Michael Corleone

Michael Corleone is the main protagonist of Mario Puzo's novel, The Godfather. In the three Godfather films, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, Michael was portrayed by Al Pacino, for which he was twice-nominated for Academy Awards. In June 2003, Michael Corleone was recognized as the 11th most iconic villain in film history by the American Film Institute, although some critics consider him to be a tragic hero. 2Family Born in 1920 to Mafia don Vito Corleone and his wife Carmela, Michael has two older brothers, Santino "Sonny" Corleone and Frederico "Fredo" Corleone, and a younger sister, Constanzia "Connie" Corleone. The family consigliere, Tom Hagen, is their informal adoptive brother. 2The Godfather Unlike his two older brothers, Michael wants nothing to do with the Corleone “family business”, wanting instead to lead a more normal, Americanized life. Vito does not want Michael to join the Corleone criminal empire either, preferring that his favorite son go into politics. As a young man, Michael enrolls in Dartmouth College, but dropped out in 1941 to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps after the attack on Pearl Harbor, when the United States enters World War II. During the war, he fights in both the Pacific and European Theaters, and is wounded in battle. He receives a battlefield commission to the rank of captain and is awarded the Silver Star for bravery. This was later upgraded to a Navy Cros