This might be looking a little too far into things but does anyone else think the Wedding Scene/FBI at the beginning of GF1 was based on the meeting in Apalachin?

or did the FBI etc.. regularly show up to gatherings?

I don't really see much of a connection. The feds were known to show up at known mob events such as weddings and funerals. Apalachin was more of a curiosity by the local police, who had no idea what was going on.

State, local and federal law enforcement often show up (sometimes simultaneously) at big Mob events that are known in advance, especially weddings and funerals. The FBI guys at Connie's wedding were a realistic touch.
The Apalachin meeting was a different affair. The NY State cops busted the meeting. Supposedly their curiousity was piqued when they saw a large number of Cadillacs approaching the home of Joe Barbara. Another version: local cops, who knew Barbara was a Mob guy, tipped the Staties because Barbara didn't pay them off.

I agree that the FBI commonly attends even Mafia related social events. However, I believe that Joe Barbera was a known hood who was already surveilled by the Feds and NY state police and they knew in advance of the meeting.

from what I've read, the state police started surveilance (sp?) on the house after 1) Galante I think the name is was staying at Barbara's house and was pulled over and gave a fake license 2) Barbara's son started booking rooms in hotels around the estate.

The wedding scene in the begining of Godfather was actually based on the 1956 wedding of Bill Bonanno and Roslaie Profaci. It was a huge affair with around 3000 guests and a special guest singer named Tony Bennett.


Don Cardi

Thanks DC........just out of curiousity, do you know if the house is still standing? I've seen pictures but I think I want to see it in person.

Yes it is. Just Lou and someone else recently visited the house. There was a post about it too.


http://www.gangsterbb.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=005755

Don Cardi

I'm wondering if, given the FBI's (and especially Hoover's) "blind eye" (at least in public) towards organized crime and their position that there was no such thing as a "mafia", they were, in fact, attending mob "social events" in the 1940s.

Thats an excellent point. DC and I were recently discussing old newspaper articles from the 40's/50's and how little correct info they contained and how the public perception of the Mob was distorted. The federal government's position of "ignoring" the mob (headed up by J. Edgar Hoover) was in its hey-day during the 40's and probably would have precluded the FBI from taking down license plate numbers, etc. at Connie's wedding.

Not necessarily. Although the "official" FBI position in Washington was that there was no such thing as the Mafia, individual special agents in charge may have had active, open cases against Mafiosi or even bosses that they were pursuing--including taking down license plate numbers. Other Federal law enforcement agencies (such as the predecessor of the DEA--remember Ralph Salerno, who was the government's #1 expert on organized crime long before the FBI acknowledge the Mob?) could have been pursuing Vito's guests.