Al Martino: The actor who used mob connections to land a role in ‘The Godfather’
The 1972 crime classic The Godfather is fondly remembered for its exceptional direction by Francis Ford Coppola, its remarkable performances from Al Pacino and Marlon Brando, and its unflinching depiction of mob-fuelled violence. But behind the scenes, the path to cinematic glory was fraught with real-life mob intimidation, with one particularly intriguing story involving Al Martino, the actor who played Johnny Fontane, and how his association with the actual mafia helped land him the role.
The journey began when Joseph Colombo Sr, the head of the New York crime syndicate, waged a campaign against The Godfather, objecting to the film’s use of the term “mafia”. Producers were terrified of potential retaliation, and Albert Ruddy, one of the producers, was so petrified of upsetting the gangsters that he resorted to regularly swapping cars with his staff for fear of an attack. In his campaign against the film, Colombo appropriated the Italian American Civil Rights League as a weapon against the film’s production – a cynical and selfish use of a legitimate cause by an outright criminal.
The pressure intensified when Ruddy’s car windows were blown out one night, bringing the threat of physical violence all to close. The scare tactic succeeded, forcing a tense negotiation between Ruddy and Colombo that at least yielded some settlement. The result was a rather unusual agreement: the script had to excise the term “mafia”, and the premiere’s proceeds were to be donated to Colombo’s civil rights organisation. While the term was removed, the promised donation has still yet to materialise.
While this real-life mafia drama played out, singer-turned-actor Al Martino was securing his place in the movie thanks to his own dubious mob connections. After achieving fame with his number one hit ‘Here in My Heart’ in 1952, Martino got entangled with the Italian syndicate when the mobsters forcibly acquired his contract. Fearing for his safety, Martino was forced to flee the US, only to return after striking a deal with the Philadelphia syndicate’s head, Angelo Bruno. From then on, he slowly courted more and more mob favour.
By the 1970s, Martino had garnered such extensive support from the mafia that it actually enabled him to secure the part of Johnny Fontane in The Godfather. With the intervention of Don Russell Bufalino, the producer, Ruddy reluctantly agreed to cast Martino in the role. Once Francis Ford Coppola came on board, however, he decided to cast Vic Damone instead, oblivious to the Ruddy-Martino pact. However, Damone eventually withdrew from the film, purportedly due to pressure from Bufalino. Ruddy, with his previous run-in with the crime family, no doubt did everything in his power to avoid upsetting another Don.
Thus, Martino managed to cinch the role, but much of his character was cut from the final film, apparently owing to the displeasure of Frank Sinatra, who sued to halt the film’s production. Sinatra alleged that Fontane’s character bore too close a resemblance to him, while others speculate that Sinatra might have been dissatisfied with Martino’s acting.
We’ll never know why the mafia let this slide; it’s possible that the pure back and forth of the film industry ultimately exhausted them. Sinatra, however, has been long rumoured to have mafia connections of his own, so perhaps he was able to ‘outrank’ Martino – or simply had his own people make Martino an offer he couldn’t refuse.
