Moe Greene

This article is about The Godfather character. For the character portrayed on SCTV, see Harold Ramis.

Moe Greene
First appearance	The Godfather
Last appearance	The Godfather
Created by	Mario Puzo
Portrayed by	Alex Rocco
Information
Gender	Male

Moe Greene is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and movie. The character is heavily based on real-life mobster Bugsy Siegel and is portrayed in the movie by Alex Rocco.

Biography

Moe Greene was a renowned Jewish mobster and former executioner for Murder Incorporated, who was credited with the development of Las Vegas into a gambling and entertainment mecca, bringing the interests of the most powerful organized crime organizations in America to the town. He was a childhood friend of Hyman Roth.

Roth and many other mobsters said he was the king of Las Vegas: "He made Las Vegas and they don't even have a statue to remember his name."

The Godfather (novel)

Among his powerful allies was Don Vito Corleone, who bankrolled the creation of Greene's first hotel-casino. In return, Moe took the Don's son Fredo under his wing during the war between the Five Families in New York, due to the intervention of West Coast Don Anthony Molinari. Although Fredo was greatly influenced by both Greene and the city, family heir Michael Corleone disapproved of the effect it had on his brother, whom Greene reportedly chastised and slapped around in public.

At a meeting with Greene, Michael expressed his disapproval and, perhaps partially motivated by Fredo's disgrace, made an offer to buy out Greene's entire interest in the casino as part of the Corleones' relocation to Nevada. Offended, Greene angrily refused, claiming that the Corleones had neither the favor nor the power required to drive him out of the business. He also belittled Michael's credentials as a boss, saying, "I made my bones when you were going out with cheerleaders!" For this, Michael has Greene killed by Al Neri, who shoots Greene through his glasses and eye. Greene's casinos then became property of the Corleone family. In the film, Greene is killed by an unnamed hitman instead of by Al Neri.

The Godfather: Part II (film)

Greene's death returns to haunt Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II, when rival Hyman Roth, a mentor to Corleone and formerly a partner of Greene's, angrily cites Greene's death to Michael as an example of Roth's refusal to question business-related killings, despite his friendship with the victim. Roth admits that Greene was hot-headed and pushed the limit too often and that he ultimately brought on his own fate, but bemoans the fact there are no monuments or streets named after Greene despite his putting Las Vegas on the map. Nonetheless, Roth tries to eliminate Michael, first by trying to have him murdered and then by setting up a Congressional investigation into the Corleone family. Roth is unsuccessful, however, and is himself murdered on Michael's orders in the film's closing scenes.