And through all this Hagen felt his grief. Sonny had been his true brother, his savior; his hero when they had been boys together. Sonny had never been mean or bullying with him, had always treated him with affection, had taken him in his arms when Sollozzo had turned him loose. Sonny’s joy at that reunion had been real. That he had grown up to be a cruel and violent and bloody man was, for Hagen, not relevant.
– THE GODFATHER, Mario Puzo
Vito raised a hand to Clemenza, silencing him. To Sonny he said, “We’ll take care of him.” He asked, “Is he your friend?” Sonny thought about it a second and then said, “Yeah, Pop. He’s like a brother to me.” Then or now, he had no idea why he said it.
– THE FAMILY CORLEONE, Ed Falco
