The Godfather

The Godfather

by

Mario Puzo

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Godfather makes teaching easy.

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.

Peter “Pete” Clemenza Quotes in The Godfather

The The Godfather quotes below are all either spoken by Peter “Pete” Clemenza or refer to Peter “Pete” Clemenza. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Crime and Justice Theme Icon
).
Chapter 14 Quotes

When he became a Don and asked opponents to sit down and reason with him, they understood it was the last chance to resolve an affair without bloodshed and murder.

Related Characters: Peter “Pete” Clemenza, Salvatore “Sal” Tessio, Don Fanucci
Page Number: 191
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 28 Quotes

“Revenge is a dish that tastes best when it is cold.”

Related Characters: Don Vito Corleone (speaker), Santino “Sonny” Corleone, Michael Corleone, Thomas “Tom” Hagen, Peter “Pete” Clemenza, Salvatore “Sal” Tessio, Emilio Barzini, Phillip Tattaglia, Bruno Tattaglia
Page Number: 387
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Godfather LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Godfather PDF

Peter “Pete” Clemenza Quotes in The Godfather

The The Godfather quotes below are all either spoken by Peter “Pete” Clemenza or refer to Peter “Pete” Clemenza. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Crime and Justice Theme Icon
).
Chapter 14 Quotes

When he became a Don and asked opponents to sit down and reason with him, they understood it was the last chance to resolve an affair without bloodshed and murder.

Related Characters: Peter “Pete” Clemenza, Salvatore “Sal” Tessio, Don Fanucci
Page Number: 191
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 28 Quotes

“Revenge is a dish that tastes best when it is cold.”

Related Characters: Don Vito Corleone (speaker), Santino “Sonny” Corleone, Michael Corleone, Thomas “Tom” Hagen, Peter “Pete” Clemenza, Salvatore “Sal” Tessio, Emilio Barzini, Phillip Tattaglia, Bruno Tattaglia
Page Number: 387
Explanation and Analysis: