pezzonavante means "the man who pulls the strings" or a "Big Shot."
Taken from the movie "The Godfather"
I never wanted this for you. ... I thought that when it was your time that you would be the one to hold the strings. Senator Corleone. Governor Corleone. Somethin'. - Vito Corleone
Taken from the movie "The Godfather"
I never wanted this for you. ... I thought that when it was your time that you would be the one to hold the strings. Senator Corleone. Governor Corleone. Somethin'. - Vito Corleone
It means, loosely, 'big shot.' I'm surprised that none of the sites that relate to 'pezzonovante' mention that don Corleone uses the term when he meets with the heads of the five families after Sonny is killed. They all reference the talk between Michael and his father in the garden, when Michael says, "Another pezzonovante." But the don uses it at the meeting after Sonny's death to describe that '... gambling, liquor, even women, are considered harmless vices by the pezzonovante of the church.' (as opposed to how drugs are viewed.)
ReplyDeleteI always thought he said "... the pezzonovantes or the Church."
ReplyDelete