I'm just curious but why does everybody love this guy in GF II? I never really understood fully his role in the film, and furthermore I am baffled why so many people love him? The character that I LOVED the most who didn't get much camera time was Willie Cici! That guy was P-I-M-P

IM- the reason I think people like him are:

1) When he tries singing the song but the band plays pop goes the weasel I believe
2) The way he acted during the trial- They said michael corleone did this and Michael Corleone did that and I said yeah"

Well, I'd like to know that too- i never found anything pleasant about this guy. Why does he have so much time?

I think that his character is a left over of the a-typical old fashioned Italian mobster and an a-typical old fashioned Italian uncle at the same time. His actions are funny, his lines are funny, and let's face it, the way that he talks to Michael in the office, the way that he acts in front of Michael at the dinner table, no other person would have gotten away with acting like that, but Michael obviously felt like many of the viewers did in that he deep down liked the old man and respected him for who he really was. C'mon, the guy was funny : "Where's the peppers and sauzeege!" His trying to get an old fashioned Tarantella to be played only to have it turned into The Monkey chased the Weasel causing him to go into an old fashioned Italian tirade with italian curses! Funny stuff! The "Michael Corleone did this, and Michael Corleone did that" speech was just classic acting! Great stuff in my opinion. Bottom line is that every time Pentangelli is on the screen, he is very effective and captures the veiwer's interest! The character was definatley a great character!

" Lies Senator, all Lies!"

Just the way that he talks!

Watch him more closely next time you watch GFII!

Don Cardi

I agree with Don Cardi. He was funny and at the same time a nice guy too. In my opinion, he betrayed michael in the senator hearings because he was forced into the situation by all the clever games that michael and roth were playing against each other. I was (and still am) sad that Frankie had to die that way.

Of all the many, many brilliant casting decisions that FFC and company made, choosing Michael V. Gazzo to play Frankie was close to being the most brilliant. In addition to being funny and old-fashioned, he's the perfect transitional figure for GFII: the old-fashioned Mafia guy caught in modern, international intrigues he doesn't understand. Desperately trying to do the right thing, torn between old-time loyalty and new treachery. He's Everyman-as-Mobster. Even his betrayal of Michael is half-hearted, and the scene in the Senate hearing room, with his brother tweaking his conscience, is one of the top five scenes in the entire Trilogy.
BTW: If you look back on these boards, you'll see that plenty of people love Willie Cicci.

Oh really? I thougth there was only a couple of us. I liked this actor in the Godfather's and Rocky's. It's a shame he died because I REALLY like him in both series. He was just so cool and collect in the Godfather's. "Yeah, we had a lot of buffers"

Frankie is also one of my fav charecters in the Trilogy

Guess what? Mine too!!

If I had a dollar for every uncle I have who looks, sounds, and acts like Frank Pentangeli...

How true that is!


Don Cardi

If I had a dollar for every uncle I have who looks or sounds or acts like Frank Pentangeli...... I would be broke