I just went on a mini photo safari in the City (NY) and took some shots of things that should look familiar to most of you. Please realize, though, that over 30 years have passed since we've seen these locations in the movie, so if you don't recognize the location its understandable.

1. Barzini's steps - The courthouse steps in Foley Square where Barzini took a tumble after being shot. Movie fans will also recognize that this was the ending scene in "Twelve Angry Men".






2. 309 West 43rd Street - Clemenza, Paullie Gatto and Rocco Lampone were supposed to check out this address when they were "hunting" for a place to go to the mattresses.

3. The interior of Old St. Patrick's Cathedral - Michael became godfather to Connie's son here.



4.#128 Mott Street - This was the location for The Genco Olive Oil Co., in front of which Don Vito was gunned down. Fredo sat and cried on the curb there.

5. The Hotel Edison was used to film Luca Brasi's death scene. Here's the hallway he walked down just before entering the bar to meet Sollozzo.




6. The west side of Broadway by 49th Street. This WAS the home of Jack Dempsey's Restaurant in front of which Mike waited for the car occupied by Sollozzo, McCluskey and Lou.

7. And finally, Ellis Island. Nine year old Vito was quarantined there in 1901.

Great pics SC! So that's where you've been!

I can't say I remember 43rd St. or the Edison hallway (Did they actually show either in GF?), but the rest I do. I am so jealous. When I go to NY, I definitely want to see all this. And Ellis Island, what a thrill that would be, to walk the same grounds as my grandparents/father, not to mention Vito Corleone.

Thanks! If you get anymore pics, please post them. I find them very interesting.


TIS

P.S. Oh, I'm sure this is a dumb question to all you New Yorkers, but do I understand that Ellis Island is closed or not used anymore? Also, if it is not in use, is/was it modernized compared to how it was in the 1900's or did they maintain it pretty much with it's original look?

TIS -

The address "309 West 43rd Street" was only mentioned in the movie....the building was never shown.

The hallway in which Luca took his last walk was shown only briefly.....the scene was somewhat dark, possibly as a prelude of what was to come, just as the fishes on the door he entered were a prelude. (Damn....I forgot to take a pic of that).

I figured if anyone would appreciate the Ellis Island pic, you would. Ellis Island is now being used as a museum for immigration. Its quite chilling to visit and wonder what our ancestors must have thought when they first walked through its cavernous rooms. From what I understand its pretty much the same now as it was 100 years ago. (Its only about a 1/2 mile north of the Statue of Liberty, so the scene in which young Vito looks out the window and sees the Statue is real).

Awesome pics, SC! (Sorry I haven't replied to your email yet )

But as an aside - Ellis Island, though a significant character in GF2, was never actually used for filming... those "Ellis Island" scenes were shot in Italy...! (The image you show above, the statue of liberty was actually superemposed!)

The shots are great, though. And I tell you, when I took the pic of 309 W 43rd a few years ago, I surely don't remember it being so ornate! They must've renovated!!

I didn't know that. Now I hafta figure out if the reflection is correctly imaged


I had also taken a pic similar to yours (from across the street) which showed the "Parking" sign on the right hand side of the building. When I reviewed it I deleted it figuring you already had a pic like that.

Great work SC!

You must've had a great time hunting these places down.

I would love to come to NYC one day to undertake a similar project. Oh well, we can all dream!

Those pics are great SC! I just don't recognise Genco Olive Oil Co., though.

Don't forget....this is 32 years after the movie was filmed. The neighborhood has changed quite a bit. Its still called "Little Italy", but its predominantly Chinese now. The side of the street from which I took that picture was filled with fish markets catering to (and owned by) Chinese. (Some of the markets had fish still flopping around, which grossed out my lady friend).

Anyway, that particular building has had some cosmetic work done to it including siding on the front, so it looks a lot different from when it was in the movie.

Great thread. One of my ambitions in life is to go to the part of Sicily where they filmed the scenes set in Corleone.

P.S. Did you know that the catheleral used for the Baptism scene was also used in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets?

I also know that Ellis Island has what it calls "The Wall Of Fame" and you can purchase a spot to put your ancestors name/names who came thru Ellis Island. Can you go inside? They have tours right?

I didn't know they didn't use Ellis Island in GF either. It sure looked real. None of it was really Ellis Island? Not even the outside shot??

