Hyman Roth states the following right after his birthday party in Cuba:

"Ninety miles away, partnership with a friendly government -- ninety miles. It's nothing. Just one small step, looking for a man that wants to be President of the United States -- and having the cash to make it possible."

This quote always confused me. Who is he talking about? and how does it fit into the context of this conversation?

Looks like you've stumped the panel with a legitimate question.

You don't see that too often around here.

Great Question Mr. Hagen! I'll have to ponder this one.

Here is the quote in it's entirety :

"If only I could live to see it -- to be there with you. Uh, what I wouldn't give for -- twenty more years. Here we are protected -- free to make our profits without key follow with the goddamn Justice Department and the FBI. Ninety miles away, partnership with a friendly government -- ninety miles. It's nothing. Just one small step, looking for a man that wants to be President of the United States -- and having the cash to make it possible. MICHAEL, we're bigger than U.S. Steel."


My interpretation is that they had now planted their roots in Cuba. Had been able to buy off it's government, had Batista in their pocket. And the next step would be for them to financially back a candidate for U. S. President, one that they could also have "working" for them. One that they could also have in their back pocket.


Don Cardi

Ditto, DC. And I thought that President was allegedly Kennedy, except he had other ideas.

That would be the perfect realization of all their efforts, wouldn't it? To put a man in the White House that they owned in some fashion? They had always had Senators, Judges, etc., but the President! That would be the final step.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Don Cardi:
free to make our profits without key follow with the goddamn Justice Department and the FBI.
The word he used was "Kefauver," referring to Senator Estes B. Kefauver, whose subcommittee held televised hearings on organized crime in 1950-51.

My interpretation is that they had now planted their roots in Cuba. Had been able to buy off it's government, had Batista in their pocket. And the next step would be for them to financially back a candidate for U. S. President, one that they could also have "working" for them. One that they could also have in their back pocket.


Don Cardi
Probably that's what Roth wanted Michael to believe. Roth was anxious to get that $2 million from Michael. To reinforce its value to Michaed, he jollied Michael along by implying that buying Batista was a prelude to buying a US Presidential candidate. But since Roth had already decided to have Michael killed, that whole speech was B.S. Roth struck me as too low-profile to have ambitions to "buy" a U.S. President. A corrupt Cuban dictator? Si, A President? No!

Throw in that phony sincerity, "We're bigger than U.S. Steel." He was laying it on thick, but Roth was a shrewd opportunist. I think if a genuine Presidential hopeful was emminent Roth might ride out the Corleone transition to see if he could cash in. I think he could play both sides of the fence quite well.

No question about it TB. Roth was trying to "relax" Michael and put that false thought in Michael's head that he (Michael) would eventually have it all for himself

"If only I could live to see it -- to be there with you. Uh, what I wouldn't give for -- twenty more years.."

Saying this was his way of telling Michael " I'm not doing this for me, I'm an old man, I won't be here that much longer so this will all be yours, I'm doing this for you to live out our dream." "Now where the F**K is my 2 million dollars?"

I do believe that inserting this dialogue in that scene was FFC's way of implying to the viewer that they were talking about a young senator from Massachusetts.


Don Cardi

I think that while Roth's comments were calculated for effect with Michael; actually, he was also being heartfelt and letting himself dream a bit.

Ninety miles away, partnership with a friendly government (like he says, "It's nothing"). Then, dreaming a bit larger: "looking for a man that wants to be President of the United States and having he cash ..." ; then, as a final comparison, speaking to how powerful their influence is he states "we're bigger than U.S. Steel".

I really think Roth felt that the important point was "having the cash" ... actually secondary to finding "a man that wants to be President ..." (one that could be controlled of course).
Finally, the U.S. Steel reference being the epitome of that(financial) power.

The whistful words of a man feeling his own mortality, and proud of accomplishments he and associates had attained.

The reference was probably to the Kennedys but what if Roth was referring to Michael himself? After all, the Corleone Family was 'completely legitimate'......

Remember in GF1 that Vito and Michael had that discussion about Michael being a senator?

I think that Turnbull and Don Cardi watch The GF Trilogy every night! You guys really have these things from the movies down to a science. Great stuff.


DS

I agree that he was probably making a reference to JFK, especially in the context of all that stuff that came out after the assassination about Sam Giancana and Mafia support. Ironically, Nixon got a lot of money from the Teamsters and supposedly got even more from Nevada gambling interests (Dalitz et al) in the 1960 campaign.

Actually, DS, I'm the only one of the two who watches the Trilogy every night. DC is too busy posting.

I think the comment was a conscious reference to JFK, but if the intent was to relax Mike, it failed because by then Michael had already decided to kill Roth. Michael also did not believe Roth was all that sick.