Quick question...

How did Solozzo and Tattaglia know that Luca was not legitimately looking to switch families? They kill him at their first meeting? Always found that strange....

Thank you.

As people who have read the novel will tell you...the fateful meeting was the culmination of a month's long process during which Sollozzo/Tattalgia had plenty of time to figure out what Don Corleone was up to.

I'll cut to the chase & let others handle the details. Long story short - Luca was known as simply too close and loyal to Vito to suddenly express unhappiness with The Family as instructed ... and be believable.

AppleOnYa

Month long? Well that certainly explains it. Thanks!

Actually I think that it was several months. The Don meets with Sollozzo right after his daughters wedding, which I believe took place in the fall. Then he immedeatly calls in Luca and asks him to carry out this mission.

By the time Luca is killed, it is around Christmas time.

I would venture to think that Sollozzo was not taking any chances with Luca, if he believed his supposed betrayal of The Don or not. And therefore it was in the plans from the very begining that if Don Corleone was to be taken out, his best man had to be taken out at the same time.

The reason for this is because Luca's reputation ( from the book mind you ) was that he was a loyal soldier to The Don. Years before when the Don Was shot by an Irish gang, Luca singlehandedly wiped out the Irish mob. So his reputation for protecting the Don and being a brutal killer was probably known all over the underworld.


Don Cardi

Perhaps a clarification is needed...by 'month's long' I did mean 'several months'.

Apple

I knew what you meant Apple, but I thought that I would elaborate on it a bit further, for the new member that asked the queston.

And BTW when are you going to read the book?


Don Cardi

The clarification was mainly for Maple Leafs.

Apple

I guess it deponds on what your definition of "months" is.

In the movie (not the book) I have always thought it was Luca's refulsal to shake hands with Tattaglia Jr., which immediately preceded the Turk's knife going through his hand.

Sollozzo saw a possible split in the family in his meeting with the Corleones, so he and Tataglia were planning their move from that time forward. Tataglia's character as having 'street smarts' is not really developed, but Solozzo as a tough soldier would surely be suspicious of any moves by Corleones to join their family. I would, anyway.....

It just seems too obvious, the beginning of the Don's 'slipping', as Sollozzo terms it later.

The Turk was gonna off Luca no matter what, he just played into the Turks hands. Like you all said, Luca was way too loyal to be switching sides for $50,000.
Remember how well planned this whole thing was, they probably figured on killing Luca before they figured out on how to get to the Don.
I still don't understand how Vito can send Luca to "ACT" like he is not happy with the family, when Luca could not even speak clearly to the Don at his daughters wedding.....on the day of his daughters wedding. Clearly talking is not this man's strong suit....lol.

How come Vito with his streets smart didn't foresee his plan will fail miserably and will get his loyal soldier killed?

What happened? So the Don survivied being shot twice on 2 different occassions?

R V A -
Vito was from the old school of thinking, Sollozzo was the new blood, new way of making money, new thinking......that is why Vito didn't trust him.....he never thought that Tatagglia would have Luca killed......he still thought the 5 families were still at peace with him, he didn't know that Barzinni was plotting this whole thing out......his way of doing things was dying out, and times were changing.

Plus, Luca is described as a "natural force" like a hurricane or tornado, over whom no-one has any real control ... this force being tempered by a strong loyal devotion to Don Corleone. This was someone that Sollozzo understood and realized that he could not allow to survive; even IF his desertion of the Don was genuine, there was always the risk that Luca would regret his own treachery and seek revenge upon the Tattagias and Sollozzo.

So Sollozzo adopted the Remo Gagi philosophy: "Why take a chance?"

Luca played his little romance with the Tattaglias for several months (the wedding took place the last Saturday in August). As the Bull says, Luca was a dead man from the start. The novel makes clear that his devotion to the Don was legendary. Sollozzo had to get rid of him. But that well known devotion belied the sincerity of Luca's entreaties. I think that was an error on the Don's part.