Amerigo Bonasera
Encyclopedia
Amerigo Bonasera is a fictional character created by Mario Puzo
who appears in his novel The Godfather
, as well as Francis Ford Coppola
's 1972 film adaptation
. Though he is not a major character, he plays a vital role in revealing the merciful side of main character Vito Corleone
. The novel opens with the words: "Amerigo Bonasera sat at New York Criminal Court...". The film also starts with his famous line, "I believe in America".
Bonasera is an Italian-American undertaker who tends to keep away from the Corleone Family, knowing they are involved with the Mafia
, though Don Corleone's wife
is a godmother
to Bonasera's daughter. His daughter is beaten and sexually assaulted
by two young men, who escape any serious penalty because they are from wealthy, politically connected families. Desperate, Bonasera decides to go to Don Corleone on the day of his daughter Connie
's wedding to ask him to kill the young men; according to tradition, a Sicilian never refuses a favor on the day of his daughter's wedding. His proposition angers Don Corleone, who reprimands him for asking for a favor without showing the proper respect. Nevertheless, Vito agrees to grant a favor in return for Bonasera's "friendship" and the respectful address of "Godfather". Vito Corleone also gently reprimands Bonasera for attempting to seek justice through the courts first, as he ought to have first sought aid from him.
Vito hands the job to Peter Clemenza, with explicit instructions that his men aren't to get "carried away". His crew eventually give the men a brutal beating. Bonasera sends his thanks to Vito through Corleone family consigliere
Tom Hagen
. Though feeling safer now that he has Don Corleone on his side, Bonasera begins dreading the day Corleone asks him a favor; he has a nightmare of the Don ordering him to bury the bodies of two men he has just killed.
Later in the film, Bonasera finally pays back the favor. Initially terrified, Bonasera is relieved when Vito Corleone comes to his funeral parlor with the corpse of his elder son, Sonny Corleone
, who has been gunned down by the Barzini Family
. A heartbroken Vito merely requests that Bonasera repair the extensive physical damage so that Sonny's mother
can have an open casket.
In the 1972 film The Godfather
, Bonasera is played by Salvatore Corsitto.
In The Godfather: The Game
, Aldo Trapani
, instead of Clemenza, is ordered to punish the two perpetrators, who are found in the graveyard outside Bonasera's funeral home harassing Bonasera's daughter. He attacks the assailants, knocking them out and leaving one in an open grave.
Mario Puzo
Mario Gianluigi Puzo was an American author and screenwriter, known for his novels about the Mafia, including The Godfather , which he later co-adapted into a film by Francis Ford Coppola...
who appears in his novel The Godfather
The Godfather (novel)
The Godfather is a crime novel written by Italian American author Mario Puzo, originally published in 1969 by G. P. Putnam's Sons. It details the story of a fictitious Sicilian Mafia family based in New York City and headed by Don Vito Corleone, who became synonymous with the Italian Mafia...
, as well as Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
's 1972 film adaptation
The Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
. Though he is not a major character, he plays a vital role in revealing the merciful side of main character Vito Corleone
Vito Corleone
Vito Andolini Corleone is a fictional character and the main character in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather, as well as Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather trilogy, where he was portrayed by Marlon Brando in The Godfather and by Robert De Niro in The Godfather Part II. Premiere Magazine listed Vito...
. The novel opens with the words: "Amerigo Bonasera sat at New York Criminal Court...". The film also starts with his famous line, "I believe in America".
Bonasera is an Italian-American undertaker who tends to keep away from the Corleone Family, knowing they are involved with the Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
, though Don Corleone's wife
Carmella Corleone
Carmela Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's The Godfather. She is the wife of Don Vito Corleone. Though she features somewhat prominently in the book and the films, she is nowhere given a name, and is only referred to as "Mama". She receives one seemingly as an afterthought in the...
is a godmother
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
to Bonasera's daughter. His daughter is beaten and sexually assaulted
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
by two young men, who escape any serious penalty because they are from wealthy, politically connected families. Desperate, Bonasera decides to go to Don Corleone on the day of his daughter Connie
Connie Corleone
Constanzia "Connie" Corleone , is a fictional character from The Godfather by Mario Puzo. In the films, Connie is portrayed by Talia Shire, the sister of director Francis Ford Coppola....
's wedding to ask him to kill the young men; according to tradition, a Sicilian never refuses a favor on the day of his daughter's wedding. His proposition angers Don Corleone, who reprimands him for asking for a favor without showing the proper respect. Nevertheless, Vito agrees to grant a favor in return for Bonasera's "friendship" and the respectful address of "Godfather". Vito Corleone also gently reprimands Bonasera for attempting to seek justice through the courts first, as he ought to have first sought aid from him.
Vito hands the job to Peter Clemenza, with explicit instructions that his men aren't to get "carried away". His crew eventually give the men a brutal beating. Bonasera sends his thanks to Vito through Corleone family consigliere
Consigliere
Consigliere is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The word was popularized by Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather , and its film adaptation...
Tom Hagen
Tom Hagen
Thomas "Tom" Feargal Hagen is a fictional character in the Godfather books and films. He was portrayed by Robert Duvall in the films. He is the informally adopted son of Don Vito Corleone and serves as the family lawyer and consigliere . Mild-mannered and soft-spoken, he often serves as a voice of...
. Though feeling safer now that he has Don Corleone on his side, Bonasera begins dreading the day Corleone asks him a favor; he has a nightmare of the Don ordering him to bury the bodies of two men he has just killed.
Later in the film, Bonasera finally pays back the favor. Initially terrified, Bonasera is relieved when Vito Corleone comes to his funeral parlor with the corpse of his elder son, Sonny Corleone
Sonny Corleone
Santino "Sonny" Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and its 1972 film adaptation. He also appears as an infant, as a young boy, and an adult in The Godfather Part II....
, who has been gunned down by the Barzini Family
Barzini Family
The Barzini Family is one of the Five New York Families in Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather and the movie of the same name.-Role in the Story:...
. A heartbroken Vito merely requests that Bonasera repair the extensive physical damage so that Sonny's mother
Carmella Corleone
Carmela Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's The Godfather. She is the wife of Don Vito Corleone. Though she features somewhat prominently in the book and the films, she is nowhere given a name, and is only referred to as "Mama". She receives one seemingly as an afterthought in the...
can have an open casket.
In the 1972 film The Godfather
The Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
, Bonasera is played by Salvatore Corsitto.
In The Godfather: The Game
The Godfather: The Game
The Godfather: The Game is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Electronic Arts. It is the second video game in the Godfather series and based upon the 1972 film of the same name. Originally released in March 2006 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows, The Godfather...
, Aldo Trapani
Aldo Trapani
Aldo Trapani is the protagonist and player character of the video game The Godfather: The Game, based on the film The Godfather. He also briefly appears in the sequel, The Godfather II, which is based on The Godfather Part II....
, instead of Clemenza, is ordered to punish the two perpetrators, who are found in the graveyard outside Bonasera's funeral home harassing Bonasera's daughter. He attacks the assailants, knocking them out and leaving one in an open grave.