Italian dialects can be confusing--and adding the American version can double the confusion. My grandfather's last name is spelled: RUGGIERO. Now, in English, it would be pronounced something like: Roo-gear-ee-oh. But, my grandfather pronounced it in Neapolitan: Roo-jer-oh (the r sounds rolling). In northern Italy, I think it is pronounced: Roo-jar-oh. Go figure. No one ever got his name right. He and his family stuck with Roo-jeer-ee-oh since it seemed the easiest to pronounce for Americans.

I think Coreleone in my family's tongue would be COR-LAY-ON. We also say pro-jute for proscuitto and fazool for fagioli!

~~ Lollie

Okay, my last post on this subject. I grew up in a large Italian neighborhood in Pittsburgh composed of alot of Neapolitans. Some of my people were Abruzzese. Those that came over on the boat, so to speak, naturally spoke indigenous Italian just like Fabrizio. What is very difficult for the untrained ear to pick up is that Fabrizio actually does pronounce the "e" on the end of Corleone. It is very, very subtle. That's the way my people would have pronounced it. I think that Lavinia and Lolli have it pretty much correct. Take my screen name, Olivant. Given the way I usually pronounce it, you might think I said Olivan - without the "T" on the end.

Not to beat a dead horse (apologies to Woltz) but last night watching GFII I noticed yet another mispronounciation of the name. It happens when Sen Geary is giving his speech, and he deliberateely says the name wrong. He says "Anthony V- eye -to Car lee on."

He didn't deliberately mispronounce his name at that point. He's just this dumb anglo guy whose exposure to ethnics is only when they are cleaning his home or mowing his lawn. He says Anthony Vy toe (long i)Corleon (like in "on" the table). In the office with Mike he then deliberately mispronounces his name by sarcastically pronouncing the e on the end of Corleone as a long e. I would have whacked him right then and there!

No, I dont think so. He went out of his way to mispronounce it during the speech as an insult to Michael, which Michael could do nothint about. He also misstates Kay's name at first. Then later when he exaggerates the correct pronounciation of Corleone, he drives the point of the insult home.

i think it's pronounced Cor-Lee-Own but it is said various ways throughout the films

This reminds me of a true story out of Detroit. A while back there was a street gang called the Coney-Oneys. As Motown is noted for its delicious Coney Island hotdogs as well as the cars and great music, it was assumed that this was what the name was referencing. Turns out that, when one of the gang members were asked about it, he apparently said (and I'm probably paraphrasing), "You know, The Godfather!... Don Coney-Oney?"