Virgil Sollozzo

Virgil Sollozzo
Virgil Sollozzo, as portrayed by Al Lettieri in The Godfather.
First appearance	The Godfather
Created by	Mario Puzo
Portrayed by	Al Lettieri
Information
Nickname(s)	The Turk
Gender	Male
Occupation	Drug Lord

Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo (1898 – January 1946) is a fictional character and one of the primary antagonists, alongside with Emilio Barzini, of Mario Puzo's The Godfather.

In the novel, it is said that he got his nickname because he has a nose like a Turkish scimitar. He also has a Turkish wife and children, and does much of his business (growing poppy) in Turkey. Sollozzo in the film and books is described as a top narcotic man and highly intelligent in business dealings, able to pick up that Sonny was interested in his deal when Vito declined his offer of partnership. He helped orchestrate two assassination attempts on Vito, only being foiled by bad luck at the first attempt, and by the unexpected intervention of Michael after buying off corrupt police captain McCluskey to remove Vito's bodyguards in the hospital. He attempts a final time to negotiate a truce while heavily implied he would strike again. In the book, Sollozzo speaks Sicilian to Michael Corleone because he feels he can better express himself in that language. In the film, his English seems to be native and accent-free, though he still communicates with Michael in Italian. This may be to prevent corrupt Captain McCluskey, who is also in attendance, from understanding what they are saying.

In Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptation, he is portrayed by Al Lettieri.

In The Godfather: The Game, Virgil Sollozzo is voiced by Richard Newman.