What was Frank Pentangelli's position?

Given the odd hierachy of the Family in Part II, I have to wonder, was it like any of the following:

Michael
BOSS

Tom
CONSIGLIERE

Frank Pentangelli
UNDERBOSS/ACTING BOSS

Al Neri
CAPO

Rocco Lampone
CAPO

Willi Cicci
CAPO

Fredo Corleone
CAPO

Or:

Michael Corleone
BOSS

Tom
CONSIGLIERE

Frank Pentangelli
CAPO/Underboss (New York division)

Al Neri
CAPO/Underboss (Nevada division)

Rocco Lampone
Soldier

Willi Cicci
Soldier

Good question. The scene where Frankie tells Mike that I want to be able to run my Family without you on my back",and Mike responds,"Your Family is still called Corleone,and you'll run it like a Corleone" would seem to imply that Five Angels was an extremely high ranking Capo at the very least.Perhaps even the Street Boss of New York.

I think he was the street boss in New York. Hee ran the old olive oil business. Definitely a capo. Rocco was also a capo and Neri was a capo, but informally was higher up in the pecking order. Tom was consigliere.

I think all of ya'll are wrong. The novel states that "... and Clemenza had his own family. Rocco Lampone was the Corleone caporegime." That being so, Clemenza's "own family" was the Corleone family. It seems unlikely that once Clemenza died that Michael took back the family. No. Frankie was the Don.

Frankie was still subordinate to Michael. Fact. I agree that he was basically an acting boss/street boss. Willie Cicci, although being listed as only a soldier was more than likely acting as a caporegime for Pentangeli in New York.

Oh, now you convinced me.

We don't see in any way that he was subordinate to Michael. Michael just treats him that way. He has to stand in line when he wants to talk to him, he gives him orders, etc.
As we know, the Frankie character was a quick fix because Castellano refused to play the original Clemenza character, a subordinate to Vito and perhaps Michael. So we must see Frankie as some kind of variation of Clemenza who inherited the New York empire of the Corleones. Michael let him do his own stuff but he demanded total loyalty and even obedience, even though there was no more hierarchical structure to support that authority.

Pentangeli took over Clemenza's crew, meaning he was a capo.

Well put. As I posted above, the novel states that Clemenza had his own family. When he died, who took its reins? Well, the only film link are Michael's statements to Frankie: "CLEMENZA promised the Rosato brothers three territories in the Bronx after he died. You took over, and you didn't give it to them."

"I was very happy that this house never went to strangers -- first CLEMENZA took it over, now you."

And I almost forgot about this:

PENTANGELI" I -- I -- I never know no Godfather.I got my own family, SENATOR.

Are you sure you've seen the movie, because taken aside a drunk Frankie at Anthony's communion celebration, he acts subordinate to Michael in about every way. Michael ordered Frankie to make peace with the Rosatos, because he was doing important business with Hyman Roth and didn't want it disturbed, and Frankie followed those orders, even though he hated the Rosatos and wanted to eliminate them.



There was still an official hierarchy, confirmed by the chart that was shown at the Senate hearings. Those are the facts presented by the film. As to whether the chart was accurate or not is mere speculation and depends on your own imagination, also known as fanfiction.

Could Frankie have been a "front boss"?
In the old days, some Bosses used a guy to act as "Boss", like, to play the role of Boss and even be treated as such, to take the heat off the real Boss.

Tony Accardo ruled the Outfit in Chcago for a long time while for some of that time Sam Giancana was the front boss. But everyone knew who was the real boss. So, could Frankie have been a boss in that sense? Yes. Still, as I posted above, at the Senate hearing, Frankie testifies that he had his own family.

I think when he says "I have my own family", he's talking about his blood family. Not a Mafia family.

Sort of like how in real life when John Gotti was asked if he was the boss of the Gambino Crime Family, he replied he was a member of the Gotti family and his wife was the boss.

He was more an acting boss, although Michael may have viewed him as only a front boss.

When Frankie made that statement it was obviously because he had just changed his mind about breaking omertà, seeing that his brother was present at the hearing, which could have implied several things.

No way. when Frankie Pentanglia said he had his own Family, he meant that he was the Boss of one of the Mafia Families. The senator didn't care nor was he even talking about anyone's personal Family. They were talking about the Mafia. I think Frankie was great in the Movie. One of my favorite Characters. Frankie Five Angels.

And don't forget the scene where Michel pays Pentangelli an unexpected visit at his home. Clearly, Pentangelli shows him a lot of deference. I mean at the look on his face when his wife tells him Michael is waiting for him in the study. Looks like he's about to shit a brick.