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How Fredo, the tragic ‘Godfather’ character, became an insult wielded by Trump

By Alex Horton August 13 at 1:30 PM
Mafia boss Vito Corleone gathers oranges at the New York market as his hapless middle son Frederico sits in the black, chrome-tipped Cadillac Fleetwood.

Assassins scramble toward the kingpin with revolvers out, trap him against the car’s hood and fire nearly a dozen shots into his back. Frederico leaps out, and in a panicked frenzy, drops his pistol as the gunmen slip away — leaving “Fredo” a broken, sobbing mess.

It was not the first time Fredo Corleone, sunken-eyed and sorrowful, had a moment of weakness in “The Godfather” film franchise. But his cowardice in the assassination attempt cemented actor John Cazale’s role as one of the most tragically flawed characters in cinematic history.
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