Rocco Lampone

Rocco Lampone was a secondary villain in The Godfather and the movies and games based on the novel.

Part of Peter Clemenza's regime, Rocco rose quickly within the organization. When Paulie Gatto was exposed as the traitor who sold out Vito Corleone to Virgil Sollozzo Sonny Corleone directed Clemenza to have him killed right away. Clemenza told Lampone that he was going to "make his bones" by killing Gatto.

In order to lull Gatto into a false sense of security Clemenza and Lampone had Gatto drive them around the New York area looking for suitable locations for Corleone Family soldiers to go to the mattresses. When Clemenza had Gatto pull over in a semi-rural area to relieve himself, Lampone shot Gatto in the back of the head, killing him. Coming back to the car Clemenza directed Lampone to leave the gun but take the cannoli Clemenza had purchased for his wife.

Following the murder of Gatto Lampone rose steadily in the Corleone organization, accompanying Michael Corleone as he moved the family out to Las Vegas. Lampone served as director of security at the Lake Tahoe compound. Despite all his precautions two men hired by Hyman Roth were able to stage an assassination attempt against Michael at the compound.

Michael later had Lampone meet Hyman Roth when Roth was forced to return to the United States. Taken into custody by Federal agents, a crowd of reporters gathered around Roth. Included was Lampone, who posed as a reporter. After Roth said he returned to vote in the Presidential election Lampone walked up to Roth and shot him in the stomach.

Lampone tried to escape in the confusion and panic that resulted from his shooting of Roth, however he was shot by a Federal agent, killing him.

Trivia

 * Rocco was played by Tom Rosqui in the first two movies. Michael Dobson voiced him in the video games.


 * An initial draft of the third film had Lampone surviving and still serving the family as a capo.