Was the guy that shot Roth at the end of GFII just a random assassin of the Corleone family or was it Rocco Lampone? It kind of looked like him. It's probly not him, cause that would be a really dumb thing to do, send a capo to kill someone. And he gets shot to. So who is this guy?

I believe it is Rocco. If I remember correctly that was his way to try and get "above" Neri.

From JG's transcript:

thanks. wow dumb move by micheal. Its pretty obvious that who ever killed roth, with all the security he had, would be killed. o well whatever.

Yeah, it was Rocco.

We've had a few good discussions on why Lampone "volunteered" for this hit. Do a search to see these discussion threads.

yeah this is a classic discussion here. it definitely was Rocco, and I agree with the majority here. he volunteered to such a risky mission to try to rise quickly in the family, since he was being overshadowed by Al Neri.

I always thought it was pretty funny/unrealistic that
they opened fire on Rocco from a distance, in the middle of a crowded airport.

I agree with you Just Lou. I also thought that Rocco shooting Roth in public was pretty dumb, notwithstanding his need to rise above neri.
If Rocco got caught instead of getting shot, michael was in big soup. Remember that Rocco took direct orders from Michael and the senators were just waiting for such a person to testify.

Who's to say Rocco would testify?

I said "If Rocco got caught". Roth's murder was done in public. There were so many eye witnesses other than the security and cops. Surely the police would interrogate him, and he would be forced to point fingers at who gave him the orders to kill Roth. Then such a statement can be recorded and produced in the senate hearings.

Contrast this with Fanucci's killing. No one saw it, and Vito dismantled the weapon and threw it all over the place. Or even Sollozo's murder. Eventhough there were eye witnesses, there were no security men or poilce there. So the only witnesses were public having dinner at the restaurant. Still michael went into hiding so that any witness will have a doubt recognizing him after years.

I know what you said. They can't "force" him to give up who gave the order. He could have kept his mouth shut (like an old timer) and gone down for the crime himself.
There is nothing saying he would have given up Michael.

A subtheme in GFII is how Neri attempts to push Hagen and Rocco aside to become #2 to Michael. Many examples, but the best one is in the penultimate boat house scene. We see Neri lead the discussion, slouched in a chair, talking about Roth's moves, giving a smug little grin when Michael confronts Tom with his knowledge of another job offer and Tom's mistress (Neri probably was the source of that knowledge). Rocco just stands silently, like the mere bodyguard he was in most of GFII. After Tom objects to Michael's plan to have Roth killed, Michael further humiliates him: "You know, Tom, you surprise me...if there's one certainty...it's that you can kill anyone." The he immediately says, Rocco?" Notice that he didn't say, "Al?" Michael put Rocco on the spot: after Tom's humiliation, what could Rocco say, except, "difficult, not impossible."
So, why did he take on this apparent suicide mission? Because Michael, in effect, left him no choice. And, perhaps, because he saw it as a last-ditch attempt to push ahead of Neri. IMO, it was too late: Michael had decided that Rocco was expendible, Neri wasn't.

For me, IMO, this Roth business is one of the worst proofs of the mess and damage FFC's wilfullness brought in all characters. All planning of this murder was so stupid and shortsighted, Michael would never allow this to happen. Absolutely unconvincing.

Did you know that the guy who played Roth was Lee Strasberg? I think he is the same Lee Strasberg who had that famous acting group/school(?) and was responsible for training some of the most famous and best actors and actresses in the last 50 years or so. I'm pretty sure it's the same guy, but not positive. Does anyone else know? I haven't watched part 2 to Godfather II in a long time and I forgot if Roth died in the end or not.

~~ Lollie

Yes, Lollie, that is in fact the same Lee Strasburg. I had never even heard of him until I saw GFII, nor did I know he had an acting school until I picked up The Godfather Legacy

As for Roth dying, he's killed by Rocco Lampone while being escorted through an airport by F.B.I. agents. Rocco walks up and shoots him in the belly (at least it looks like he shoots him in the belly) and he dies. Rocco is subsequently shot in return by the federal agents.

Lee Strasberg was director of the Actors Studio, a world-famous acting school whose students included Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, Paul Newman and Al Pacino. GFII was Strasberg's first film.