Which member of the Godfather franchise are you most closely connected to?

+21 votes
3.9k views

James Caan, who portrayed Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, recently passed away. In his honor, in the Connection Finder this week we're featuring actors and creative personalities associated with The Godfather movies.

Here are others to check your connection to: 

Which one is most closely connected to you? If you're one of the 26.5 million of us who are connected to each other on our big tree you can check with the Connection Finder.

Special Feature: Check out how you're connected to other Notables, like Famous Actors of the 20th Century and Academy Award Winners of the 20th Century using the green MyConnections button in the upper right hand corner of these category pages.

Let us know how you're related below! If you want to share your connection on social media with cousins and friends, click the "get shareable image" below the results, e.g. Marlon Brando and James Caan. Then just upload it along with the URL of your direct connection. (Please refrain from sharing your connection on the featured profiles themselves, though. It clutters conversations on research and collaboration. Thanks!)

Help us with next week's Aquatic Enthusiasts feature by helping to choose and improve profiles for it.

WikiTree profile: James Caan
in The Tree House by Abby Glann G2G6 Pilot (722k points)
reshown by Chris Whitten

28 Answers

+12 votes
Robert Duvall is the closest connection at 17 degrees with just one marriage on the path.  Three of the others are very distant cousins. 17th cousin Harry Dean Stanton is the closest of those.
by Steve Ryan G2G6 Mach 7 (79.4k points)
+14 votes
17 degrees from Harry Stanton (17th cousins, 1x removed)
19 degrees from Marlon Brando (15th cousins, 3x removed)
19 degrees from Robert Duvall
21 degrees from Talia Shire
21 degrees from Robert De Niro (17th cousins, 3x removed)
23 degrees from Diane Keaton
23 degrees from James Caan
27 degrees from Al Pacino
31 degrees from Mario Puzo
42 degrees from Nino Rota
by Mike Wells G2G6 Pilot (132k points)
+12 votes

I am most closely connected to Marlon Brando and Robert Duvall at 19 degrees of separation.

by Tommy Buch G2G Astronaut (1.9m points)
edited by Tommy Buch
+11 votes
by Jennifer Robins G2G6 Pilot (248k points)
edited by Jennifer Robins
+11 votes
I am most closely connected to Marlon Brando and Harry Stanton at 25 degrees.
by Samantha Thomson G2G6 Pilot (254k points)
+13 votes
Marlon Brando. 7C1R 16 steps.
by Nic Baker G2G1 (1.7k points)
+12 votes

Very distant relation   

  Brando 21st cousin 3xr, 

De Niro 19th cousin 4xr, 

 Stanton 23rd cousin 2xr,

 Schmidt 23rd cousin 4xr

The rest by marriage. 

by Judy Adden G2G6 Mach 6 (63.1k points)
+11 votes
My connections are:

Marlon Brando, 20 degrees, 19th cousins 1x removed

James Caan, 25 degrees, no relation

Robert De Niro, 21 degrees, 13th cousins

Robert Duvall, 22 degrees, no relation

Diane Keaton, 23 degrees, no relation

Al Pacino, 29 degrees, no relation

Mario Puzo, 31 degrees, no relation

Nina Rota, 40 degrees, no relation

Talia Shire, 23 degrees, no relation

Harry Stanton, 21 degrees, 22nd cousins

Eli Wallach, 31 degrees, no relation

Kate Schmidt, 17 degrees, 10th cousins

Hello Cousin Kate!
by Anonymous Reed G2G6 Pilot (176k points)
+12 votes
16 degrees from Marlon Brando. 7th cousin 1 time removed. MRCA Henry Pendleton (1683 - 1721).

16 degrees from Harry Stanton. 18th cousin 2 times removed. MRCA Anne (Bodrugan) Cole (b. abt. 1360).

17 degrees from Robert Duvall. 8th cousin. MRCA Sarah (Elliot) Monroe (1668 - abt 1734).

17 degrees from Robert De Niro. 15th cousin 3 times removed. MRCA Thomas Stanley (abt 1390 - 1463).

