Pacino's homage to his friend in DONNIE BRASCO

1972’s The Godfather gave birth to the worldwide popularity of Italian Mafia movies. Since then, everything cannot help but be compared and criticized in that subgenre’s discussion. 1997’s Donnie Brasco acknowledges The Godfather’s influence and turns it upside down while paying homage to it. In this film analysis, we’ll discuss how Al Pacino’s iconic role as Michael Corleone in the Godfather series connects to his role as Benjamin “Lefty” Ruggiero by examining the Fredo Corleone character.  

Just like how Pacino resurrected his ruthless Scarface character from 1983 to play a reformed dope dealer in 1993’s Carlito’s Way, he also cured Michael Corleone’s overwhelming guilt he’s suffered since 1974’s The Godfather: 2 by playing a similar version of Fredo in Donnie Brasco.  

Italian immigrant and New York mafia crime lord, Vito Corleone, played expertly by the legendary Marlon Brando in 1972’s The Godfather and then by Robert Deniro in The Godfather part 2, had 3 sons, Santino “Sonny” Corleone the eldest; Frederico “Fredo” Corleone; and Michael Corleone, the youngest.

Even though Sonny was the strongest of the 3, his temper and inability to strategize like his father got him killed. Michael, we know, goes on to save the Corleone empire. His time served as a World War II marine veteran, and his potential to calmly strategize against his enemies and in business make Michael a prime successor to his father’s legacy. Fredo, the simple-minded, middle-child of the Corleone dynasty, exists in a weird limbo. He lacks both the hot-headed temper that makes others fear Sonny and doesn’t have the chess-like disposition of Michael.

He enjoys the fruits of being associated with his father’s success, like money, women, and protection, but doesn’t possess the ability to contribute to it. That makes him a burden to the family, and he knows it. Fredo is weak, constantly disrespected, and seen as a leech and a hindrance to the progress of the Corleone empire.   

He’s a liability. So, the family pawns Fredo off to another family in Las Vegas. When Michael visits Moe Green and Fredo in Vegas, we see Fredo’s low-status reputation has followed him there, too. He was unable to begin a new reputation in Vegas and possibly become an asset to the Corleone family over time.

Rather than learning the casino business, which Michael likely had been planning on buying out from Moe since before sending Fredo to Vegas, Fredo indulges in sex and debauchery. Fredo even shows his potential to betray his own family when he defends Moe. Fredo’s disloyal behavior in this scene will bleed over to what his character chooses to do in part 2.   

The Godfather 2 1974

In the sequel, Fredo takes on a much bigger role than in the first installment. Although he is still portrayed as helpless and weak, he’s secretly a connecting link to Hyman Roth’s plot to have Michael killed. Fredo accidentally makes his mutiny known. His plan is foiled and, from that point on, Fredo’s arc spirals downward. The scene where Fredo opens up to Michael about why he did what he did is the highlight of the film.

As passionate, sorrowful, and genuine as Fredo’s explanation is, it doesn’t save him. He’s weak. He’s so weak, he subscribed to a plot to have his brother assassinated. And he even failed at that. Even if Michael hadn’t been killed, Fredo would have been a pariah among the Corleone family and the other families, too.

Fredo’s inability to climb the mafia ladder and gain respect and responsibility, whether personally or in his professional future, connects with the character Pacino would play 23 years later.  

As the oldest member of the crew, you would figure Lefty would have more sway and overall influence among his peers. He’s been involved in organized crime for over 30 years, and he’s failed to reach the heights he’s wanted. Within the first 15 minutes, we’re introduced to Lefty’s character and his low status. His friend refers to him as senile. So, while there’s a friendly relationship among them, Lefty is weak enough to be teased and insulted to his face. He doesn’t have the respect of his peers.  

When he speaks with Donnie about the ring, Lefty tries to appear dominant and alpha because first impressions are everything, but we find out that the ring is fake. Lefty has been scammed by a sleazeball owner of a strip club for 8,000 dollars. Although Lefty’s a battle-hardened soldier in his crew with dozens of murders under his belt, his decision-making isn’t the best, and it’s damaged his reputation.   

