On the last Saturday in August, 1945 , Miss Constanzia Corleone daughter of Don Vito Corleone, married Carlo Rizzi. Her father had invited hundreds of people to the wedding at his huge house on long Island, just outside New Yourk, As the guests arrived, Don Corleone welcomed them all, rich and poor, with an equal show of love. Many of the guests had reason to be grateful to Don Corleone for their good luck in life, and they called him 'Godfather' to his face.
standin next to him as he welcomed the guests were two of his three sons, Santino - or Sonny, as he was called - was the eldest, he was a tall, strong, good-looking man with tick brown hair. He looked uncomfortable in his white shirt and black suit. The second son, Fredo, was completely different. He was weak-looking and pale, with sad dark eyes and thin lips.
The youngest son, Michael, was sitting at a table in the corner of garden with his girlfriend, Katy. There was a gentle, inncent quality to him, with his soft dark eyes and full lips, but he was quietly pleased that Kay was enjoining herself. This was the first time that she had met his family.
'Who's that funny little fat man over there?' she asked, her eyes shining with excitement. 'He looks about sixty years old but he's dancing like a tennager.'
'that's Pete Clemenza,' Michael said. 'he's an old friend of my father's.' 'And what about him?' Kay looked at a large, ugly man who was sitting alone outside the house, talking to himself. ''he's very frightening''.
"that's Luca Brasi," Michael smiled at Kay. "he's waiting tospeak to my father in private."
'Yes , but who is he?'
'He helps my father sometimes,' Michael replied quitely, loogin at his food.
Suddenly, the big man stood up and Kay looked away quickly, afraidthat he was coming over to talk to her. but another man came up to the table instead. He had thin fair hair and blue eyes. Michael stood up and the two man hugged each other warmly. 'My brother, Tom Hagen, this is Kay Adams,' Michael finally said.
Tom Hagen shook Kay's hand, then whispered to Michael:'My father wants to know why you don't go to see him.'
Michael sat down without speaking, and Tom walked away into the house , followed by Luca Brasi.
'if he's your brother , why does he have a different name?' Kay asked Michael when Tom had gone.
'when my brother Sony was a boy,' Michael explained, 'He found Tom Hagen in the street. Tom had no home, so my father took him in and he's benn with us ever since. He's a good lawyer. Not a sicilian, but i think he's going to be a Consigliori.'
'what's that?'
'My father's cheif adviser. Very important to the family.' Suddenly, there came aloud happy sound from the other side of the garden. The music and singing stopped. Connie, in her white wedding-dress, left her husband and ran towards the gate screming:'Johnny!' She threw herself into the arms of a very handsome dark-haired man in a white suit, and covered his face with kisses. Then she led him by the hand through a crowd of excited, screaming girls, to meet her new husband, Carlo. Lay turned to Michael excitedly. 'You didn't tell me your family knew Johnny Fontane,' she said.
'Sure. Do you want to meed him? ' Michael smiled. ' My father helped him to become famous.'
'He did? How?
At that moment, Johnny Fontane began to sing. 'Let's listen to the song,; Michael tried to cahnge the subject.
'Please Michael,' Kay said impatiently, reaching across the table and squeezing his hand. 'Tell me.'
'Well, Johnny is my father;s godson. When Johnny was begining to become popular, he had a problem with his boss, a band-leader. Johnny wanted to leave the band, but this mand wouldn't let him. So Johnny asked my father went to see him with Luca Brasi. One hour later, the band-leader let Johnny go. For $1.000.'
Kay looked confused. 'How did he do that?'
'My father made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Luca held a gun to his hand and my father told him that if he didn't agree to let Johnny go, Luca would blow his brains out.'
at first Kay didn't say anything. She tought Michael was joking. But Michael wasn't smiling. 'That's a true story, Kay,' he said quietly. Then he saw Kay beginning to look worried, a little frightened, so he squeezed her hand and added quickly:'That's my family, Kay.That's not me .'
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