Michael V. Gazzo's first significant theatrical success was as a playwright; he was responsible for the penetrating drug-abuse drama A Hatful of Rain, which was committed to film in 1957. One year later, Gazzo wrote the screenplay for the Elvis Presley vehicle, King Creole (1958). He then…
Tom Hagen: Frankie, you were always interested in politics, in history. I remember you talking about Hitler back in '43. We were young then.
Frankie Pentangeli: Yeah, I still read a lot. They bring me stuff.
Tom Hagen: You were around the old timers who dreamed up how the Families should be organized, how they based it on the old Roman Legions, and called them 'Regimes'... with the 'Capos' and 'Soldiers,' and it worked.
Frankie Pentangeli: Yeah, it worked. Those were great old days. We was like the Roman Empire. The Corleone family was like the Roman Empire.
Tom Hagen: [sadly] Yeah, it was once.
[very gently] The Roman Empire... when a plot against the Emperor failed, the plotters were always given a chance to let their families keep their fortunes.
Frankie Pentangeli: Yeah, but only the rich guys. The little guys got knocked off. If they got arrested and executed, all their estate went to the Emperor. If they just went home and killed themselves, up front, nothing happened.
Tom Hagen: Yeah, that was a good break. A nice deal.
Pentangeli looks at Hagen; he understands.
Frankie Pentangeli: They went home and sat in a hot bath and opened their veins, and bled to death. Sometimes they gave a little party before they did it.
Hagen throws away his cigar. Pentangeli puffs on his.