Decoding the “Sicilian Message” of ‘The Godfather’

On one side, you have your explosive, firebrand dialogue, you know, like “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,” “I am gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse,” or “You can’t handle the truth.” With these lines, you know the context; the words carry weight, and as a result, they hit hard and become iconic.

And then, there is “sleeping with the fishes.”

What does that even mean? Who sleeps with the fishes? On screen, a bulletproof vest with a couple of fish rolled into it is delivered. It’s meant to be some kinda mafia code. The confusion in your head is as thick as the air in the room. Your confusion reflects on Sonny’s (James Caan) face.

“What the hell is this?” he asks.

Peter Clemenza explains: “It’s a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.”

You don’t get the logic yet, but the confusion begins to thaw. You know the Corleones’ most powerful enforcer has met his tragic fate.

But “sleeps with the fishes?” The words keep ringing in your ears.

And just like that, a subtle (not visually, of course) but very nuanced iconic moment is born, which turns a weird package delivery into a timeless piece of pop culture history.

The Arrival of the Fishy Package

The Delivery No One Ordered

Around 45 minutes into the film, as we all know, there is an attempt on Vito Corleone’s (Marlon Brando) life. It prompts some brainstorming in the Corleone family about how to deal with the situation. There are also some concerns regarding the inside people, including Luca Brasi. At the moment, he is missing, so everyone is trying to reach him.

This is when a package arrives—a bulletproof vest with two fish rolled in it. Sonny is confused, so Clemenza explains that it’s a Sicilian mafia code, which means Luca Brasi “sleeps with the fishes,” as in, he is dead.

The History and Logic of the Mob Code

There is a smooth literary connection to the phrase “sleeps with the fishes,” and it dates back to the 7th century BC. Homer’s Iliad, to be precise. The text goes something like this:

Achilles grabbed a foot, slung him into the river,

Washed away downstream as he cried above him

savage words to wing him on his way: “There—

Lie there! Make your bed with the fishes now,

They’ll dress your wound and lick it clean of blood.”

This reference was later picked by Edmund Spenser, a 19th-century travelogue writer (not to be confused with the Renaissance poet, Edmund Spenser). In his 1836 book, Sketches of Germany and the Germans, Spencer noted the phrase as an idiom from ancient times, which meant “death by drowning or being disposed of in the water.”

As you must be aware, a lot of Italian customs have their roots in ancient Greece, which is when and where Homer lived. The influence was a result of the period of extensive Greek colonization, which led to a hybrid Greco-Roman civilization that shaped Western culture. Anyway, this Greek impact is most prevalent in Southern Italy, which is where Sicily is.

The crime world is a shady place, and “clarity” is not its priority. In fact, they prefer to keep their communication vague and coded. (That’s why we see a lot of “furtive glances” and “veiled threats” in noir films.) So, it’s understandable that the Sicilian mafia speaks in codes and would use a phrase rooted in ancient Greek culture to “send a message.”

Having said that, the phrase actually became well-known after The Godfather, both the book’s publication and the film’s release.

The Vest and the Fish

The combination of the vest and the fish is actually a direct response to the Corleone strategy. By returning the “bulletproof” vest, they are mockingly reminding them that they are not bulletproof, a.k.a. safe. And the fish signifies (either literally or metaphorically; there’s no way of knowing) that Luca’s body has been disposed of in the water.

The Impact and Legacy

Until this moment, we see the Corleones as untouchable. That energy instantly changes when Clemenza utters these words. This is when they realize that the old rules of war are back in play. This transforms the plot from a cold business dispute into a desperate fight for survival for everyone involved.

Like every other frame and every other moment of The Godfather, this scene and this line, too, have lived far beyond the film. The peculiarity of the phrase gave it instant recognition and created a specific image of “mob justice,” which remains a staple in crime dramas even today.

Conclusion

Clemenza’s line lasts because it captures the entire spirit of The Godfather in one breath. For a movie, this is also a hell of a way to handle a character exit. And all this without ever showing Luca Brasi’s dead body. That makes it very powerful.