Longtime Scanners commenter and Ebert correspondent Ali Arikan, in Istanbul (one of my favorite cities), solves the mystery of The Sixth Man in "The Godfather" (or "One," as they say in the Sopranos family) and "The Godfather, Part II" in Roger Ebert's latest Answer Man column. The unidentified man in question is present during the meeting in which the Corleones plan the killing of a New York police captain. And his name is...
... Rocco Lampone... [whom you may remember from] the earlier scene in the film where Rocco executes Paulie in the car as Clemenza urinates outside (the “leave the gun, take the cannoli” scene).Read the full item here and last week's original question here.... He eventually becomes one of Michael’s two caporegimes (Al Neri is the other one). Incidentally, it is Rocco who, in the second film, assassinates Hyman Roth at the airport, only to be shot in the back by a police officer as he tries to flee the scene.
Tell mr. Arikan not to try to get though the airport with whatever it is he's smoking. It's not Rocco - who, along with Al Neri and Willie Cicci, were the largest 'tertiary' roles that were in both Parts 1 & 2.
Rocco Lampone was played by the late Tom Rosqui. He was first seen in One, making his bones by killing Paulie Gatto in the famous "cannoli" scene.
Rocco and Paulie were supposed to also be the button men in the cut-at-script-stage scene (from the book) in which Bonasera's daughter's rapists are beaten to pulps on Vito's wedding-favor orders.
However, Rocco didn't climb that far that fast. Evidence is in a scene that was cut from One, was re-included in the "Saga" edit, but inexplicably not included on the DVD Extras: Michael is driving himself onto the compound at night after learning of the assassination attempt, and the gates are heavily barricaded and guarded with a large number of new-faced 'soldiers'. They stop Michael, but then one of them - Rocco - rushes over, and personally intercedes and takes charge, barking: "That's the Don's kid!", and turning to Michael and personally and graciously ushering Mike from the car and into the coumpound.
This was less than a week-time before the "Sixth-Man" meeting took place. The cut scene was an illustration of how a smart Rocco was rising in the ranks, and that he started off on a great place with Michael, earning his favor by showing respect even back when he was still just a "college boy"... but he certainly wouldn't have been allowed yet at that table with the immediate family and caporegimes within a week, certainly not on Mike's request at that stage of the game.
[In another such deleted-reinserted-redeleted scene, in an extension to Hagen's "Why am I out?" outburst at the later "reorganization" family meeting, (many years later, 'story-wise'), Hagen questioned Vito, talking past Michael, why "Rocco Lampone is allowed to build his own regime, and he reports directly to Michael, instead of me, or the other caporegimes?"
And in [repeat description] scenes from Two, Rocco is seen having a larger hand in managing security for the Communion at the Tahoe compound from the boathouse/office, and who can forget him trying to get Michael inside right after the botched hit, with Michael barking to him in response that he wanted them "...alive, Rocco! Alive!"
Plus - probably most importantly - the guy has a much lower hailine than Rosqui/Rocco, almost a widow's peak. It's simply not him.
There's more like a much more boring reason - like it was a simple stupid oversight. Or a convoluted deep-mafia-lore thing, in which a trusted allied family got a seat at the table, or some such nonsense. But it seems that someone'll really have to ask Francis, much to his easily-imagined consternation.
Thank you very much for your response. You seem to be making two points, one of which I agree with in general terms, the other one I don’t. You outline the way Rocco rises in the ranks according to the novel, which is true, yet quite a separate issue from the fact that it is Rocco Lampone, played by Tom Rosqui, who sits in on the infamous meeting.
First of all, the Corleone family conspiracy to assassinate Salazzo and McCluskey was incredibly secretive, and completely anathema to Mafia lore. The only outsider involved in the whole event, according to both the book and the film, is the negotiator (from the Bocchiccios) who is kept as security by Clemenza’s crew ina separate room until Michael comes back from his meeting unharmed (“He’s playing pinochle with my men; he’s happy – they’re letting him win). The only people around the table at the Corleone compound are members of the Corelone family.
Secondly, you are generally correct about the way Rocco rises in the ranks. However, you omit a fairly important detail, that of Paulie Gatto’s role in the family. Paulie Gatto, the Don’s bodyguard, was Clemenza’s most trusted man. In fact, once it transpires, in the book (and in many deleted scenes in the film), that Paulie fingered the Don, the other members of the family automatically get suspicious that Clemenza might be in on the assasination, too. Aside: A hint remains of this subplot in the final film where Michael arrives at the compound to see Clemenza’s sitting with the women of the family while the men discuss the matter at hand. Anyway, once the family concludes that paulie was alone in his betrayal, Sonny orders Clemenza to replace Paulie with someone else. Clemenza decides to enrol Rocco, who successfully assasinates Paulie, thus making his bones. He sits in on the meeting as Clemenza’s top button man. Admittedly, this is inferred, but there are long passages in the book where Clemenza laments how paulie turned out to be a bad apple, and how Rocco is the polar opposite in character.
The rest of your comment regarding the way Rocco rises in the ranks is correct, and, in any case, not in contrast to anything I originally suggested.
Now to the most pertinent part of the quandary: the identity of the “Sixth Man.” I believe that your memory of Rocco in the first film and in the second film might have intermingled to cloud your judgment. Just like Robert Duvall, Tom Rasqui also started going bald heavily between the films, and, in addition, packed on a few pounds. And, just like Hagen, Rocco also looks very different in the second film than he does in the first. It is also a testament to Tom Rosqui’s acting that his quiet humility in his first few scenes in “One” is a far cry from his confident aura in the second film. It might not make too much “in-universe” sense, but the sixth man in the meeting IS Rocco Lampone as played by Tom Rosqui.
PS. The transcript from the ultimate Godfather website provides yet further proof (http://www.thegodfathertrilogy.com/gf1/transcript/gf1transcript.html):
CUT TO: The Corleone Dining Room (6:30pm). Sonny, Clemenza, Tessio and Rocco are sitting around, eating Chinese food while waiting for news about where the Sollozzo meeting will take place. Michael smokes as the others eat. -early evening
Yes the 6th man, picture in question is my father, Tom Rosqui, aka Rocco Lampone.