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| “ | Sorry, Johnny, It's just business. Give it to him. | „ |
| ~ Barzini before killing Johnny. |
| “ | If Don Corleone had all the judges, and the politicians in New York, then he must share them, or let others use them. He must let us draw the water from the well. Certainly he can present a bill for such services. After all – we are not Communists. | „ |
| ~ Emilio's short speech, as well as his most famous quote. |
| “ | I knew it, I knew it would be you. This, this isn't the end of Barzinis, I swear it! | „ |
| ~ Emilio's last words. |
Don Emilio Barzini is the main antagonist of Mario Puzo's bestseller crime novel The Godfather and its 1972 film adaptation and 2006 video game of the same name.
In his characterisation, he is a calculative mafia boss and Don of the Barzini crime family - thus leading one of the Five Families settled in New York City, USA, around the mid-20th century. Aiming to make his mafia empire the most powerful in America, Barzini resolves to eliminate the rival Corelone Family by having their respected head Vito Corleone killed due to opposing Barzini's idea of getting involved in drug trafficking; this consequently sets in mottion a chain of events that characteristically changes Vito's youngest son, Michael, forever.
He was portrayed by the late Richard Conte.
Biography[]
In the early 1930s, Barzini became one of the chief lieutenants in Giuseppe Mariposa's organizations, along with his brother Ettore. He began to grow unhappy with Mariposa after Mariposa murdered his friend "Tims" merely on suspicion of treachery, and after Barzini's failed attempt to assassinate Vito Corleone at a parade turned into a massacre, he began to see the tide turning and betrayed his master to Don Corleone.
Rise to power[]
After Mariposa's death, Barzini took over the remnants of his organizations and presided as head of one of New York's Five Families. He was generally reckoned as the second most powerful and richest Mafia chieftain in not just New York but the nation, behind only Vito Corleone. He rose to power shortly after Don Corleone and was a physical presence in the 1930s. He had interests in markets such as narcotics, gambling and prostitution, and was also clever enough to be interested in Las Vegas and Cuba.
In the 1940s, he was the man behind Virgil Sollozzo, Philip Tattaglia and the other Mafia families' quest to bring down the Corleone family. One decade later, more precisely in 1955, shortly after Vito Corleone's death, Emilio and the other family Dons were assassinated at the order of Michael Corleone, the new Don of the Corleone family. Emilio was walking down the stairs of New York Foley Court when he sees Al Neri, disguised in his old police uniform, kill his driver and bodyguard. Emilio frantically runs back up the stairs in an attempt to get away but gets fatally shot twice in the back and tumbles down the stairs.
Personality[]
Barzini possessed one of the most forward-thinking minds among the Five Families' Dons, largely due to his relative youth and deep understanding of the modern era of organized crime. He leveraged this advantage to exploit what he saw as the outdated beliefs of his rival, Vito Corleone. Unlike Don Vito, who held firm to tradition, Barzini was driven purely by profit, with little regard for the old ways. His frustration with Corleone’s resistance to drug trafficking was particularly evident, as he saw the narcotics trade as a lucrative opportunity, while Don Vito believed it would ultimately lead to the downfall of the Families and their enterprises.
However, unlike the wise and calculating Corleone, Barzini lacked true foresight. He focused only on immediate gains and dismissed the Godfather’s warnings about the mafia’s association with narcotics—a mistake that would later prove disastrous.
Despite his ruthlessness and treacherous nature, Barzini concealed his ambitions beneath a polished exterior. In social settings, he appeared courteous and reasonable, even displaying wit and humor while discussing the ongoing conflicts with fellow crime bosses. By aligning himself with the more blunt and reckless Philip Tattaglia, he maintained the illusion of neutrality. However, this deception was not enough to mislead Corleone, who quickly recognized Barzini as the true mastermind behind the effort to overthrow his family.
In the video game[]
In The Godfather: The Game, Don Emilio Barzini was the richest guy in New York and orders the murder of Johnny Trapani, but spares his wife and son out of pity. The son, Aldo, is promised by Don Corleone that one day, he will be able to take his revenge.
Years later, during the Five Families War, Barzini is initially confident of success, but begins to lose his grip following Sonny Corleone and Aldo Trapani's raid on the West Port Warehouse, which draws dangerously close to revealing the Barzinis role as the manipulators behind the violence. He is referred to by the Tattaglia Underboss as "The Wolf" and a "Puppet Master", implying the Tattaglias are just footsoldiers for the Barzinis.
During the baptism, Aldo is accompanied by Al Neri to the City Hall where instead of being gunned down on the steps, Barzini attempts to evade capture by Aldo. He is eventually cornered, and instead of putting up a fight, he admits defeat and taunts that the Barzinis are not yet terminated. The player then is left with the choice of how to kill him or letting the Corleones deal with him, finally avenging Aldo's father 19 years after his death.
Gallery[]
Images[]
Videos[]
External Links[]
- Emilio Barzini on the Pure Evil Wiki
- Emilio Barzini on the The Godfather Wiki
- Emilio Barzini on Wikipedia
[]
 Villains
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The Commission Corleone Family Tattaglia Family Barzini Family Stracci Family Cuneo Family Almedia Family Mangano Family Granados Family Rosato Family Others | ||