The Inspiration for Don Lucchese?

In the director's commentary for GFIII, FFC makes several references to the fact that the true-life inspiration for the Don Lucchese character is one that would be obvious to any Italian that remembers in the late 70s or early 80s. However, unlike when he mentions by name the inspiration for the Keinzig character, he avoids openly stating the name of this powerful Italian- anybody know who this guy was and what he was famous for? I get the idea he was more of a shady political figure than a Don in LCN.

Sammy The Bull

Could it be Frank Lucchese former manager of the Philadelphia Phillies?

I don't think that man would be known to every Italian.

Could be many people: Inzerillo, Badalamenti, Bontate, Salva Lima, ...

Sammy sleeps w/the fishes,

I always thought Lucchese was a northern italian who could be considered a lombard(one of those strange blond haired italians puzo talks about). His accent sounds 100% german to me, but this is yet another unresolved issue from 3. although he has an italian name i think his family descends from those original german barbarians that invaded rome circa 100a.d.

....and those original german barbarians who dismantled the roman empire became known as the inheritors of the 'holy roman empire'. they vowed to repair the western empire and challenge the eastern (byzantium) empire, and the papal states were at the center of this whole thing. so in my humble opinion he is w/o doubt a germanic race, and coppola had no choice but to include the german element in a story that deals w/ the papal states.

Never-mind, I talked to TURNBULL.....he's not a germ-ital., just the actor is.

Right. Besides, just because a guy speaks English with a German accent doesn't necessarily mean he's german- it could mean that his second language was German, and his education in english involved a german - english translation. For example, here in Iraq, there are translators who's first language is Arabic, and they speak English with a French Accent, because they spoke learned english in a french-speaking school.

Sammy The Fish