Here's something interesting - it's from The Godfather Journal by Ira Zuckerman. It's a day-by-day account of the filming, and though Zuckerman is not entirely accurate about a number of things, this passage (page 128) is worth mentioning (boldface is mine):

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63rd DAY OF SHOOTING WEDNESDAY JUNE 23

Exterior location at 118th Street and Pleasant Avenue in Manhattan. Hot and muggy day in this Italian tenement section.

Local Italian-American League members have been hired to help control the crowds and cool any problems. Some of them carry sawed-off broomsticks. One of the crew comments, "They really bought off the local toughs to keep this neighborhood in tow. . . get their cooperation. Normally it would be raining Coke bottles down on us from the rooftops."

The large, extremely unruly crowds are excited by the sequence that is being filmed today (Sonny beating up Carlo Rizzi) and have to be held back behind barricades and ropes. Actor Gianni Russo ends up with two cracked ribs and a chipped elbow, in spite of the fact that most of the work was done by his stand-in and stunt man, Paul. Paul works as Russo's double in all the long shots of the beating, which he also choreographed. During each take the crowds shout encouragement and at the end cheer and applaud wildly.

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Hmmm..... Interesting, to say the least. This may answer the question "Where did Sonny get the broomsticks?"


Signor V.