Originally posted by SC:
Clemenza is my favorite. He was dependable and loyal (and I'm thankful Richard Castellano chose not to appear in Part II because the thought of Clemenza turning rat is unimaginable).
He had a wonderful down-to-earth quality about himself... remember his "talk" with Michael in his basement (when teaching Mike about shooting Sollozzo), his teasing Mike about (then girlfriend) Kay, and his manner in which he stole the rug (with Vito). Remember, too, it was Clemenza whom Vito entrusted with bringing Mike back safely from Sicily.
He was capable at his job and he was funny, too. All in all, a great character.
Castellano plays much the same appealing character in the made-for-TV movie "Honor Thy Father" (1973), which I just viewed again last week. This is a very well-acted film all around (Joe Bologna, Brenda Vaccaro, Raf Vallone, Marc Lawrence), but Castellano stands out because of the same qualities that you cited in GF.
