What Jewish American mobster was the inspiration for a major character in "The Godfather"?
Moe Greene Morris "Moe" Greene is a fictional character appearing in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel "The Godfather" and the 1972 movie of the same name. The character's name is a composite of real Las Vegas mobsters Moe Dalitz, or possibly Moe Sedway, and Gus Greenbaum. However, both Greene's character and personality are actually based on Bugsy Siegel: his affiliation with the mob in Los Angeles, his involvement in the development of Las Vegas, and his flamboyant tendencies. Greene is portrayed in the movie by Alex Rocco.
Joseph Iannuzzi Joseph Iannuzzi, Jr., (1930 or 1931 – September 20, 2015), also known as "Joe Dogs", "Joe Diner" and "Joe Drywall", was a Gambino crime family associate and FBI informant whose cooperation influenced events surrounding the late 1985 assassination of Gambino family boss Paul Castellano and played an indirect, but valuable, role in the 1985 Mafia Commission Trial. Iannuzzi is the author of several books: "The Mafia Cookbook", "Cooking on the Lam", and his autobiography "Joe Dogs: The Life and Crimes of a Mobster". Iannuzzi died September 20, 2015, in Kerrville, Texas, at the Veterans Administrations Medical Center. He is survived by his seven children, seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren.