Someone here - I forget who - had a logical, if purely speculative, argument that the old guy was Nazorine the Baker's father.
Nazorine is up there on the stage with him, and they exchange some words while there, I believe.
Well, if that were the case, why does the Nazorine go to Vito for help instead of his own father who was a don. He is one of the dons at the dons' conference.