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Michael, we're bigger than U.S. Steel!
~ Hyman Roth
This is the business we have chosen.
~ Hyman Roth

Hyman Roth, born Hyman Suchowsky, is the main antagonist Michael’s side of the story of the 1974 film The Godfather Part II. He is a powerful crime boss and business partner and rival of Vito Corleone and, later, his son Michael.

He was portrayed by the late Lee Strasberg.

Biography[]

Roth was working as a car mechanic in the 1920s when Peter Clemenza introduced him to Vito. While Clemenza wanted to give him the nickname "Johnny Lips", Vito suggested that Roth should change his name after someone he admired. Roth told Vito that he admired Arnold Rothstein for fixing the World Series, and Vito suggested going forward he go by the name Hyman Roth.

Roth worked with the Corleone Family during Prohibition, smuggling molasses out of Cuba to make bootleg rum. Frank Pentangeli later said that while Vito worked with and respected Roth, he never trusted him.

In the late 1950s Roth lived in Florida, for all intents and purposes appearing as an "investor living on a pension". However Roth was actually a multimillionaire and a powerful crime boss.

Roth was a friend and mentor to gangster Moe Greene, who helped develop Las Vegas into a major gambling and entertainment destination. When Greene was assassinated in 1955, Roth suspected (correctly) that Michael Corleone, Vito's son and the new Don of the Corleone Family, ordered the hit. He did not take any immediate revenge, however, preferring to bide his time and draw Michael in to lull him into a false sense of security, in keeping with the Mafia adage, "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

In 1958, Roth goes into business with Michael, negotiating with Fulgencio Batista's regime in Cuba to invest in the country's hotel industry and achieve Michael's dream of legitimizing the Corleone family. While Roth does want to profit from the deal, it is mostly a ploy to have Michael killed. Roth orders his right-hand man Johnny Ola to manipulate Michael's brother Fredo into giving him information on the Corleone Family that Roth uses to stage an assassination attempt on Michael, shooting up his bedroom. Michael knows that Roth was behind the attempt on his life, but maintains their friendly business relationship to make him think he is safe so he will let his guard down.

Michael and Fredo travel to Cuba to finalize the deal with Batista, but Michael begins to have doubts when he sees how determined Fidel Castro's rebel army is to overthrow the regime. On New Year's Eve, he sends an assassin to kill Roth in the hospital where he is being treated for heart problems, but the hit is foiled by the Cuban police. Meanwhile, Michael discovers that Fredo betrayed him to Roth moments before Castro's forces topple Batista's regime, ruining Michael and Roth's plans.

Back in the United States, Roth has the Rosato Brothers try to kill Michael's caporegime Frank Pentangeli to make him think that Michael ordered his death, thus manipulating him into giving testimony to a Senate investigative committee on organized crime that is seeking to indict Michael and topple the Corleone Family. Michael also learns from Fredo that the chief prosecutor, Questadt, is on Roth's payroll. Michael retaliates by flying Pentangeli's brother Vincenzo in from Sicily to intimidate his brother into recanting his testimony.

Roth tries to move to Israel under the Law of Return and live out the rest of his life there, but Israel's high court refused his admission because of his criminal history. He then seeks asylum from several Latin and South American countries, but they also turn him down.

Roth flies back to the United States, and is taken into police custody upon his arrival at Miami International Airport. While Roth speaks with reporters, Corleone soldier Rocco Lampone shoots him in the stomach, killing him.

Trivia[]

  • Hyman Roth was portrayed by Lee Strasberg, who founded the Actors Studio and was considered the father of Method Acting in North America. Two of his students were Al Pacino (Michael Corleone) and Robert De Niro (the young Vito Corleone). His work on The Godfather II earned him an Academy Award nomination.
  • A younger Roth was played by John Menga in a deleted scene in the second film where he was introduced to Vito. For the video game adaptation of The Godfather II Roth was voiced by Danny Jacobs.
  • Roth was based on the Jewish gangster Meyer Lansky, who also ran molasses from Cuba and was a partner of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. He was also friends with Bugsy Siegel, who the Moe Greene character was based upon. Roth's original last name of Suchowsky was based on Lansky's original surname Suchowlansky. After an unsuccessful attempt to move to Israel Lansky returned to the United States to face tax evasion charges. Unlike Roth he was not killed upon arrival. After being acquitted of the charges Lansky spent the rest of his life living a quiet existence in Miami. Lansky died at the age of 80. While having no assets on paper, it was believed he was worth millions when he died.

External links[]

Navigation[]

           The Godfather Logo Villains

The Commission
Emilio Barzini | Michael Corleone | Vito Corleone | Carmine Cuneo | Vincent Forlenza | Victor Stracci | Philip Tattaglia | Joseph Zaluchi

Corleone Family
Vito Corleone | Sonny Corleone | Fredo Corleone | Michael Corleone | Connie Corleone | Vincent Corleone | Luca Brasi | Peter Clemenza | Salvatore Tessio | Tom Hagen | Al Neri | Rocco Lampone | Paulie Gatto | Marty Malone | Willie Cicci | Frank Pentangeli | Joey Zasa | Aldo Trapani | Dominic Trapani

Tattaglia Family
Philip Tattaglia | Bruno Tattaglia | Virgil Sollozzo | Mark McCluskey | Don Altobello

Barzini Family
Emilio Barzini | Emilio Barzini Jr. | Fabrizio

Others
Anthony Squigliaro | Carlo Rizzi | Moe Greene | Nick Geraci | Hyman Roth | Francesco Ciccio | Don Fanucci | Jack Woltz | Joe Galtosino | Johnny Ola | Licio Lucchesi | Louie Russo | Archbishop Gilday | Frederick Keinszig | Mosca of Montelepre | Strollo | Spara | Rosato Brothers | Patrick Geary | Jerry Wagner | Kevin Moonan | Giuseppe Mariposa | Questadt

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