Hyman Roth

Hyman Roth
Lee Strasberg portraying Hyman Roth
First appearance	The Godfather Part II
Last appearance	The Godfather II (video game)
Created by	Mario Puzo
Portrayed by	Lee Strasberg
In-universe information
Nickname	"Johnny Lips"
Occupation	Mob boss, casino-owner, financier, rum runner (formerly)
Spouse	Marcia Roth ​ (m. 1950)​
Relatives	Sam Roth (brother)
Religion	Judaism

Hyman Roth (born Hyman Suchowsky) is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1974 film The Godfather Part II. He is also a minor character in the 2004 novel The Godfather Returns. Roth is a Jewish mobster and investor and a business partner of Vito Corleone, and later his son Michael Corleone. He is based on New York mobster Meyer Lansky and was played by Lee Strasberg in the movie. It was Al Pacino who suggested Strasberg, his former acting teacher, for the role.

Character overview

Roth's background is supplied in a deleted scene in The Godfather Part II. In this scene, set in Little Italy, New York in the early 1920s, he is working as a car mechanic. He is noticed by Peter Clemenza, who has been calling him "Johnny Lips". Clemenza introduces him to Vito Corleone, who suggests that he change his name, which was originally Hyman Suchowsky. When Vito asks him whom he admires, Suchowsky says Arnold Rothstein, for having fixed the 1919 World Series; accordingly, he changes his last name to Roth.

Dialogue later in the film explains that Roth worked diligently with the Corleone family during Prohibition, and was a close friend and ally of Moe Greene, the "inventor" of Las Vegas. Roth, as well as Don Corleone, started out running molasses out of Havana and into Canada. Frank Pentangeli says that Vito Corleone respected Hyman Roth, did business with Hyman Roth, but never trusted Hyman Roth.

The Godfather Part II

By the timeline of this film, Roth is based in Miami. Though in seemingly poor health, he is extremely wealthy, having made a fortune by running his own organized crime outfit, assisted by his right-hand man, Sicilian Johnny Ola. Roth forms a partnership with Michael Corleone for a profitable business enterprise with the corrupt Cuban government of Fulgencio Batista and a number of major American corporations. Roth secretly plans to assassinate Michael, partly to avenge Moe Greene's murder (as depicted in The Godfather). Roth instructs Ola to befriend Michael's brother Fredo, who provides Ola (and Roth) information about Michael that enables them to make an attempt on his life.

Michael quickly realizes that Roth perpetrated the murder plot. Remembering his father's advice to "keep enemies close," he maintains a good business relationship with Roth. Michael also suspects a mole within the Corleone family aided Roth, and needs time to uncover his identity.

On New Year's Eve 1958, the last night of Batista's rule, Michael orders Roth killed, confiding to Fredo that Roth will not see the New Year. Just as Michael's bodyguard Bussetta attempts to smother Roth with a pillow in the hospital, Batista's soldiers storm the facility and kill Bussetta. Moments later, Fidel Castro's army enters the city, overthrowing the Batista regime and ruining Roth and Michael's plans.

Shortly after the Cuban fiasco, the U.S. Senate begins hearings on organized crime. To eliminate Michael as a competitor, Roth manipulates Corleone family caporegime Frank Pentangeli into testifying against Michael by having the Rosato Brothers, two small-time hoods, attempt to kill Pentangeli. He survives and, believing Michael ordered the attack, agrees to testify against the Corleone Family at a Senate hearing. The hearing is really a set piece arranged by Roth in hopes of removing Michael from the scene; the Senate committee's chief counsel is on Roth's payroll. As a counter-move, Michael has Pentangeli's brother, Vincenzo, flown in from Sicily to coerce Pentangeli into silence, thus destroying the government's case against Michael.

Roth is last seen at the Miami airport, where he publicly states that he wishes to retire and live in Israel under the Law of Return. His request (like that of the real-life Meyer Lansky) is rejected by the Israeli High Court, reportedly due to his criminal ties. Michael arranges to have Roth killed at the airport where he is about to be taken into U.S. Federal custody. Minutes after disembarking the plane, he is fatally shot by Michael's caporegime Rocco Lampone, posing as a reporter. Rocco himself is killed by federal agents as he is escaping.