Godfather, The

Reach the Underboss rank to have no heat when stealing a parked car.

All the guns in the game are based on actual firearms. The following is a list of the guns in the game and their closest real-life equivalents:

.38 Snub-Nose: Colt Detective .38 Special / Smith & Wesson M & P 2 in revolver
Pistol: Colt M1911A1 semi-auto .45 pistol
Magnum: Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolver in .357
Long-barrel Shotgun: Remington 870 pump-action shotgun
Tommy Gun: Thompson M1921 / 1928 sub-machine gun in .45

Health: The more health, the better.

Streetsmarts: Prolong the victims breaking point (and by doing so, increasing your weekly income earnings). Remember to always try to buy them out first.

Fighting: Increase you negotiation pressure by 10% for each upgrade.

Speed: Not so essential. Only faster reloading is interesting here.

Shooting: For better aiming speed and precision but not essential for taking over businesses.

Do not waste money on safe houses. You can make it just fine with the ones you get in the story. Instead, use your money for clothing and weapons. All the best weapons cost a lot but are well worth it. The Saturday Night Special is a better revolver and costs $75,000. The Assassin's Pistol is better gun and costs about $200,000. The Python is a better magnum and costs $250,000. The Dillinger is a machine gun and costs $450,000. Finally, the Street Sweeper, which works like a shotgun, costs $500,000 and will kill most people in one shot.

The pistol at level 3 works like a semi-automatic gun. It carries fourteen bullets and has more firepower. It is great for taking over businesses. The shotgun at level 3 has more ammunition, more firepower, and is great for taking over warehouses, etc. Prioritize weapons upgrades before safehouse buying. One house in each city is fine at the start. However, you will have to buy them all in the end.

Depending on the type of bank will determine the easiest way it can be robbed. The type with the three guards and one room is by far the easiest, and should be robbed as often as possible. Use the following trick to rob it without being chased or even getting past two shields. First, bribe the cop outside. Then, go into the bank and choke the first guard by the door. Next, go into the vault area and start strangling the guard on the left. The other guard will come and attack you, but he will not shoot. He will only hit you with his billy club. Remember to strangle the man on the left first because he tends to start shooting with his shotgun if you attack the other guard. If you are robbing the big bank, start the same way by bribing the cop outside. Then, go in and immediately strangle the guards in the main room. Hurry down to the vault and strangle the two guards there. Open the door and blow the vault. Three or four guards will attack you as you flee the vault. Get close to them and shoot them with your Tommy gun to perform an instant execution. After you shoot them, run up the stairs and move to the right. Then, take an immediate right to leave the building where the car is always parked. Get in the car quickly because you will be shot at when outside. Take off and you should not be chased once you hit the streets. After any bank robbery you must go to your hangout to get the money. The best bank to rob is the midtown bank, close to the apartment that the Corleone's give you after you save Michael. You wll get $50,000 there.

You must blow up all safes to become Don Of New York City. Blow up all the safes when you are taking over businesses that have one. By doing this you will not have to search for safes after you completed most of the missions. Also, you will get an money, 1,000 Respect, and dynamite by blowing them up.

When you are locked onto an enemy who is hiding behind a crate or low object, keep locking on but use the Right Analog-stick to move the crosshair to a part of their body that is sometimes sticking out, like their head or arm. This will help you kill them easier.

A good way to take over a compound is to kill everyone from afar then work your way in. The enemies will not respawn as long as you do not leave the area (about one city block). Just hide behind things by crouching, then shoot around corners to get kills. It is also recommended that you upgrade at least two of the pistols (preferably the pistol or sawn off magnum, for quicker shooting).

To take over a compound, equip all of your guns with ammunition, or use a powerful gun to kill other gangsters and take their gun. You should have cover at all times. Note: When behind the bushes to the left of the entrance they can shoot you through the bushes. Once inside, do the same thing and always have cover. Then, run downstairs. In the back house there are two men. One is behind a box and there is another behind a pillar. After those two are dead, set the time bomb (not dynamite). If needed, stay in the basement and die, then drive back and repeat on the other house.

When you are ready to take over a compound, the Tattaglias in northeast Brooklyn is recommended because they may be the weakest family in New York, but that does not mean they are going to be very simple to defeat either. Bring some bombs along and blow up the support pillars in the basements. You may start a mob war, but if you are successful you will have a new safe house with a group of guards.

When trying to take over a compound, use your car to run people over. Then, get out and use it as a shield. Once you are in the yard, kill any enemies. Then if you have a lot of ammunition, take one step into the house and shoot at the floor or person. The enemies should step out as you hide. Shoot them, then continue into the room with the couches. Someone could be hiding behind the couch. Run to the basement and clear it, then plant a bomb. Do the same in the other house.

Before starting this mission, break the windows in the barber shop. This will allow for easy shooting once the Don is shot. The recommended gun for this and any other close range shooting mission is the magnum.

Reach the Don Of New York City rank at a 91.5 percent game.