“ | Oh, I think you got hit by the thunderbolt. | „ |
~ Fabrizio to Michael Corleone in Italian. |
Fabrizio is a supporting antagonist from Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather and it's 1972 film adaptation of the same name as well as a minor antagonist in the 1974 sequel The Godfather Part II and an overarching antagonist in the 1990 threequel The Godfather Part III. He is a bodyguard working for Don Tommasino, Michael Corleone, and later Emilio Barzini.
He was portrayed by Angelo Infanti in the film.
Biography[]
Fabrizio was a Sicilian shepherd and bodyguard working for Don Tommasino, and old friend of Vito Corleone. After Michael Corleone killed Virgil Sollozzo and Mark McCluskey in 1946 he went into hiding in Sicily near the village of Corleone under the protection of Don Tommasino. Fabrizio along with his friend Calo were assigned to protect Michael Corleone. At one point they met a beautifull local girl named Apollonia Vitelli with whom Michael fell in love and soon married. Fabrizio was the one that translated Michael's proposition to Apollonia's father and later was present at the wedding.
Fabrizio had long wanted to leave Sicily and go to America in order to live a better life. Following Michael's wedding he was soon bought out by Don Emilio Barzini who at the time was in a bloody war with the Corleone Family and wanted to kill Michael Corleone. In 1948 Fabrizio put a bomb in Michael's car with the intent to kill him. However, his wife Apollonia wanted to surprise him and show him how well she knows to drive. Fabrizio left the house immediately and the car exploded killing Apollonia. Even though Fabrizio failed to kill Michael he fled into New York, sponsored by the Barzini family. There he owned a pizzeria named Fred Vincent in Buffalo. He also married an American woman and had two children with her.
Re-emergence[]
In 1958, he was heard from again and informed on to the Corleone Family by the Barzini family, who held a truce with them following the Five Families War. Al Neri informed Michael during the confirmation party for his son Anthony, that Fabrizio now owned a pizzeria in Buffalo under the name 'Fred Vincent'. When Michael Corleone learned of his whereabouts in 1958, he sent his top enforcer Al Neri to put a bomb in his car, thus killing him and avenging his late wife Apollonia.
Legacy[]
Even though Fabrizio didn't have a big role, his actions were pivotal to the story as his killing of Apollonia turned Michael Corleone into a completely different person, thus making him indirectly responsible for many tragic events that transpired involving the Corleone family. He also traumatised Michael as even in his old age he didn't fully recover from Apollonia's death and Fabrizio's betrayal which was seen during his time in Sicily in the third film.
Behind the scenes[]
Fabrizio's role in the novel is much the same, but when Michael has all the Dons of the Five Families killed in 1955 he sends a man to Fabrizio's pizzeria who executes him. This ending was shot for the film, but was cut from the final release. Instead, it was re-introduced in the made-for-television The Godfather Saga, taking place during the time frame of the second movie.
In an alternate deleted scene from the film, Michael personally shoots Fabrizio. This scene has never been released, although publicity photos were distributed of Michael firing a Lupara Double-barrel shotgun.
Fabrizio was portrayed by Angelo Infanti. In the novel his name is spelled Fabrizzio.
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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 |