Forty Years Ago: The Godfather Premieres

The Takeaway

The Godfather defined a movie genre and defined the mafia criminal enterprise headed by a godfather who ruled like a pharoah, murdered his enemies and was a gentle grandpa to his family. That movie premiered 40 years ago today in New York, the city where it is largely set. From London John Hockenberry spoke with Federico Varese, professor of Criminology at Oxford University and author of “Mafia on the Move,” about the accuracy of the mafia portrayal in the classic film.

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