TIS

SC, great photos! Thanks again for a wonderful public service to the paisani.
Incidentally: the sign in Chinese in front of 128 Mott Street says: "Welcome, Virgil Sollozzo"
TIS: Ellis Island is well worth visiting.

Yeah, absolutely good pics.

I love them "before" and "after" pictures. Being in the Philadelphia area, I have tracked down many of the "Rocky" locations. The funny thing about Rocky is that he was suppossed to be a fighter from South Philly, but most of the scenes were shot in North Philly, in an area referred to as Kensington.
Your next assignment, should you decide to accept it, would be to get a shot of Clemenza house. I would guess that is in the New York area too.......

Great shots SC. The shot of young Vito looking out the window of "Ellis Island" is definetly a superimpose job as JGeoff points out. For the reflection to be correct, Vito would be on Governor's Island, not Ellis Island. The Lady holds the torch in her right hand and she faces Brooklyn. The way the reflection is, Vito would not be in Ellis Island. (but maybe they quarantined him on Governor's Island.) There is another scene when the immigrants pass the Statue on the ship, Mosholu, where they are leaving the harbor, not entering. Again this is based on the Statue holding the torch in the right hand.

A few weeks ago I was in the theatre district with my family. We came upon the Edison Hotel and I looked in the doorway and recognized the same motif as Luca's walk of fame. Of course I was making a big deal about it and embarrassing my family. (Here he goes again with that Godfather stuff)

You should check out their website www.ellisisland.org. You can look up your ancestors and find the ship they came in on and its manifest. Very cool.

Great pix SC and thank you. I thought I resurrect this thread so that new members like myself would get to see it too.

Excellent pictures, SC. Seeing others post pictures from where they've been make me jealous. I've always wanted to go to New York, even before I became I fan of The Godfather.

Awesome pics.No changes at all in 30 years

Grazie mille!

originally posted by SC: !!! OMG !!!

i never ever realized that. I always admired those fishes on the glass and noticed them there, but never ever saw the connection with Luca about to be "sleeping with the fishes."

Had some fun with your pictures.....

Nice work

Great idea Afsaneh77! I am sure that the new members will really appreciate your resurrecting this thread!
I sure appreciated seeing, for a second time, these great pics that SC took!


Don Cardi

Nice Pics!
One of these days I keep telling myself I'm going down to New York.

Some of us took an impromptu romp of Little Italy last night, and argued about the location. Too bad pictures from the film weren't in hand, and, it was dark out, but here's some more photo evidence. I've lightened the pictures up to see the detail better....

This is 122 Mott Street, which (almost) looked like Genco Olive Oil from GF2 -- compare with the version underneith. I suppose it could be, but the top building looks larger to me (although that garage door to the right looks intriguingly like where Hyman Rothstein met Young Vito.) And the brickwork doesn't seem to match up:



It was suggested this could be the office from GF2, because it was a short building, but, we never actually see the roof:



I never presumed that the early version (above) was the same office Don Vito had in GF1. And it certainly doesn't look like it. Here's the door he emerges from, out of his office, before he gets shot. And it really pisses me off that the last digit of the address isn't clear:



It also was curious that, upon visiting 128 Mott Street, that there was more than one entrance with the same address. The picture that SC took and displayed of the Asian Grocery, and also this one - which I think could be what his office looks like now.



Now that I have these pics, the next time I (or someone) goes up there could take a more closer look -- in the daytime.

In fact, neither location could be correct.

Thoughts?

You're making assumptions that are no longer true. Notice now that the whole building (the Mietz Building) is referred to as 128 Plaza, while in the past it was known by the addresses 128-138 Mott Street (the higher range of those numbers were to the northern edge of the block - Grand Street).

Back in the day the block looked a lot different (old tenement) than the cosmetic changes seen today. I saw the storefront a year or two (or three) after the movie was filmed, and I stand by my photo as the movie's location for the don's office.

BTW - Here's how the upper floors look in daylight (of the ENTIRE building):



Its next door to the building you've labelled 122 Mott St.

I trust ya.

...but I find it amazing how much it's changed, then. From those ornate double-doors Vito exited, to cheesy grocery store glass doors. I also suggested the location since it appears the Don's doors were recessed quite a bit, like the plaza's lobby doors. But hey, I wasn't there back then...