In The Godfather, which actor portrays Carlo Rizzi, Connie Corleone’s husband?

Gianni Russo portrays Carlo Rizzi in The Godfather.

Carlo is Connie Corleone’s abusive husband and becomes an important part of the film’s final revenge sequence. Russo, making his film debut, played the character as a volatile outsider whose marriage connects him to the Corleone family but never earns him genuine trust.

Carlo’s actions contribute to Sonny Corleone’s ambush at the tollbooth. Later, Michael reveals that Carlo helped arrange the attack, leading to Michael’s order that Peter Clemenza kill him. This moment helps establish Michael’s transformation into the family’s ruthless new Don.

Russo’s casting is sometimes confused with that of other supporting actors in the film, especially Richard S. Castellano, who played Clemenza, and Al Lettieri, who played Virgil Sollozzo. Gianni Russo reprised Carlo briefly in archival footage used in The Godfather Part II.