Vito Andolini Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo 's novel `` The Godfather '' and in Francis Ford Coppola 's film series based on the novel , where he was portrayed by Marlon Brando in `` The Godfather '' and , as a young man , by Robert De Niro in `` The Godfather Part II '' .
Vito Andolini Corleone ( born Vito Andolini in Corleone , Province of Palermo , Sicily , Italy ) is a fictional character in Mario Puzo 's novel `` The Godfather '' and in Francis Ford Coppola 's first two movies , where he was portrayed by Marlon Brando in `` The Godfather '' and , as a younger man , by Robert De Niro in `` The Godfather Part II '' .