Rahm Emanuel Receives 'Godfather'-Style Portrait as Gift

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel with "The Rahmfather" portrait. (Photo: Chicago Tribune/AP)

(CNSNews.com) - As a holiday gift, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently received a painted portrait of himself that depicts Emanuel striking a Godfather-style pose, with the phrase “The Rahmfather” written in movie-style lettering underneath.

The portrait gives the impression of a movie poster associated with the 1972 mobster classic, “The Godfather,” directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

A video uploaded by the Chicago Tribune on Sunday shows Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass entering Emanuel’s Chicago office to give the mayor his gift.

“The Rahmfather” is a nickname Kass uses in his columns to refer to the mayor.

“Operation Rahmfather about to commence,” said Kass. “We’re walking, being old school, taking the ‘Rahmfather’ to the ‘Rahmfather.’”

The video proceeds to show Emanuel unwrapping the portrait in his office while saying, “Oh my God, this is absolutely fabulous."

Emanuel then happily poses behind the portrait alongside Kass, who jokingly received from Emanuel a bicycle helmet and training wheels.

Emanuel has been known as “The Godfather” since the days of the Clinton administration, where he served as a personal aide to the president.

According to newspaper accounts, in 1992, at a dinner celebrating Clinton’s first election victory, Emanuel reportedly took a steak knife and plunged it into the table as he spoke out the names of people he considered to be disloyal during the election, shouting “Dead!Dead! Dead!” after each name -- reminiscent of a scene from the movie.