Al Lettieri

Alfredo Lettieri (February 24, 1928 – October 18, 1975) was an American actor. Active during the 1960s and 1970s, he commonly portrayed villainous characters. He achieved recognition for his performance as mobster Virgil Sollozzo in the crime film The Godfather (1972) and appeared in several other productions alongside Hollywood's biggest screen stars.

Background
Lettieri was an Italian-American who spoke Italian fluently. His brother-in-law was Pasquale Eboli, brother of Genovese crime family boss Thomas Eboli.

1950s to 1960s
Lettieri had a role in the 1958 Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Fugitive Nurse" as Arthur Strome. At the age of 36, he had a role in the television film The Hanged Man (1964).

Before his notable film roles materialized, Lettieri offered his services as a dialogue coach on five productions including the 1968 wartime classic Where Eagles Dare. He was credited variously "Alfredo Lettieri" and "Al Lettier" during this phase of his career.

1970s
Lettieri is best known for his role as Sicilian heroin trafficker Virgil Sollozzo in the 1972 American crime film The Godfather. This was the second film in which he and Marlon Brando worked together, the first being The Night of the Following Day (1969).

He wrote the film adaptation that became the screenplay for the 1971 gangster movie Villain, which starred Richard Burton and Ian McShane. Lettieri played the brutal, libidinous henchman Rudy Butler in Steve McQueen's 1972 action film, The Getaway, and the menacing hit-man Frank Renda in the 1974 Charles Bronson film, Mr. Majestyk. He played Ciro Musante in Go Gorilla Go (1976).

Death
Lettieri died of a heart attack in 1975, aged 47, in New York City.