Created by Mario Puzo Gender Male Spouse(s) Wife (name unknown) Creator Mario Puzo Last appearance The Godfather Part II | Portrayed by G. D. Spradlin Occupation U.S. Senator Played by G. D. Spradlin First appearance The Godfather Part II Movie The Godfather Part II | |
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Similar Frank Pentangeli, Johnny Ola, Hyman Roth, Willi Cicci, Al Neri | ||
Ellis "Pat" Geary is a fictional character portrayed by G. D. Spradlin in the film The Godfather Part II. He is a U.S. senator from Nevada whose corruption and moral vices are exploited by Michael Corleone.
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Fictional character biography
At the beginning of the film, set in 1958 Nevada, Senator Geary and his wife attend Anthony Corleone's First Communion celebration. Anthony's father, Michael Corleone, is the head of the Corleone crime family. Geary publicly accepts a contribution in Anthony's name, ostensibly as a donation for the local public university. While addressing the large gathering, Geary mispronounces Anthony's middle and last names and refers to Michael Corleone's wife Kay as Pat.
After the ceremony, Geary and Michael have a private meeting in which the senator offers to help Michael obtain a disputed gaming license for the Corleone family's casino operations in exchange for an exorbitant bribe. He unleashes a contemptuous tirade against the Corleones and Italian Americans in general, stating that he "intend[s] to squeeze" the family for all he can get. Michael counters by telling Geary he wants him to pay the $20,000 licensing fee, an offer Geary indignantly refuses.
Some time later, Geary is with a prostitute in a brothel run by Michael's brother Fredo. Having suffered an alcoholic blackout and with no memory of what has transpired, he awakens in a bed covered in blood next to the dead woman. Corleone family consigliere Tom Hagen assures a terrified Geary the matter can be covered up. It is implied that the Corleones engineered this situation, perhaps through drugging Geary. Michael's personal assassin, Al Neri, is seen in the bathroom wiping his hands with a towel, indicating that it was he who murdered the prostitute.
Subsequently, the Corleones blackmail Geary into siding with them. When Michael travels to Havana to meet with Hyman Roth and other crime bosses, he also takes the time to associate with several influential figures in government, law, and business. Geary is among this latter group; he greets Michael warmly during a New Year's Eve party held by the Cuban president, Fulgencio Batista, and later joins them in going to see a live sex show. When chaos erupts on the streets as Fidel Castro comes to power, Geary can be heard loudly demanding entry into the U.S. Embassy.
Later in the movie, Geary serves on a Senate committee that is investigating organized crime, and which could potentially send Michael to prison. He asks Corleone soldato Willie Cicci about the layers of management ("buffers") which protect Michael from direct criminal involvement. Later, on the day of Michael's testimony, Geary speaks in defense of Italian-Americans to the assembled television cameras, denouncing stereotyping them as criminals. However, he excuses himself from the hearing before Michael testifies.
In other media
Mark Winegardner's 2006 sequel novel The Godfather's Revenge explains that Geary remains in Michael's pocket well into the 1960s.
Geary also makes an appearance in the video game The Godfather II. Dominic Corleone, the player character, meets with Geary to persuade him to visit the brothel. Hagen instructs Dominic to create a fake business deal to gain Geary's trust. Dominic mentions that his "partners" have prostitution businesses across the country before suggesting Geary visit a local brothel that he controls. Dominic then joins Hagen the next morning, speaking to Geary after his horrific discovery.