Courtesy of Everett Collection

In an attempt to make peace with Joseph Colombo Sr., founder of the Italian-American Civil Rights League (and, incidentally, a major New York City Mob boss), producer Albert Ruddy (pictured above, with Marlon Brando, on the film’s Little Italy shoot) agreed to remove the words Mafia and Cosa Nostra from the screenplay. (They were barely in there to begin with.) Once the New York Times got ahold of the story, all hell broke loose, with Paramount having to deny that Ruddy was working on their behalf. Still, Ruddy kept his job, but barely.

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