I had read a book a couple of years ago by Dominick Dunne about celebrity murders (O.J. and Nicole, Michael Kennedy and Martha Moxley, etc.) In the chapter on Erik and Lyle Menendez, who were convicted of killing their parents, he wrote that gossips speculated mob involvement, since the Menendez' father was a powerful executive in the Los Angeles entertainment industry.

However, people in the know said that couldn't possibly be the case. It did not have the mafia "signature": the "hit" was too messy (destruction everywhere, the bodies disfigured from so many gunshots with such powerful weapons); and the mob "would never go after the wife."

This leads me to the Tahoe assassination attempt in GF2. It was both messy AND the wife (Kay) could have been killed. What's the story with keeping the wife (and kids) out of it?

I know the overriding reason is dramatic impact for the film's sake. But putting that aside for a moment, is there some code of honour (like omerta) that says a mafioso's wife and children aren't to be targets? Since GF2 took place in 1958, was this a "rule" back then? Also, since Roth was behind it all and he was not Sicilian, would that be the reason he disregarded this nicety of mafia ethics (if there indeed was one)? Does anyone know about this?

P.S. And if anyone does have knowledge on this point, could you do me a favour and visit the Kiss of Death thread and have a look at my most recent post there? I have a question about the legend behind the kiss. Thanks all.

I can't give you a long answer, but I can tell you that the Sicilian capi dei capi Totò Riina murdered dozens of kids, brothers, friends, wifes, dogs, and other family members of maffioso Tomasso Busscetta. That was in the 70's/80's.
While Riina brutalized the way the Maffia works and became more violent than his predecessors, I think no maffioso ever respected this 'rule', if it exists.
As long as there's greed in the game, almost all maffioso suddenly 'forget' the rules. Strange, innit?

When it comes to money and power, the gloves can come off. Sure, family might be hands off, but exceptions happen. Keep in mind that not killing family members is simply a safeguard for one's own family - it doesn't stem from scruples.

Yes, the machine gunning of the bedroom was done largely for dramatic purpose (just as the machinegunning of Tattaglia and the hooker he was in bed with, by two shooters, in GF was done for the same purpose). Also keep in mind that Roth was not a member of the Mafia--not that it mattered, because...
...as you'll find here, Cristina, the Mafia is mostly made of myths, such as "the Mafia doesn't deal drugs," and "the Mafia doesn't kill civilians." BS! They'll sell their grandmothers' kidneys if they can. And they'll kill anyone and anybody who gets in their way, or to get their own way. As Enzo wisely points out, not even the so-called "traditional" Sicilian Mafia abides by this mythical "rule."

From what I've heard, American and Sicilian mafiosi have different values when it comes to dealing with a dead man's family. It seems usually, the Americans condemn only those who they want dead. Zips are kind of crazy, and they'll wipe out entire families, children, women, you name it.

That's what I've heard, anyway.