At a quarter to five that afternoon, Don Corleone had finished checking the

Papers the office manager of his olive oil company had prepared for him. He put

On his jacket and rapped his knuckles on his son Freddie's head to make him take

his nose out of the afternoon newspaper. "Tell Gatto to get the car from the lot,"

he said. "I'll be ready to go home in a few minutes."

2 Freddie grunted. "I'll have to get it myself. Paulie called in sick this morning.

Got a cold again."

3 Don Corleone looked thoughtful for a moment. "That's the third time this

month. I think maybe you'd better get a healthier fellow for this job. Tell Tom."

4 Fred protested. "Paulie's a good kid. If he says he's sick, he's sick. I don't mind

getting the car," He left the office. Don Corleone watched out the window as his

Son crossed Ninth Avenue to the parking lot. He stopped to call Hagen's office

But there was no answer. He called the house at Long Beach but again there was

No answer. Irritated, he looked out the window. His car was parked at the curb in

Front of his building. Freddie was leaning against the fender, arms folded,

Watching the throng of Christmas shoppers. Don Corleone put on his jacket. The

Office manager helped him with his overcoat. Don Corleone grunted his thanks

And went out the door and started down the two flights of steps.

 

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Out in the street the early winter light was failing. Freddie leaned casually

Against the fender of the heavy Buick. When he saw his father come out of the

Building Freddie went out into the street to the driver's side of the car and got in.

Don Corleone was about to get in on the sidewalk side of the car when he

Hesitated and then turned back to the long open fruit stand near the corner. This

Had been his habit lately, he loved the big but-of-season fruits, yellow peaches

And oranges, that glowed in their green boxes. The proprietor sprang to serve

Him. Don Corleone did not handle the fruit. He pointed. The fruit man disputed his

Decisions only once, to show him that one of his choices had a rotten underside.

Don Corleone took the paper bag in his left hand and paid the man with a five-

Dollar bill. He took his change and, as he turned to go back to the waiting car, two

Men stepped from around the corner. Don Corleone knew immediately what was

To happen.

The two men wore black overcoats and black hats pulled low to prevent

Identification by witnesses. They had not expected Don Corleone's alert reaction.

He dropped the bag of fruit and darted toward the parked car with startling

quickness for a man of his bulk. At the same time he shouted, "Fredo, Fredo." It

Was only then that the two men drew their guns and fired.

The first bullet caught Don Corleone in the back. He felt the hammer shock of

Its impact but made his body move toward the car. The next two bullets hit him in

The buttocks and sent him sprawling in the middle of the street. Meanwhile the

Two gunmen, careful not to slip on the rolling fruit, started to follow in order to

Finish him off. At that moment, perhaps no more than five seconds after the Don's

Call to his son, Frederico Corleone appeared out of his car, looming over it. The

Gunmen fired two more hasty shots at the Don lying in the gutter. One hit him in

The fleshy part of his arm and the second hit him in the calf of his right leg.

Though these wounds were the least serious they bled profusely, forming small

Pools of blood beside his body. But by this time Don Corleone had lost

Consciousness.

Freddie had heard his father shout, calling him by his childhood name, and

Then he had heard the first two loud reports. By the time he got out of the car he

Was in shock, he had not even drawn his gun. The two assassins could easily

Have shot him down. But they too panicked.

They must have known the son was armed, and besides too much time had