By Mark D. Zimmerman Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — Actor James Caan, most famous for his role as Santino “Sonny” Corleone in The Godfather, died last week at the age of 82. Caan was born in the Bronx to German Jewish immigrants, and his father was a kosher butcher. In addition to acting, Caan worked professionally in rodeos for many years, earning him the moniker “the only New York Jewish cowboy.” Yet many people still believed that he was Italian, and he twice won an “Italian of the Year” award. What was James Caan once asked that led him to respond, “They would have gotten punched i…