Hi everybody!

Who is the old guy singing the song which Mama Corleone has started before at Connies wedding? What is he singing about? It's seems to be something nasty considering his gesture and the reaction of the other guests...Don't we see him again at Vitos funeral (stepping out of a limou)?

Thanx!

I have always wanted to know what some of the characters are saying in Italian. There are not subtitles in The Godfather. I have also always wanted to know what Fat Clemenza said to Pauli Gato in the car before he ordered Rocco Lampone to murder him.

Someone here - I forget who - had a logical, if purely speculative, argument that the old guy was Nazorine the Baker's father.

Nazorine is up there on the stage with him, and they exchange some words while there, I believe.

Moi!

TB and I still have a bet going about that. He doesn't think that it was Nazorine The Baker's father. I do.

(hey, maybe TB is onto something. maybe this old guy is the boss of the mysterious FIFTH family! )


Don Cardi

In no single version? Not even in the Saga/Epic/Trilogy,...?

Maybe in the pirate copy Luciano Fanucci has subtitles...

Here are the translated lyrics, courtesy of our Consigliere SC :

Don Cardi

If I'm not mistaken isn't he at the Don's meeting also?

At the wedding, I don't think there was ever any clue as to the identity of the singer. However, I like the theory that he is "The Baker's" father.

Mig, at the funeral, I recall an old man stepping out of a limo and believed it to be Don Altobello, who had no other part in GF I or II. I never thought that it was the same person as the singe at Connie's wedding.

tony b.

I'm sure that the old man stepping out of the limo was the wedding singer.

If you recall, there's a pause after everyone elses leaves their cars before the old man is helped out, probably because FFC wants us to see only him, as a reminder that we saw him earlier in the wedding scene.

I don't, BTW, believe that he was at the meeting of the Dons.

As far as him being Altobello goes, I agree with what someone else recently said:

The Altobello character was dreamed up strictly for GF III

The old man singing at Connie's wedding was the same guy who later got helped out of the car at Vito's funeral.

Well SC, being that Plaw and TB had their match at the Garden dubbed " The Battle Over The Five Families" Now I want my shot at the title for " The Battle Over The Old Man."


Don Cardi

Thanks to Don Cardi and SC for the translation. I recall the book saying that the song sung at the wedding had lyrics that were dodgy but nothing could have prepared me for that particular verse.

All I did was re-post one of SC's original posts. So SC is the one who deserves all the thanks.


Don Cardi

Neal,
I just watched that scene again and they show him after they show Phillip Tattaglia. When they are showing all the Don's that showed up.

He kind of looks like Stracci to me.

(Wasn't Stracci the old man who was killed in the elevator by Clemenza?)

Correct.

I'm with you Mig. He was at the meeting.

Thank you MC Least I know I'm not seeing things

This morning Mrs. Cardi and I were watching TV and came across The Godfather on AMC. We happened to come across the wedding scene and I began to tell her about this topic in regards to who the old man was, and Turnbull's thoughts versus my thoughts.

So as the scene approached where the old man comes up to sing, I asked my wife to watch closely and tell me who she thought that he was.

After watching the scene she turned to me and said "I think that I have to side with your friend Turnbull on this one, nothing indicates to me that he is Nazorine's father."

I immedeatly turned to her and said " Mrs. Cardi, your my wife, and I love you, but don't EVER take sides against the family again!"

So Turnbull, without her ever even reading your posts, or ever meeting you in person, Mrs. Cardi has taken YOUR side in this discussion.



Don Cardi

Yes, but Don Cardi...that is not justice. You told her BOTH sides before she answered, thus prejudicing her either way.

You should've just let her answer the question, without providing any background information at all.

Apple

I just had the same situation with my wife last night. Four of us were going out to dinner, and were deciding where to go. Everyone decided to go where I wanted to go except for her! I had to tell her "never take sides against the family again"

So Johnny Ola what place did she want to go to? and how was the food there

DC ... don't ever discuss the family business with your wife again......ever!

OK, I just saw Connie's wedding in The Godfather. Mama Corleone begins to sing the song, then she beckons to someone else to join her on the stage. What she says is, "Nazorine, vieni qua," (Nazorine, come here). The next time you see her is when she is joined on stage by Nazorine the baker, and the old man, who has taken over the microphone. I'm beginning to think that DC is right about this one.

It's possible that it's just some old Italian guy who knew Coppola, and they told him it was a real wedding. There's been a dirty old geezer like that at every Italian wedding I've ever been to.

That idea never crossed my mind of the old man being the baker's father.

Don Cardi,
What made you come to that conclusion?

i just watched the movie tonite on amc, and without even seeing the post i noticed that the same actor who you guys were talkign about sang at the wedding, was the same guy at the funeral, and was at the meeting that Vito had after sonny was killed. they even say his name as the camera is on him at that meeting. if someone feels like digging out the movie they can answer the question, i dont feel liek going to get it now, but it is definitely the same actor all 3 times

If the old man is Nazorine's father - certainly a possibility, but something we can never know for sure one way or the other - then what was he doing at the meeting of the Dons also?

If he was a Don himself (perhaps the un-named head of the missing 6th family?), then there's no way he could have also been Nazorine's father. If he were a Don, why would Nazorine have to go to Don Corleone for assistance.

So on that basis, if he was Nazorine's father, what was he doing at the meeting?

I believe this old fellow is also one of those shot by Clemenza in the elevator during the baptism scene.

No, he is not the baker's father.

Apple

im certain that the old man is Stracci , as he gets killed in the elevator and his name is said at the meeting