Virgil Sollozzo

Background

Also called “The Turk”. Having already being in jail before, once in Italy and once in America, Virgil Sollozzo was a very powerful man when he’s introduced to the story. He’s just arrived in New York looking for expansion in his cocaine business. He earned his nickname “The Turk” because his heroin merchandise came from Turkey.

Creation

Virgil Sollozo was a character created by Mario Puzo as one of the villains in his novel "The Godfather" published in 1969, and adapted to the screen by Francis Ford Coppola only three years later. The propose of the character was to represent the italian mob stand on this particular type of drug, and it was his appearance that forced Michael into the plot of the movie getting him involved in "the family business".

Major Plot

The Godfather

In America he makes an alliance with the Tattaglia family, but still has to go the Corleone family to ask for their political and legal protection offering them a piece of the business. Don Vito agrees to see him only because he thinks him to be an honorable man and deserves to get a reason why he won’t go into business with him, face to face. He explains that he has friends in the courts and in the police, but those friends will quickly stop being so if they know he’s part of the cocaine cartel.

Sollozzo does not take this refusal lightly. He orders an attempt on his life, and Don Vito is gunned down in the streets. His plan is to get him out of the way so he’s able to do business with Santino. Never the less, Don Vito survives.

In the hospital when he is taken care of, the Corleone family bodyguards are arrested by orders of Cap. McCluskey, a dirty cop on Sollozzo’s payroll. Thankfully Michael gets there first and he takes measures to ensure the well being of his father.

May I use the restroom?

Michael then knows that the only way to eliminate the threat on his father’s life is to kill Sollozzo. With his brother’s and consiglieries he planned to have a gun already hidden in the place of the meeting, in the bathroom.

During the meeting Sollozzo explains to Michael that he has nothing against his father, and that the hit was pure Business. At this point Michael, excuses himself to get to the bathroom, and returns with the gun in his hand. He shoots Sollozzo in the forehead, and McCluskey in the throat and then again in the head.

Personality and Traits

Virgil Sollozo is a very smart man. He's been able to create an empire on the heroin business before everyone. He understands that when it comes to kill it has to business decision and not a personal call. He is cunning enough to buy off a police captain for protection.

Other Media

The Godfather: The Game is a video game based on the plot of the first movie, and Sollozoo has a digitized version.