#8: The Godfather: Mob Historian Breaks Down "Opening Scene"

In this episode, mob historian and history buff Jacob Stoops delves into the Opening Scene from the Godfather. For these videos, he’ll be reviewing scenes from the best mob movies and TV while providing commentary.
The focus will be on providing his opinion, tidbits of information from the books the movies are often based on, as well as some behind-the-scenes information that serves to help viewers explore, contextualize, and clarify stories related to the most famous historical movies. The overarching goal is not only to entertain but to educate and inform.
As with all episodes of this podcast, his views are his own. The production of this content is a labor of love, and is a means of expressing passion for history as well as cinema and pop culture. Courteous viewer feedback is always welcomed.
*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. All rights belong to their respective owners.
Link to the original video reviewed in this episode: • The Godfather (1972) ...

[@huddieentertainment]

Did you see the "Offer" phenomenal!

[@TheGanglandHistoryPodcast]

I did! It's not historically accurate in all respects, but it was fantastic. Most of the casting was simply spot on - especially Coppola, Colombo, Ruddy, and Pacino.

[@huddieentertainment]

@@TheGanglandHistoryPodcast facts! Not accurate at all aside from removing the word MAFIA from the script lol but I get it. Hollywood. Everyone did a great job. Casting was awesome!

[@c0n1gl1o]

great job. have been really enjoying the videos. keep up the great work.

[@TheGanglandHistoryPodcast]

Thank you!

[@ronniewoodinsteadofmt2615]

Wow , very nice and the depth of the names of actors and film experts are great . Your on your way SIR , Joey in Pennsylvania.

[@TheGanglandHistoryPodcast]

Thank you!

[@gatorjkd]

Love these💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼

[@TheGanglandHistoryPodcast]

Thank you

[@r.8459]

Great idea for the coming videos, would also love to see you analyze some scenes from the Sopranos (quite predictably, though). Thanks, man!

[@TheGanglandHistoryPodcast]

Yes, I'm not sure if I'm going to stick to one movie at a time and go all the way through, or mix up different scenes from different movies or shows. Of course my primary focus is going to be to continue with the biographies, but those can take a while to research and put together.

[@gatorjkd]

@@TheGanglandHistoryPodcast I’m hooked already to this series lol

[@jonathanlund6708]

I assumed you went from icon to legendary

[@TheGanglandHistoryPodcast]

I'm just a legend in my own mind

[@jonathanlund6708]

@@TheGanglandHistoryPodcast in your own time

[@ienjoyapples]

People say The Godfather is an unrealistic glorification of the mafia. I think the early mafia before the 60s was closer to The Godfather than people give it credit for. The OG bosses like Bonanno, Profaci, Mangano were very much like Don Corleone. It wasn't black and white, but a Don was more like a benevolent pater familias for the Italian community than a sociopathic parasite.

[@TheGanglandHistoryPodcast]

I think you're probably directionally correct, but even in the old days that we all glorify they were still to some degree a very feared and highly criminal organization. It's hard to be considered truly good when you have to have an enforcement arm just for killing people. That said, it all still fascinates me.

[@ienjoyapples]

@@TheGanglandHistoryPodcast I'm not saying they were boy scouts. Don Corleone was a feared killer, but he was also beloved by much of the Italian community. The history of the mafia was written mainly by law enforcement. They want us to believe they were nothing but parasites who prayed on innocent people. I think they became that in later years, but early on I think they were something closer to what we see in the Godfather.

[@TheGanglandHistoryPodcast]

@@ienjoyapples I agree with you. Many were simply products of their environment and a product of the times. They did what they had to do to survive and advance, and for many the best way to do that was the mafia. You kind of get to see that with Vito in Godfather II as well as in the book. Really appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@lmaxaudio3965]

I don't know that I would agree with that. The early 20th century LCN organizations were generally less predatory than what they replaced (The Black Hand etc.) but they still existed entirely as an organization that preyed upon the immigrant communities that they were a part of, acting partially as a de facto police force in communities that did not trust local authorities and were not able to communicate with them in many cases due to language barriers. They nonetheless drew their entire income from the exploitation of these communities, whether in the form of something arguably relatively harmless like numbers/gambling, to prostitution, to extortion of immigrant-owned businesses via 'protection' rackets and murder-for-hire. Make no mistake, though, the primary concern for these groups was not the community, but money. That's why they exist. They were 'beloved' inasmuch as they were a local self-proclaimed authority within insular communities who spoke the same language and came from similar backgrounds as those in the communities (in New York, for example, most of the police in the early 20th century tended to be Irish, and racism was definitely a factor that would come into play in many interactions), but at the same time they demanded hefty, ongoing fees from those who sought out their assistance. This, of course, all changed with Prohibition, which allowed LCN to expand their reach and wealth in a way that they never would have been able to without it, but before that they were very much limited to operating within their respective communities (and this is largely true of all ethnic crime organizations, not just the Italian variant). I once read that, at one point, because of their control of the garment industry, 10% of the price of nearly every piece of clothing sold in America went to organized crime (think about an across-the-board 10% tax being put on something and the ramifications it would have on your wallet). There were never any bosses in reality who were truly like Don Corleone (although some were certainly better than others). Any real boss would have taken a hefty piece of the undertaker's business, not just have him promise to fulfill a favor sometime down the road. The thing is about The Godfather movies is that they are much more classic tragedies in the mold of the Greek Antiquity/Shakespearean vein than they are more realistic depictions of American organized crime (i.e. Goodfellas, Donnie Brasco). They have been especially beloved by the actual mobsters because they would all like to think of themselves in that 'noble men of honor' way but that is far from reality. That said, the big businesses and corporations of those eras are arguably responsible for just as much misery, economic oppression and even death as the mafia was (and perhaps more). The biggest distinction (post-Prohibition) really comes down to whether or not the product or service that is being offered is officially sanctioned by the government.

[@ienjoyapples]

@@lmaxaudio3965 Crime, exploitation and money were not the early mafia's main modus operandi. Most early mafiosi were first and foremost legitimate businessmen. Salvatore Profaci, for instance, was the #1 importer of olive oil in country (just like Don Corleone). Some of them made a living off illegal enterprises like gambling and bootlegging, but that wasn't their main focus until prohibition made bootlegging a very lucrative business. They looked down upon more illicit rackets like prostitution and extortion. When they partnered with business owners, it was usually for their mutual benefit. They didn't just go around intimidating shopkeepers and demanding money. I'm sure that happened, but it wasn't the way most mafiosi did things. In fact, the early mafia protected Italians from black hand extortion, much like Vito in Godfather 2. The early mafia wasn't motivated by money like it was in later years. Old World mafiosi viewed wealth as a byproduct of power, not an end in itself. It was only after Americanized mafiosi like Lucky Luciano and Tommy Lucchese took over that the mafia's main concern became making money. The early mafia was primarily a brotherhood of men who earned power and respect within their Italian communities, not a money hungry criminal gang which preyed upon their communities.