Rather than confronting Fredo at the nightclub, should Michael have waited until they returned to Lake Tahoe to confront him with the fact that he knows Fredo was the traitor?

That way, Fredo doesn't run, and possibly fall into the protection of the law, or run to Roth thinking he had no place else to go. His "Kiss of Death" and his general reaction at the night club showed Fredo he was angry--Bad strategy wise. Had he waited, and calmly confronted him (Think the way he non-threateningly confronted Carlo at the end of I), not letting Fredo know he was angry, maybe even telling him he'd be forgiven if he told Michael everything he knew, might've allowed him to get more info out of Fredo, faster. He might've known that Questdat was in Roth's pocket or that Frank Pentangelli was alive long enough to either get word to Pentangelli that he didn't betray him and not to testify, or to formulate some other plan.

I just think his confronting Fredo the way he did, while it was a great scene, was from a strategy standpoint too impulsive, too rash--He allowed his emotions to override his judgement and caused Fredo to become afraid and flee and withhold further information.

Nice topic, Crazy Joe. Very thoughtful post .

I might be in the minority, but I always felt that Michael was very lucky to have won his war with Roth because Roth outfoxed him up to (but not including) the very last.

They were both greedy: Michael for Roth's Havana gaming empire, which blinded him to Roth's treachery; Roth for the $2 million, which blinded him to the fact that Michael had figured out he was behind the Tahoe shooting, and had come to Havana for other purposes. I give them this: both were brave--Roth for brazening it out with Michael, knowing that Michael could have had him squashed like a bug in Florida; Michael for going to Havana with only a bodyguard, knowing that Roth could have had him squashed like a bug by his Cuban allies.

i think roth suspected that mike knew but roth didnt have the muscle at that point since he missed his chance when mike survived the first attack

I just think his confronting Fredo the way he did, while it was a great scene, was from a strategy standpoint too impulsive, too rash--He allowed his emotions to override his judgement and caused Fredo to become afraid and flee and withhold further information.

If he hadn't done what he did, he could have gotten Fredo on the plane with him. Then he might have been able to grill Fredo about his real relationship to Roth and perhaps have learned that Pentangeli survived and that Questadt belonged to Roth.

Maybe it shows that Michael wasn't just the cold beast in GF2 we tend to think of. He was really hurt. And when he called Fredo during the chaos in Havana: "You're still my brother!", I think he want what he said.

I give them this: both were brave--Roth for brazening it out with Michael, knowing that Michael could have had him squashed like a bug in Florida; Michael for going to Havana with only a bodyguard, knowing that Roth could have had him squashed like a bug by his Cuban allies.