For a time, Fran Lopate — a Jewish mother of four from Flatbush — became America's most recognizable Italian spokesmodel.

The family remained divided until the 1960s when Joseph Colombo assumed control, however, after he was shot in 1971 following Gallo's release from prison, a second family war broke out.

Joseph Colombo, head of the Colombo crime family, reportedly struck a deal with Paramount Pictures to sanitize the film's script by removing the word "Mafia" to present a less-negative portrayal ...

As for Colombo, he was shot and paralysed in 1971 before the first Godfather was even released, leaving him severely brain damaged until he died in 1978.

MURPHYSBORO -- Joseph T. Colombo, 85, passed away at 4:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010, in Oak Grove Rehab and Care Center in Carbondale. Joseph was born May 13, 1925, in St. Louis, the son of ...