Frederico Corleone | |
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John Cazale as Fredo Corleone
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First appearance | The Godfather |
Last appearance | Godfather II |
Created by | Mario Puzo |
Portrayed by | John Cazale |
Information | |
Nickname(s) | Fredo, Freddie |
Gender | Male |
Occupation | Mobster, Hotel & Casino Manager, Brothel Owner, Actor, Television Host |
Title | Soldier, Capo, Underboss |
Family | Corleone family |
Spouse(s) | Deanna Dunn-Corleone |
Children | One illegitimate son with Marguerite "Rita" Duvall |
Father | Vito Corleone |
Mother | Carmela Corleone |
Brother |
Sonny Corleone Michael Corleone Tom Hagen (adopted brother) |
Sister | Connie Corleone |
Fredo (Frederico) Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather. Fredo is portrayed by American actor John Cazale in the Francis Ford Coppola film adaptation and in the sequel, The Godfather Part II.
He is the second son of the mafia don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro). Fredo is the younger brother of Sonny (James Caan) and the elder brother to Michael (Al Pacino) and sister, Connie (Talia Shire).
In both Puzo's novel and the film adaptations, Fredo is characterized as weaker and less intelligent than his brothers; he therefore has little real power or status within the Corleone crime family. The infant Fredo had pneumonia. In the novel, Fredo's primary weakness is his womanizing, a habit he develops after moving to Las Vegas and which earns his father's disfavor. In the films, Fredo's feelings of personal inadequacy and his inability to act effectively on his own behalf are character flaws leading to greater consequences.
In a pivotal scene in the novel and film, Fredo is with his father when assassins working for drug kingpin Virgil Sollozzo (Al Lettieri) gun down Don Corleone in the street. Fredo, terrified, drops his gun, failing to return fire. He sits on the curb next to his severely wounded father, weeping. In the novel, Fredo is sickened after witnessing his father being shot, going into shock. To aid Fredo's recovery and protect him from possible reprisals, Sonny sends his younger brother to Las Vegas under the protection of Don Anthony Molinari of San Francisco. While in Las Vegas, Fredo learns the casino trade and becomes acquainted with former hitman Moe Greene (Alex Rocco), who runs a major Vegas hotel that the Corleone family bankrolled. When Fredo's womanizing starts affecting business, Greene slaps him in public.