Johnny Fontane sleeps with the fishes

That was rude of me. Too soon?

But as a huge fan of "The Godfather," news this morning of the passing of Al Martino at age 82 was indeed sad.

Martino played Johnny Fontane, a character loosely based on Frank Sinatra in Francis Ford Coppola's Mafia epic. His character sparks the sub-plot in which a movie producers winds up waking up with a horse's head in his bed, retribution for the producing failing to offer Fontane a part in his new picture.

Ironically, the New York Times reported, "Mr. Martino told The Times in a 2009 interview that 'when Coppola was hired to direct, he fired me.'"

"'I was already cast for the part of the wedding singer by the original producer, Al Ruddy,' he said. 'But I needed to show Hollywood they couldn't push me around. I fought fire with fire. Sinatra was infuriated by the story line of The Godfather, he wanted to stop production on the film, and I knew that if I took the part Sinatra would bar me from Vegas and Coppola would ostracize me, but I had some people that helped me.'"

"Some people who helped me"?

I'm wondering whether Francis Ford Coppola ever woke with a horse's head in his bed.