Anthony Colombo, a mobster’s son who successfully agitated to keep out even a single reference to the Mafia during the entire 175 minutes of “The Godfather” film, died Jan. 6 at his home in San Diego.

If you're unfamiliar with Columbo, the classic mystery show had a simple premise. While most shows in that genre were focused on unraveling the clues to determine who had committed a murder, Columbo ...