The Godfather Quotes

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Source: The Godfather

Speaker: Peter Clemenza

Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.

Context

This bit of advice is said by Peter Clemenza, played by Richard Castellano, in The Godfather (directed by Francis Ford Coppola, 1972).

Here's a mobster's to-do list:

  • Get a ride from your henchman.
  • Pick up cannoli for your wife.
  • Whack Paulie Gatto.
  • Eat cannoli.

Easy peasy, right? After having his henchman, Rocco Lampone, shoot Paulie Gatto, mob boss Vito Corleone's ex-driver, Clemenza, tells Lampone, "Leave the gun, take the cannoli." 

Priorities.

Where you've heard it

You've heard this at any Italian bakery (even if there aren't guns on the premises), probably by a dad being dad-funny and telling a priceless dad-joke.

Additional Notable References

  • Any time a mobster movie mentions cannoli, it's probably because of this scene (see: The Departed).
  • Essayist Sarah Vowell has an essay and an essay collection titled Take the Cannoli, borrowed from this scene. 
  • You can get the saying on a t-shirt...or an iPhone case.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Cannoli are good, but they're not worth killing someone over. Okay, maybe the pistachio ones.