Peter “Pete” Clemenza Character Analysis

Clemenza is a powerful caporegime—a Mafia captain who controls his own territory, acts on orders from the Don, and directs a group of mob soldiers who carry out those orders—in the Corleone crime Family. He is among Don Vito Corleone’s closest friends and confidents, as the two first collaborated as young criminals in Little Italy. Clemenza has an enormous belly and operates with a cold ruthlessness when he kills those who cross the Don. His crime territory is the Bronx. Alongside Salvatore Tessio, Clemenza is one of the two original caporegimes in the Corleone Family. Clemenza first meets Vito Corleone after Vito agrees to stash several of Clemenza’s guns to hide them from police. Clemenza returns the favor by stealing a lavish rug from a wealthy neighbor for Vito’s small apartment. These exchanges lead to Clemenza collaborating with Vito and Tessio hijacking and reselling goods such as dresses and guns. Clemenza demonstrates the type of unflinching loyalty upon which the Mafia thrives. After Sonny discovers that Clemenza’s own protégé, Paulie Gatto, has betrayed Vito to Sollozzo’s hitmen, Clemenza himself, along with Rocco Lampone, carries out Paulie’s murder. Clemenza also plays a key role in the plot to assassinate Sollozzo and McCluskey by teaching Michael how to carry out the murder and stashing the pistol in the toilet at Luna Azure Restaurant for Michael to retrieve.