Hyman Roth

Hyman Roth
Lee Strasberg portraying Hyman Roth
Created by	Mario Puzo
Portrayed by	Lee Strasberg
Information
Nickname(s)	"Johnny Lips"
Gender	Male
Occupation	Mob boss, casino-owner, financier, rum runner (formerly)
Spouse(s)	Marcia Roth (m. 1950–60); his death
Relatives	Sam Roth (brother)
Religion	Judaism

Hyman Roth (born Hyman Suchowsky; 1891 – 1960) is a fictional character and the main antagonist in The Godfather Part II and a minor character in the novel The Godfather Returns. He is a Jewish investor and a business partner of Vito Corleone, and later his son Michael Corleone. He is based on Florida mobster Meyer Lansky and was played by Lee Strasberg in the movie.

Roth's background is supplied in a deleted scene in The Godfather Part II. In this scene, set in Little Italy, New York in the early 1920s, he is working as a car mechanic. He is noticed by Peter Clemenza, who has been calling him "Johnny Lips". Clemenza introduces him to Vito Corleone, who suggests that he change his name, which is originally Hyman Suchowsky. When Vito asks him whom he admires, Suchowsky says Arnold Rothstein for fixing the 1919 World Series; accordingly, he changes his last name to Roth.

Expository dialogue later in the film explains that Roth worked diligently with the Corleone family during Prohibition, and was a close friend and ally of Moe Greene, the "inventor" of Las Vegas. Roth, as well as Don Corleone, started out running molasses out of Havana and into Canada. It is suggested, however, that Vito never fully trusted Roth, nor did many of his associates, including Frank Pentangeli.

By the timeline of this film, Roth is based in Miami. Though in seemingly poor health, he is extremely wealthy, having made a fortune by running his own organized crime outfit, assisted by his right-hand man, Sicilian Johnny Ola. Roth forms a partnership with Michael Corleone for a profitable business enterprise with the corrupt Cuban government of Fulgencio Batista and a number of major American corporations. Roth secretly plans to assassinate Michael, however, partly to avenge Moe Greene's murder (as depicted in The Godfather). Roth instructs Ola to befriend Michael's brother Fredo, who inadvertently provides Ola (and Roth) information about Michael that enables them to mount an attack at his Nevada compound.