie Pentangely

IMO, Michael V. Gazzo as Frankie made GFII. One of the best characters in any movie ever. He was "Everyman as caporegime": that well-meaning, confused attitude, holding onto traditional notions while the world of Big-Business Mafia passed him by. Most telling scene: "Michael, I don't have your head for the..ah..big deals. But why don't we hit 'em now, while we got the muscle?" Brilliant!

But the question is if he didn't kill himself would Michael have ordered Frankie's death.

Michael did order the death of Frankie. And he gave the contract to.....Frankie.

They knew that they could not get to him in a federal maximum security army base prison. So the best way to get to him was through a lawyer who would be permitted to see Frankie. And that lawyer was Tom Hagen. It was Hagen who gave the contract to Frankie, to carry out on himself.

I believe that it was probably Tom's idea in that he, unlike Michael, still had a respect for tradition, and probably felt bad for Pentangeli in his own way. Of course Tom realized that no matter what, Pentangeli had to answer for turning against Mike and the family, but at least with this idea, it would serve what Michael wanted to happen to Frankie and at the same time it would give Frankie the respectability of righting a wrong himself which would save his family from shame and misfortune.

TOM : "Frankie -- when a plot against the Emperor failed -- the planners were always given a chance to let their families keep their fortunes."

PENTANGELI :"Yea -- but only the rich guys TOM. The little guys -- they got knocked off and all their estates went to the Emperors. Unless they went home and uh, killed themselves -- then nothing happened. And their families -- their families were taken care of TOM."

TOM : "That was a good break -- nice funeral."

PENTANGELI : "Yea -- they went home -- and sat in a hot bath -- opened up their veins -- and bleed to death.. And sometimes had a little party before they did it."


TOM :"Don't worry about anything Frankie Five Angles."


PENTANGELI :"Thanks TOM -- thanks."


Don Cardi

Yeh I know, but if Frankie didn't suicide and he was in maximum security, would Michael still tried to kill him?
If so, how?
That's the question i meant.

There is no question that eventually Michael would have gotten to Frankie. Remember, " if anything in this life is certain -- if history has taught us anything -- it's that you can kill anybody."


Don Cardi

...and/or his family. Some here infer from Frankie's line, "...and their families were taken care of..." to mean that Tom's visit implied a threat from Michael: take your own life and your family will be safe. But if you live, they die."

Michael knew that Frankie was one of the last old timers who still held true to the old Mafia traditions of Honor. This became very clear when he brought Frankie's brother to the hearing, and caused Frankie to perjure himself.

Dont forget that Frankie was up on all kinds of charges including murder, so once he renegged on his deal with the Feds he would have gone to prison eventually. Note that when Tom came to see him, it was Frankie who asked Tom what his next move should be, whereupon Tom steered him in the right direction by assuring him that if he did the right thing hes family would be cared for.

That may have been one of the best scenes in all three GF movies.

You said it, dt!

Yes, both actors were superb in that scene. No question. i always loved how Duvall replied to Frankie when Frankie says "The Corleone Family was like the Roman Empire."

And Duvall replies " It was once. Frankie." And Duvall gets this look on his face, while puffing that cigar, that says "Yeah you're right Frankie, I sure miss those days." Almost a sad, meloncholy ( excuse spelling ) look.

Great scene.


Don Cardi

I feel really bad for Frankie. From what I gather the only reason he turned rat was because one of the Rosato brothers dropped Michaels name. Also he was an incredible character, such body language.

Yes, and the way Duvall threw away the cigar and told Frankie he had nothing to worry about. Then almost in a whisper Frankie says "Addio" to Tom. In Italian that means Goodbye...as in goodbye forever. It is not "ciao" or ci vidiamo" which both imply they will meet again, but truly a final fatal "goodbye." For all the comedy Frankie played, that was one touching moment.

If there was even a chance for Frankie to talk Michael would have no choice but to order his death and get the job done one way or another
He'd have no choice



Joe Batters

Dear Fellow Members:
I think wath make Frank to commit suicide was to keep its family safe and die proudly and show a final act of respect to the Corleone Family and the Mafia.

I have no head for Big Deals, but...
FRANKIE PENTANGELY

Is our dear friend Michael V. Gazzo still alive?

Alas, he died in 1995, age 72.

I can not say enough about Frankie Five Angels! Incredible Powerful Character!


"Your father did business with Hyman Roth;
your father respected Hyman Roth;
But your father never trusted Hyman Roth"


Frankie Pentangelli To Michael

He is my favorite character as well, as you can see from my avatar!
To me, his death was as tragic as Fredo's. And I agree with DonTomasso that the Roman Empire talk scene was one of the best scenes. I have seen Gazzo in just one more movie, something to do with Aligators and he is a cop or something. But he made the Pentangeli character so real. He should have got an Oscar for supporting role atleast.

No. His role was nowhere near enough to gain such an achievement. It would have been very surprising if he had won an oscar. Although his role was played greatly, his role was also a small one -- not merely large enough to be noticed as a supporting actor.

Welcome Don Chater. I agree with you partly. In the sense that there were other wonderful actors nominated for best supporting role along with Gazzo - Talia Shire(Connie) and Lee Strasberg(Roth). But only Lee Strasberg was in the male category. I don't know who the other nominees were for other movies. But given a choice between Gazzo and Lee, I would pick Gazzo.

You considered Fredo´s dead tragic?

It surprises me that if you love Frankie so much, you dont know how to spell his last name correctly.

Pentangali

Too much red wine

Whether he deserved it or not, I didn't like the fact that michael killed him.

Pentangeli

Pentageli's role was just not merely large enough to consider a nomination in best supporting actor. His time in GFII was too brief.

Actually he WAS nominated for the best supporting actor award for his role as Frank Pentangeli in Godfather 2.
He was nominated along with Lee Strasberg (Roth) and Robert DeNiro (Young Vito,) and lost to Deniro.

Here's one for all you Pentangeli fans out there:

What movie did Michael V. Gazzo make his acting debut in?


Don Cardi

Supposedly he had a tiny part in "On the Waterfront." I think his first major Hollywood claim to fame was as the author of "Hatfull of Rain" (1957), a fine, hard-hitting drama about drug addiction.

I did loved Frankie.
I have a guistion though: Frank did not deliver what the FBI wanted after all (since he saw Michael got his hands on his brother). Why then wasn't he send to prison? Why is he still guarded at that army base??
Well we know it's for his "protection" (not good enough!), but from the authorities point of view - why did'nt he was send to jail??

Sorry I meant to write : QUISTION

That's a good question Hagit2. You may find the answer that you are looking for right here :


http://www.gangsterbb.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=005963

Don Cardi

Too much red wine and no champagne coctails... I spell it the way I saw it on the subtitles when they passed Godfather Mini Series in a local TV channel, the first time I became a little of Frank Pentangely inside my.

So then during translation from the english language to your native language in subtitles, this is how they spelled his name?


Don Cardi

It isn't like DOn Cardi spelt it right anyways since the last a is actually an e to give you Pantangeli.

Don Chater, I'm confused by your post. Where did I mispell the name?


Don Cardi

I was correcting the italics.

Well, Don Cardi (my respects), at least that how I remember it to be...

He had a bit part in On The Waterfront but in 1953 he made his acting debut on "Robert Montgomery Presents" on the small screen

yu spelt it rong two!

it's Pentangeli