Throughout the movie, we see more and more instances of Lefty portrayed as both mentally incompetent and of low status. When Lefty brings Donnie to meet the crew, Sonny Red puts Lefty in his place in front of everyone. Lefty’s reputation is hurt, and let's Donnie know that Lefty doesn’t hold much sway in the mafia world.

And during a montage, Lefty is seen mumbling to himself as everyone else dances and parties. Senile, as Paulie said earlier. He’s also given a pet lion from Sonny Black as some sort of weird gift that symbolizes Sonny’s rise and Lefty’s low status.  

Donnie Brasco 1997

Lefty is a complainer, and that mostly has something to do with his inability to rise. If he complains to Donnie, whom he barely knows, then he’s surely complained to his friends.

Moving up the ranks of any group or business is proven by hard work and by never complaining about upper management, which Lefty does.

That’s why he’s left out of whacking the boss with Sonny Black. And then, he’s told right to his face by Sonny that he’s now, more or less, owned by him. Sonny does the same to Donnie later while on the yacht. Lefty’s reputation among his crew amounts to nothing. He's only useful for whacking his good friend later.

Sonny Black gave Lefty the most degrading and backstabbing assignment of the night. You have to wonder how many times Lefty’s killed his friends. He just walks away after killing Nicky as if shooting him was nothing. Lefty is a soldier and good for nothing else.     

The scene aboard the yacht is when the story truly proves that Lefty is a nobody. He attempted to hide the yacht adventure and King’s Court from his crew, but Sonny Black found out. And as a result, Sonny Black excludes him from joining the inner circle with Traficante to discuss potential mafia dealings in Florida. Sonny Black chose Donnie, of all people, making the insult worse to Lefty. 

So, what’s the connection between Fredo and Lefty? Why would the legendary Al Pacino, who is known for such a commanding role in the Godfather movies, take on the low-status role of Lefty in Donnie Brasco?  

Pacino’s Godfather role is so iconic and worthy of respect that it’s crystallized in cinema forever. Pacino will always be associated with Michael Corleone. He certainly knows this now, and he knew this when he chose Lefty’s character in Donnie Brasco. Lefty is such an inverse character from Michael Corleone that you have to wonder why he would risk his reputation.  

By Pacino taking on the low-status wise guy in Donnie Brasco, it pays homage to the Fredo Corleone character. John Cazale, the actor who played Fredo, worked with Pacino many times in films and stage plays. Most notably in the first 2 Godfather films and Dog Day Afternoon.

All 3 films had major success, and Pacino is known for crediting Cazale for that success, and that Cazale taught him about the craft of acting. So, Pacino attributes his success in Hollywood, to some degree, to Cazale. But what else does the meta-commentary say?  

After Michael discovers Fredo’s betrayal, Michael has him killed. It was a very difficult decision for Michael to make, but being the patriarch of a major crime organization, he had to do it to preserve that organization. The way The Godfather 2 ends is tragic, and I don’t think it gets considered enough when discussing the film because the Robert De Niro scenes as a young Vito Corleone mostly steal the movie away from Michael. But without Fredo’s betrayal of his brother, Michael couldn’t finish his character arc.   

The Godfather 1972

Michael, of course, has much guilt, and we see this twice in The Godfather 3, when he suffers a diabetic stroke, he calls out for Fredo, and when he confesses his sins to the cardinal at the Vatican.

As much power and respect Michael’s position had, it also put him in situations to make horrible choices, leaving him consumed with guilt and remorse.   

Pacino, knowing how iconic his Michael Corleone role is and how much of a friend Cazale was to him, chose the Lefty role to not just pay homage, but also to absolve Michael’s guilt from having Fredo killed.

Pacino’s Lefty character is Fredo reincarnated. Just like Fredo was the weakest in the Corleone crime family, Lefty is the same. He sees the others climb the ladder and take on responsibility, which builds status and respect—two things Fredo never had.   

Although The Godfather: 3 saw Michael lose his daughter and eventually die alone in Sicily, he never got closure for killing Fredo. But the Donnie Brasco film does just that. It allows Pacino to right what he wronged as Michael Corleone by stepping into the shoes of someone like Fredo. Pacino as Lefty is a form of penance to honor Cazale as a friend and to pay his respects to Fredo.