Did the Rosato Brothers kill Peter Clemenza?
When Fredo and Pentangeli meet in Nevada in The Godfather Part II, they talk about Clemenza's death. Willi Cicci says that was no heart attack followed by Pentangeli saying that is the reason for him to visit Michael. When later he meets Mike, he goes on to complain about the Rosato Brothers stepping over their territory. Could the two be related?
Best Answer
Probably not.
Interestingly Cicci's line about it not being a heart attack does not appear in several drafts of the script.
PENTANGELI You remember Willy Cicci, don't you, Freddie? We was all together with the old man Clemenza in Brooklyn... before...uh... FREDO We were all upset about that. PENTANGELI That's what I'm here to talk to your brother about. What's with him, I got to get a letter of introduction to have a 'sitdown'?
A similarly dated version
PENTANGELI Sure, Pete Clemenza died of a heart attack, but the Rosato Brothers gave it to him. MICHAEL We were all heartbroken at the news; but that wasn't cause to start a war.
This version which does not appear in the movie at least has the implication that the stress of dealing with the brothers caused the heart attack.
In light of Michaels conversation with Pentagelli the idea that the Rosato's were directly involved in Clemeza's death does not really hold up. Frank isn't going to war with the Rosato brother because they killed Clemenza but because they are infringing in his territory. If the brothers had killed Clemenza I think it likely that THAT would swing Michael to Frankie's side and it would have been mentioned.
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What happened to Clemenza in The Godfather 2?
Clemenza was scheduled to return in The Godfather Part II, but due to a disagreement between Castellano and Paramount, his character was killed off and was replaced by Frank Pentangeli.Who kills Clemenza?
The Godfather Returns Most noteworthy, the novel depicts Clemenza's fatal heart attack (mentioned in The Godfather Part II), and the many conspiracy theories that he had actually been murdered by the Rosato Brothers, former Corleone soldiers who had formed their own gang after a dispute over the future of the family.The Mysterious Death of Peter Clemenza | The Godfather
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