21 degrees from Talia Shire.

25 degrees from James Caan.

25 degrees from Diane Keaton.

26 degrees from Eli Wallach.

27 degrees from Al Pacino.

37 degrees from Mario Puzo.

41 degree from Nino Rota.
by Frank Blankenship G2G6 Pilot (125k points)
edited by Frank Blankenship
+11 votes

I am mostly connected to Robert Duvall at 9 degrees of separation.

Ancestors and Cousins

9 degrees - Robert Duvall (5C1R) - MRCA William Herndon
17 degrees - Harry Dean Stanton (15C1R) - MRCA  Elizabeth (Stewart) Campbell
18 degrees - Kate Schmidt (9C2R) - MRCA Hope (Howland) Chipman
20 degrees - Marlon Brando (18C2R) - MRCA Henry Percy KG
23 degrees - Robert De Niro (15C3R) - MRCA Thomas Stanley

Connections

23 degrees - Talia Shire
26 degrees - James Caan
26 degrees - Diane Keaton 
29 degrees - Al Pacino
29 degrees - Eli Wallach
34 degrees - Mario Puzo
43 degrees - Nino Rota

by Shonda Feather G2G6 Pilot (376k points)
edited by Shonda Feather
+11 votes
18 Degrees from Marlon Brando Jr., Brando-1, two branches (7-12) 19th cousins MRCA Alan (Heaton) de Heton, Heaton-214

20 Degrees from Robert de Niro Jr.,  De_Niro-1,  two branches (13-8) 17th cousins MRCA Maud (Scrope) Freville, Scrope-164

20 Degrees from Harry Dean Stanton, Stanton-3218, three branches (10-5-6) 22nd cousins MRCA Isabel (Clare) de Brus, Clare-18

21 Degrees from Robert Duvall two branches (12-10)

22 Degrees from James Caan four branches (1-4-8-10)

24 Degrees from Diane Keaton five branches (6-5-5-1-8)

24 Degrees from Talia Shire three branches (3-12-10)

29 Degrees from Eli Wallach five branches (1-5-4-9-11)

31 Degrees from Al Pacino five branches (8-5-8-3-8)

37 Degrees from Mario Puso seven branches (2-7-2-4-11-2-10)

39 Degrees from Nino Rota seven branches (4-3-4-6-7-5-11)
by Mildred Wheeler G2G6 Mach 7 (79.5k points)
edited by Mildred Wheeler
+11 votes
  •  James Caan - 26 degrees
  • Marlon Brando8th cousin 4x removed, 21 degrees
  • Robert de Niro - 22nd cousin once removed, 21 degrees
  • Robert Duvall - 22 degrees
  • Diane Keaton - 26 degrees
  • Al Pacino - 31 degrees
  • Mario Puzo - 33 degrees
  • Nino Rota - 43 degrees
  • Talia Shire - 22 degrees
  • Harry Dean Stanton - 23rd cousin 4x removed, 18 degrees
  • Eli Wallach - 32 degrees 
by Jennifer Fulk G2G6 Mach 5 (59.2k points)
+10 votes
19 degrees from each of Marlon Brando and Harry Stanton (but the blood relationships are very distant).
by Roger Stong G2G Astronaut (1.3m points)
+10 votes
Marlon Brando - 20 degrees. 8th cousin 3x removed, MRCAs Andrew Moore (1649-1719) and Sarah Phelps (1654-1732)

James Caan - 24 degrees

Robert De Niro - 22 degrees. 20th cousin 3x removed, MRCAs Thomas and Agnes de Heton

Robert Duvall - 23 degrees

Diane Keaton - 23 degrees

Al Pacino - 33 degrees

Mario Puzo - 39 degrees

Nino Rota - 43 degrees

Talia Shire - 22 degrees

Harry Dean Stanton - 21 degrees. 22nd cousin 4x removed, MRCAs Robert Bruce the Competitor (1210-1295) and Isabel Clare (1226-1264).

