Question: I see this as an (unavoidable) mistake, but during Vito's path across the rooftops prior to killing Fanucci, the buildings, bricks, and chimneys are obviously old (brick wear, missing mortar, patches). When, if the scene took place at that time, most of the rowhouses in NYC would have been built circa 1890-1920, so they would have been essentially brand new. Does that seem accurate?
Answer: I would say not entirely accurate. New York tenement buildings were built as early as the 1820s, but the majority in the mid-to-late 1800s, so many were fairly old during this scene's timeframe. There are numerous other factors related to that era, including poor maintenance, inferior building materials, shoddy construction practices, lax government regulation, inspections, oversight, etc. All would contribute to the tenements' poor condition.
Answer: I just spot-checked real estate in the filming location (per web sources, Little Italy in NYC). Similar to my old Italian neighbourhood in Philly, the houses I checked were built in 1905, 1905, and 1910 (the exteriors are similar, like my 1917 Philly row house). So I think the obvious age of the buildings in the movie was an unavoidable inconsistency.
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