Question: who does robert de niro play in the godfather
Answer: Partially based on Puzo 's 1969 novel The Godfather , the film is both sequel and prequel to The Godfather , presenting parallel dramas : one picks up the 1958 story of Michael Corleone ( Pacino ) , the new Don of the Corleone crime family , protecting the family business in the aftermath of an attempt on his life ; the prequel covers the journey of his father , Vito Corleone ( De Niro ) , from his Sicilian childhood to the founding of his family enterprise in New York City .