I'm far from an expert, but I believe that there were maffiosi who tought the film was very 'cool'. They wanted to be like Vito, Santino, ... And acted like them.

Somewhere in the seventies, a powerful maffiaboss had a trial in Sicily. He had seen The GF, and when he was in the courtroom he acted totally like Vito Corleone. He pulled his lip up, he mumbeld, and did all kinds of slow Vito-handgestures...