Nick Geraci

Character overview

Geraci is a caporegime in the Corleone crime family, but later betrays the family, and becomes a sworn enemy to Don Michael Corleone.

The Godfather Returns

The Godfather Returns establishes Geraci's backstory. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio in a family which emigrated from Milazzo, Sicily. His father, Fausto Geraci Sr., was a driver for Don Vincent Forlenza, who also served as his Godfather and became his trusted friend. Geraci has an uneasy relationship with his father, who resents that his son anglicized the Geraci family name, pronouncing it Jer-ay-cee instead of the original Jair-ah-chee.

Geraci becomes a boxer in his teens, eventually becoming a heavyweight champion under the moniker "Ace Geraci". He is introduced to Salvatore Tessio through his contacts in Cleveland, and becomes part of his regime. He participates in fixed fights for Tessio's sports fixing ring, and works as an enforcer while he moves up through the ranks. His injuries in the ring eventually lead to him developing Parkinson's disease.

After Don Michael Corleone discovers Tessio's treachery against the Corleone family, he orders Geraci to kill his mentor to prove his loyalty. After Geraci performs the task, Michael unofficially places him in charge of Tessio's regime and begins grooming him to be his successor. Nevertheless, Geraci dislikes and resents Michael, believing that the new Don has done nothing to earn the power and respect accorded to the head of the Corleone family.

Geraci's true position is made clear when he flies a plane carrying Frank Falcone and Tony Molinari, the Dons of Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively. The plane crashes into a lake, killing the Dons, but leaving Geraci alive. Following his recuperation, Geraci learns that Michael had sabotaged the plane as part of an elaborate plan to weaken the Cleveland and Chicago crime families. Geraci swears revenge against Michael, staying quiet until he can hatch a plan to defeat him.

Geraci befriends Michael's brother Fredo and, along with Johnny Ola, manipulates him into giving Corleone nemesis Hyman Roth information later used in an attempt on Michael's life (as originally portrayed in The Godfather Part II). Acting as a loyal Corleone, Geraci is placed in charge of the intended assassination of Fidel Castro, which ultimately fails. However, he learns from a CIA contact — Michael's old friend Joe Lucadello — that the assassination was intended to fail, and Geraci intended to take the fall. Geraci goes into hiding, and begins writing Fausto's Bargain, a memoir of his life in the Mafia.

The Godfather's Revenge

In The Godfather's Revenge, Geraci continues to elude Michael by constantly changing hideouts, all the while orchestrating a smear campaign against him and his consigliere, Tom Hagen. During this time, Michael's men kill Geraci's father and accidentally injure his daughter, intensifying Geraci's feud with his nemesis.

As retaliation for his father's death, Geraci drowns Hagen in the Florida Everglades. He then attempts to use a Commission vote to force Michael into retirement, leaving the Corleone family operations in his hands. His plan ultimately leads to his undoing, however. A meeting with Commission bosses to officially depose Michael turns out to be a trap, in which Geraci is ambushed and killed by his old friend Eddie Paradise, Michael's new caporegime.

After Geraci's death, he is publicly named as the mastermind behind the assassination of President James Shea (analogous to John F. Kennedy), which had in fact been ordered by Michael's associate Carlo Tramonti. Nevertheless, Fausto's Bargain becomes a best seller.