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- "Hey, hey, hey, take me to America, G.I.! Clark Gable! Eh!"
- ―Fabrizio[src]
Fabrizio was a Sicilian shepherd who worked for Don Tommasino, acting as a bodyguard for Michael Corleone during his time in Sicily.
Biography[]
Once a sailor in the Italian Navy, Fabrizio had received an elaborate tattoo on his chest of a man avenging his cuckoldry, shortly before his ship was captured by the British. When Michael Corleone escaped to Sicily in 1946, Fabrizio and his friend Calò, were assigned to protect him. Fabrizio and Calò became good friends with Michael. During their times together, Fabrizio would ask about Michael what it was like in America, and would ask him if he could go with him when he returned there.
Shortly after, Michael married a Sicilian girl, Apollonia Vitelli, much to Fabrizio's jealousy. He was bought out by the Barzini family from New York, and placed a bomb in Michael's car, which failed to kill him, taking Apollonia instead. An anguished Fabrizio fled into New York, sponsored by the Barzinis. Fabrizio changed his name to ‘Fred Vincent’ and moved to Buffalo, New York. There he opened up a small pizza parlor. He also married an American woman and had two children with her.
Re-emergence[]
Fred Vincent.
In 1958, he was heard from again and informed on to the Corleone Family by the Barzini family, who held a truce with them following the Five Families War. Al Neri informed Michael during the confirmation party for his son Anthony, that Fabrizio now owned a pizzeria in Buffalo under the name 'Fred Vincent'. Michael sent men to track him down, and Fabrizio was killed by a car bomb set by Neri, thus avenging Apollonia.
Legacy[]
Even though Fabrizio didn't have a big role, his actions were pivotal to the story as his killing of Apollonia turned Michael Corleone into a completely different person, thus making him indirectly responsible for many tragic events that transpired involving the Corleone family. He also traumatised Michael as even in his old age he didn't fully recover from Apollonia's death and Fabrizio's betrayal which was seen during his time in Sicily in the third film.
Personality and traits[]
Of the two bodyguards, Fabrizio was the more chatty, and was good friends with Calò and Michael, whom he would often ask to take to America with him. He was also a believer in the old Sicilian traditions of love and honor, as witnessed by the tattoo on his chest. Unfortunately his vices of greed and lust led him to be bought by the Barzinis.
Behind the scenes[]
Michael kills Fabrizio with a Lupara shotgun.
Fabrizio's role in the novel is much the same, but when Michael has all the Dons of the Five Families killed in 1955 he sends a man to Fabrizio's pizzeria who executes him. This ending was shot for the film, but was cut from the final release. Instead, it was re-introduced in the made-for-television The Godfather Saga, taking place during the time frame of the second movie.
In an alternate deleted scene from the film, Michael personally shoots Fabrizio. This scene has never been released, although publicity photos were distributed of Michael firing a Lupara Double-barrel shotgun.
Fabrizio was portrayed by Angelo Infanti. In the novel his name is spelled Fabrizzio.