Moe Greene

Did You Know?

• The phrase 'Moe Greene special' appears in The Sopranos episode 'Meadowlands.'
• In 1998, Greene inspired the title of an Off-Broadway drama, Moe Greene Gets It in the Eye.

The Godfather

Greene is introduced as a renowned Jewish mobster and former Murder, Inc. executioner who brought major organized crime interests to Nevada. He is in business with Don Vito Corleone, who funds Greene's first hotel-casino; in return, Greene takes Don Vito's second son, Fredo Corleone, under his protection during the Five Families war, with the Molinari Family guaranteeing Fredo's safety. Fredo is heavily influenced by Greene and Las Vegas, but Michael Corleone disapproves of Greene's treatment of his brother, whom Greene reportedly slapped and chastised in public.

At a discreet meeting, Michael offers to buy Greene's entire casino interest as part of the Corleones' relocation to Nevada. Greene angrily refuses, claiming the Corleones lack the power to force him out and are only moving because other families are chasing them from New York. In the film, Greene belittles Michael's credentials as a Don, saying, 'I made my bones when you were going out with cheerleaders!' In the novel, Greene is murdered by Al Neri; in the film, an unknown assassin shoots him through the eye during a massage, allowing the Corleone family to take over his casinos.