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'Constanzia 'Connie' Corleone Rizzi' (1922–1998) is a fictional character from ''The Godfather'' by Mario Puzo. In the films, Connie is portrayed by Talia Shire, who is the sister of director Francis Ford Coppola.
Connie is the daughter of Don Vito Corleone and Carmella Corleone, and sister of Sonny, Fredo and Michael Corleone. She married Carlo Rizzi, who abused her. When she complained to Sonny, he beat Carlo until Connie begged him off.
Born in 1922, she is Michael's younger sister. Her husband Carlo schemed with her brother's rivals, Don Tattaglia and Don Barzini, and once again beat Connie badly, this time in order to ambush Sonny. Connie called Sonny in a state of terror, and he drove to Connie's place; while en route he was ambushed and assassinated. Later, Michael took revenge by having Carlo killed (by Peter Clemenza), after promising Connie he wouldn't; she resented him for years afterward.
In the novel ''The Godfather,'' Connie at first berates Michael for Carlo Rizzi's death but a week later apologizes to her brother. She marries less than a year later, not fulfilling the widow's mandate of respecting the memory of her late husband.
Her role in the films continues in the sequels, ''The Godfather, Part II'' (where she is shown to be the youngest of the four Corleone children) and ''The Godfather, Part III''.
In the years since Carlo's death, she had a series of meaningless affairs and marriages just to spite Michael, even borrowing money and abandoning her children temporarily, but returned to the Family after their mother died.
She had two sons by Rizzi, Victor and Michael Francis. A brief glimpse in Mama Corleone's funeral scene is the only time that Victor appears in the trilogy. It was during Michael Francis' baptism that Michael Corleone, acting as his godfather, presumably at Connie's request, ordered the killing of members of the Five Families. Michael had Carlo Rizzi killed not long after that.
By the 1970s, Connie had become involved in the family business, and was instrumental in persuading Michael to take his nephew Vincent under his wing and groom him as the new Don. She also poisoned Don Altobello, her godfather, in retaliation for his attempted assault on the family.
In ''The Godfather Part III'' it is indicated that she thinks Fredo has drowned, not murdered on Michael's orders. Some critics thought this lacked credibility given that Connie was fully aware of Michael's ruthlessness, especially after Carlo's death. It can, however, be argued that she was simply in denial, or trying to convince Michael there was no real fault on his part.
Connie appears in Mark Winegardner's sequel novels ''The Godfather Returns'' and ''The Godfather's Revenge''.

Contents

Family

Family

★ Vito Corleone — Father; played by Marlon Brando

★ Santino 'Sonny' Corleone — Brother; played by James Caan

★ Sandra Corleone — Sister-in-law; played by Julie Gregg

★ Fredo Corleone — Brother; played by John Cazale

★ Michael Corleone — Brother; played by Al Pacino

★ Anthony Vito Corleone — Nephew; played by Anthony Gounaris in ''The Godfather'', played by James Gounaris in ''The Godfather, Part II'', played by Franc D'Ambrosio in ''The Godfather, Part III''

★ Mary Corleone — Niece; played by Sofia Coppola

★ Carmella Corleone — Mother, played by Morgana King.

★ Vincent 'Vinnie' Mancini-Corleone — Nephew; played by Andy Garcia.

★ Carlo Rizzi — First Husband; played by Gianni Russo

★ Michael Francis Rizzi — Son; played by Sofia Coppola (as an infant)

★ Victor Rizzi — Son; played by an uncredited actor