(5742) St. John's Prep 1992 Yearbook You Just Had To Be There 04 05 12 52 00

(3664) The (fictional) Vito Corleone Tombstone
This monument to Vito Corleone is merely a prop. No grave marker even remotely resembling this marker exists at Calvary. If you intend to visit Calvary with the hope of finding this marker you will be disappointed. This Corleone grave marker as it appears in the film is the source of one of many gripes I have with the funeral scene from "The Godfather." It is possible that Vito Corleone would have arranged to have this handsome marker placed at his burial plot in advance of his death. It is unlikely, though, that this or any tombstone would have the date of death (July 28, 1955) engraved on it in time for the funeral. I have other complaints about the editing of this scene, but don't get me started.

(2925) First Look at the Daly Tombstone
These three screen grabs provide the most important clue to the exact location of the fictional burial site of Vito Corleone. That clue is the Daly marker seen at the left side of the screen. The Daly marker is the only readable tombstone from the funeral scene of "The Godfather." It also turned out to be a somewhat perplexing piece of the puzzle, as we will see in a moment. In the second picture the camera pulls back a bit, showing the BQE/Kosciuszko Bridge rising up in the background. The Daly marker remains on screen for several seconds as the camera pans to the left. In the third picture the Hildreth and Garry mausoleums are seen in the background, the first letters of the Hildreth structure the only readable name in this image.

(2827) Analysis of the Daly Marker
Here is the Daly marker shown from the back. This is the approximate angle from which the marker is seen in the film. It is here, also, where things get a little perplexing. If you recall which way this marker faces in "The Godfather" you might say "That can't be the right Daly marker. It's facing the wrong way." This is true. In the film the name "Daly" on this marker faces west. Today the name faces east, toward the mausoleums and more in the direction of the BQE/Kosciuszko Bridge. With all other evidence indicating that this was the location of the Daly marker seen in "The Godfather" I conclude that the tombstone was knocked over, completely or in part, at some time during the 30+ years between the filming of this scene and the day these pictures were taken. This sort of vandalism is common at all cemeteries, and any visit to Calvary or most large cemeteries will include sightings of toppled tombstones. When the Calvary Cemetery groundskeepers discovered this toppled marker and re-assembled it I think they simply put the top part on backwards. Looking at side-by-side photos and comparing the details of the marker today and the marker seen in the film, there appear to be chips at a couple of places on the cross today, evidence (perhaps) that this marker took a tumble. Things change slowly at cemeteries but they do change. While it faces a different direction today, I have no doubt that this is the same Daly marker from the funeral scene of "The Godfather." Everything else adds up: the position of the mausoleums, the BQE/Kosciuszko, even the dot at the end of the name Daly on the tombstone.

(2821) First look at the Corleone tombstone
The towering tombstone on the left is the fictional Corleone marker. No marker even remotely resembling this movie prop exists at Calvary.

(2654) Vito Corleone's Fictional Burial Site
Vito Corleone's fictional burial in "The Godfather" would have occurred here. There are, of course, real burials here. Most of them are unmarked. If you decide to visit this site on your Godfather tour of New York, please do so with respect for the grounds. Calvary is a place of endless beauty, as I have found in my years roaming the grounds. I hope you will find time to discover what an amazing place this is, if not in person than vicariously through my Photos of Calvary Cemetery, Queens NYC

(2640) dotted map detail

(2617) Section 1-West, Street Level
The top photo shows a screengrab from "The Godfather". The bottom photo shows how that exact filming location looked in 2007.

(2573) The Daly Marker Today
Here it is! This is the Daly marker seen in the funeral scene of "The Godfather" standing strong today as it has since the early 1880s. With this photo I am proud to raise the Daly family up from the obscurity of their grave and give them their rightful credit as extras in "The Godfather." :-D The tombstone reads: ERECTED BY THE CHILDREN IN MEMORY OF THEIR BELOVED PARENTS THOMAS DALY, DIED FEB 13 1887 AGED 80 YEARS BRIDGET DALY, DIED MAY 6 1880 AGED 66 YEARS ALSO THEIR BELOVED BROTHER JOSEPH DALY, DIED JAN 30 1880 AGED 45 YEARS The area behind this marker is where Al Pacino and the others sat. This marker has a lot of unmarked graves behind it, leaving lots of unimpeded ground for the cast and film crew to set up shop.

(2476) Close-Up of Location Coordinates for the Daly Marker
This is a close-up of the location coordinates of the Daly marker. The Daly marker is located at Section 1W, Range 18, Plot P, Grave #17. The funeral scene from "The Godfather" was filmed in the area behind this marker, shown in the next and final picture of this series.

(2471) Section 1-West, Then and Now
My shot (bottom) is slightly off line compared to the film. I should have been a few steps to the right, but it's close enough for jazz. Things do not change fast at cemeteries but they do change. It is interesting to me to compare these shots. Some tombstones are missing, others are sinking into the ground. The water spigot and two adjacent tombstones in the bottom left corner remain today (the water spigot is a bit off balance now), but a tall white marker with a cross seen in the bottom middle of the movie screen shot is completely gone today.

(2430) Procession Route, Then and Now
The top photo is a screen grab from the funeral procession. The bottom photo attempts to show the same approximate view as it looks today. Not much has changed. Everyone here is still dead. :-D Section 1-W is on the left, and Section 1-S is on the right. In addition to being the location of the fictional burial site of Vito Corleone, Section 1W is the real eternal resting place for celebrities such as silent film star Nita Naldi and hall of fame baseball player "Wee Willie" Keeler. The large mausoleum toward the top left corner of the picture is the mighty Johnston Mausoleum, by far the largest personal mausoleum at Calvary.

(2194) Wider View of the Daly Marker
This picture was taken from above and behind the mausoleums. It shows a wider view of the area in which the scene was filmed, and where Vito Corleone's fictional burial would have occurred.

(2137) The Procession Begins
It is not the most inspiring cemetery entrance, but the Greenpoint Avenue entrance to Calvary looks no worse for wear in 2007 (when the second of these photos was taken) than it did when "The Godfather" was filmed. The script for "The Godfather" link (crank up the popup blocker, it's the Internet Movie Script Database!) reads: "The hundreds of cars, limousines and flower cars line the stone wall that surrounds this Italian-Catholic cemetary (sic) in Queens Village. "Hundreds of people stand in a cluster; others watch; take pictures, etc." The real cemetery is not in Queens Village, and it is not a strictly Italian-Catholic yard.

(1968) St. John's Prep 1992 Yearbook You Just Had To Be There 04 05 12 51 50