Friendship Is Everything Friendship Is More

Spoken by Vito Corleone in Mario Puzo's The Godfather (1969), appearing in Chapter 2 of the novel. The passage establishes the Don's hierarchy of values: friendship is not merely social warmth but a binding obligation that approaches the gravity of family. In the Corleone world, a man's worth is measured largely by the depth and durability of his loyalties, and the Don's willingness to do favours — and to remember them — is the foundation of his power.