Joe Zaluchi

Don Giuseppe 'Joe' Zaluchi is a fictional character in the novels The Godfather, The Godfather Returns, and The Godfather's Revenge. He is the boss of the Detroit syndicate. He is based on real-life Detroit crime boss Joseph "Joe Z" Zerilli. The character also appeared in film version of The Godfather, portrayed by Louis Guss.

Growing up poor in Sicily, he and his family went to America to have a better life. They moved to Detroit in the early 1900s. There, Zaluchi makes his fortune and starts a family. He owns a business, and starts paying protection to the feared Purple Gang. After he sees that the gang is destroying Detroit, he takes matters into his own hands, going to New York to negotiate with a rising Vito Corleone. Vito himself pulls some strings to get some people in Detroit to help Zaluchi.

In 1930, after amassing more political influence, men, and allies, Zaluchi wipes out the Purple gang. After a year of fighting, in 1931, Zaluchi becomes the don of Detroit. Corleone sends him alcohol from Canada, and Zaluchi makes a big profit. After that, he starts extending his power in Detroit.; he acquires a horse-racing tracks and soon controls a large part of the gambling in Detroit.

During the Five Families war portrayed in The Godfather, he allies himself with the Corleone family. He serves as sort of a mediator in the meeting of the Five Families, where he insists that heroin will in no way be sold in schools and that it should be confined to the "dark" (African-American) neighborhoods.

In The Godfather Returns, he receives a satchel and he uses it to sabotage the flight of Tony Molinari, Frankie Falcone, and Nick Geraci. He is never connected to any of these, however.