Mob-related problems forced him to leave the U.S. for England for a time
in the 1950s. He returned to the U.S. in 1958. His character in
The Godfather (1972), a mob-backed crooner, was supposedly based on
Frank Sinatra, yet contained parallels to his own life--he was dogged throughout his life by allegations that his career was due to his connections to mob bosses, and in fact admitted in an interview that he got the part in "The Godfather" due partly to pressure brought about by his "godfather", New York Mafia don Russell Buffalino.