Eli Wallach - 30 degrees
by Joel Zummak G2G6 Mach 4 (47.4k points)
+10 votes

26 degrees from Marlon Brando

27 degrees from Robert de Niro

26 degrees from Robert Duvall

32 degrees from Diane Keaton

37 degrees from Al Pacino

41 degrees from Mario Puzo 

44 degrees from Nino Rota

29 degrees from Talia Shire

25 degrees from Harry Dean Stanton

36 degrees from Eli Wallach 

by Roy Tonkin G2G Astronaut (3.0m points)
+11 votes
This week has made me an offer I cannot refuse! I am related to three members of the Godfather franchise, two were the "Godfather," Vito Corleone (father and son):

20 degrees: Marlon Bando (10th cousins through MRCA William Phelps)

21 degrees: Harry Dean Stanton (24th cousins/1x removed through MRCA Aveline (Clare) de Mandeville)

22 degrees: Robert de Niro (12th cousins/1x removed through MRCA Geoffrey Fiske)

Other non-related 'family' members:

20 degrees: Talia Shire; 21 degrees: Robert Duvall; 24 degrees: Diane Keaton; 26 degrees: James Caan; 30 degrees: Al Pacino; 31 degrees: Eli Wallach; 32 degrees: Mario Puzo; 40 degrees: Nino Rota.
by Carol Baldwin G2G Astronaut (1.1m points)
+11 votes
It's not really legitimate to claim a connection to [[Wallach-41]] when only his mother and father are connected to him. I think it's sad that nothing is connected to him beyond them :(
by Darrell Larocque G2G6 Mach 1 (11.0k points)
+13 votes

My connections to the Godfather Movies are: 

I'm the mother of a member of the Corleone family in the Godfather II movie. My son played the part of Victor Rizzi, the son of Connie Corleone, played by Talia Shire. It was an exciting and interesting experience, even for me because my son was a minor so I had to accompany him each day he was called to report to the set. 

My daughter played the part of Mary Corleone when she was a teen-ager, so she was the daughter of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) and his wife Kay (Diane Keaton). 

I'm also connected to several of the members of the cast, some by genealogy and others by degree (marriage). 

by Donna Harris G2G6 Mach 2 (21.2k points)
edited by Donna Harris
You have the closest connection I can see! That's pretty cool.
Thanks Abby. It is pretty cool!

My closest genealogical relationship is Robert Duvall, my 4th cousin 3 X removed. It was fun to meet him on the set when we accidentally crossed paths and he instigated a chat. I found him to be interested and interesting, asked questions about me, my family, and my 'role' on the set.
Hi Donna! Robert Duvall is my 5th cousin, 1x removed and 9 degrees through my Herndon family. How are you related?

And you and I are 16 degrees and 9th cousins, 1x removed through James Smallwood.

Hi Shonda! I'm related to Robert Duval through my Wein (Wine) family from Germany.
Shonda, our relationship through Col. James Smallwood is really interesting! Finding relationships/cousins on WT is one of the fun things! I found that a friend who I've known for about ten years is also my 9th cousin.

WOW!! you and I have 254 common ancestors!
I know! I join WT this year and can say that I absolutely love this site more than any other due to the features and accuracy of the community tree. And I have been doing genealogy since 1998.
+10 votes
16 degrees from Harry Dean Stanton, who is also a cousin--12th cousins, twice removed.

More cousins:

Robert De Niro--8th cousins

Marlon Brando, Jr--9th cousins, twice removed
by Cheryl Cruise G2G6 Pilot (185k points)
+10 votes
17 degrees from Marlon Brando, who is also a distant cousin--20th cousins, once removed.

More cousins in this group:

Robert De Niro--15th cousin, 3 times removed

Harry Dean Stanton--15th cousin, 3 times removed
by Sean Delius G2G6 Mach 4 (44.5k points)

Related questions

+25 votes
35 answers
+38 votes
81 answers
+26 votes
46 answers
+24 votes
25 answers
+38 votes
34 answers
+46 votes
84 answers

WikiTree  ~  About  ~  Help Help  ~  Search Person Search  ~  Surname:

disclaimer - terms - copyright

...