Peter "Fat Pete" Clemenza (4 September 1895 – 1958) was a caporegime of the Corleone crime family. Clemenza, along with Salvatore Tessio, was one of Vito Corleone's original lieutenants, and he played a key role in the Five Families War. After the Corleones moved to Nevada in 1955, Clemenza was left as street boss in New York City, and he died of a heart attack in 1958. Frank Pentangeli took over his old crew.
Biography[]
Clemenza and Corleone in 1917
Peter Clemenza was born in Trapani, Sicily, Italy in 1895, and he emigrated to America at an early age. He settled in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City, New York, and he quickly befriended Salvatore Tessio. He also befriended recent immigrant Vito Corleone during the 1910s, introducing him to crime and assisting him in standing up to Massimo Fanucci. Soon, Corleone became the leader of their gang, and Clemenza and Tessio became Corleone's two most trusted lieutenants during the formation of the Corleone crime family. They were rewarded with the ranks of caporegime, and Clemenza was given control of the family's territories in The Bronx.
Five Families War[]
Clemenza at Connie Corleone's wedding, 1945
Following the failed assassination attempt on Don Corleone by the Tattaglia crime family in 1945, Clemenza had his own chauffeur Paulie Gatto whacked for betraying the don. Clemenza's other man, Rocco Lampone, took Gatto's place in the family, rising to notability as a chauffeur and buttonman. Clemenza also oversaw the rise of Aldo Trapani, whom he contacted after the failed hit on the Don; he contacted Trapani to whack high-ranking Cuneo crime family members.
As the Don's most trusted friend, Clemenza played a key role in the Five Families War. In 1955, Clemenza and Tessio requested that Don Michael Corleone allow for him to start their own families in response to Emilio Barzini's chipping away at their territories. Clemenza agreed to wait until after Corleone moved the main family to Lake Tahoe, Nevada, but Tessio secretly cut a deal with the Barzinis and sought to have Corleone whacked at a meeting with Barzini. Clemenza remained loyal to Michael, taking part in the executions of Don Victor Stracci and Carlo Rizzi.
Final years[]
After the family moved to Nevada, Clemenza was given control of the Corleone family's operations in New York, and he continued running operations from the old Corleone Compound. He was also an informal consigliere for Michael when the family was making moves to become legitimate, and he died from a heart attack at his favorite diner in 1958. Frank Pentangeli, his successor, believed that Carmine and Tony Rosato were behind his death.
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