Was Solozzo a member of Tataglia's family, Barzini's family, or a member of the Sicillian mafia?

With the conection's mentioned in the movie, poppy fields in Turkey, processing plants in Sicily, and friends in New York, he seems to rank higher than a soldier or even a capo.

It seems like he is a predecessor of the 'zips' of the Bonnanno family in the 70's and 80's of Pizza Connection fame.

He wasn't a member of any of those families. In fact, I don't remember any evidence in the novel that he was Mafia.

I don't think he was with any of the families or mobs. I think that he would have been able to start his own family if he was able to set up his business and make money for the Corleone and Tatagglia family. He could have been a Don his self.....

He was strictly a free agent, but he was smart enought not to just set up an operation without the support of the five families. When it didnt happen, I suspect Tattaglia and the rest told him that Corleone was his problem not theirs, and they may have tacitly allowed for the hit on Don Corleone, but they would have tried to distance themselves somewhat with buffers. When the hit failed and Sonny declared war the toher families decided to band together and put the Corleones out of business. They probably were not doing this to advance Sollozzo's interests but for their own profits to be derived from the drug trade, plus the spoils of the Corleone family which probably would have come under Barzini's thumb. It wasnt personal, just business.

Well put DonTom.......as you know.....it was Barzinni all along.....I mean come on, just listed to how he scolds Don Vito for his "one time" refusal of his services....remember??? A refusal is not the act of a friend....Don Corleone has all the politicians, and he must share them.....he called out Don Vito, and tried to make him look like a fool in front of the 5 families.....