When Vito and Michael were working together to plan how to k knock off all the other families in NY, they had to have discussed how to deal with Carlo, whom I am sure they already knew had betrayed the family by setting Sonny up for either Barzini or Tattglia. They also probably suspected that either
Tessio or Clemenza would betray the family, even though Vito doesn't mention it onscreen until later (keep in mid in that particular scene he makes it a point to say he knows he is repeating himself).

With this in mind the way they set up Carlo and also set up
the ultimate betrayal was brilliant. Michael announces to everyone in the room that Carlo is going to be his top man in Vegas. This did not go down well with either Tessio or Clemenza for obvious reasons, but what it ultimately did was force Tessio's hand to make the "smart move" and betray Michael who he saw as weak, and as a poor judge of character.

The other thing this accomplished is the classic "keep your enemies closer" concept. Thinking he was going to rise up in the family AND thinking he had got away with
setting up Sonny, he was more than willing to dely his trip to Vegas and go back to the compound right fter the baptism.

I've always had trouble with Michael bringing Carlo into the private business conversations of the family. Any effort to reassure Carlo of his place in th family could have been conveyed to him in private. Barzini would have wanted to know any information about the Corleone's next move and Carlo would be the conduit for it. I also have concerns about about the transparency of the move. Why bring Carlo into the mix at this point? Why now? Certainly Barzini would have wondered about that.

Carlo was never brought into the family business, which at the time was all about how to kill him, Barzini and the rest. Michael only promised him he'd be his top guy in Vegas.

This is shrewd because Michael and Vito probaly realized that Carlo would go to Barzini and brag to him about his new status. This would in turn convince Barzini that the Corleones were really being run out of New York (in Moe Green's words) AND that Michael was weak and had poor judgment. In other words the effect would be to put Barzini at ease.......at ease enough to propose that meeting in Brooklyn.

That's what I have a problem with: regardless of how careful they were, they were making Carlo privy to family business information. In fact, the displeasure of the capos expressed at the meeting could be used by Barzini regardless of how Michael thought it would be used. It was a dangerous gamble with little reward.

Whacking carlo was one of teh few things i agreed with mike on since he was a bastard. I dont think mike gave carlo too much info i think he just said that when they move to vegas he would become apart of the inner circle so carlo would be patient

Not true. He witnessed the descension between Michael, Vito, and the capos.

well i wasnt referring to that. i was talking about mike making a move on the other heads

Keeping Carlo close was a way for Michael to signal to Barzini that he was "weak" and "trusting." Killing Carlo before The Great Massacre of 1955 would have been a signal that he wasn't as dumb as he wanted Barzini to think he was. Probably Michael also was keeping a close eye on Carlo to see if he would be the traitor Vito warned about.

My whole point is that Carlo could be held close and kept an eye on without bringing him into the family's privy circle. Michael could not guarantee the direction the discussion would take and what would be said any of which could have been of value to Barzini. By doing so, Micahel was taking quite a chance. In addition, it wold have been quite obvious to Barzini that Carlo's presence at the meeting was a strategy.

They didn't know Michael well enough to know what he was capable of so they probably did think he was young and foolish enough to believe Carlo.

They had no idea of the depth of his cunning.

The meeting where Tom is let go and Carlo is named the new right hand in Vages is the only meeting Carlo is in attendance of. Pete and Tessio have no reason what so ever to be mad at Mike for this move because they both should know neither one of them are going to Vegas, they are staying in New York to run it for the Corleone family. Tessio must not have understood this was what was going on and thought he was about to move to Vegas and have to take orders from Carlo, so this made him go to Barzini to negotiate how he could get what was left of the Corleone family after Mike was killed. Thats the part that i think is over looked, Tessio in all likelihood went to Barzini not the other way around, i believe if Barzini approaches Tessio he would come and tell Mike about the possible move.

Nope.

CLEMENZA (to the Don)

Don Corleone -- you once said that the day would come when Tessio and me could form our own Family. Til today, I would never think of it. I must ask your permission...

VITO CORLEONE (looking away)

Well, Michael is now head of the Family, and if he gives his permission, then you have my blessing...

MICHAEL (seated on a chair)

After we make the move to Nevada -- you can break off from the Corleone Family and go on your own. After we make the move to Nevada.

Yea i kinda over looked that, my bad.

Tessio must have just flat out thought Mike was weak and going to be taken out, so i GUESS he went to Barzini to offer up Mike. I just dont see Barzini taking the chance at reaching out to one of the capos and taking the risk of Tessio going back to Mike with the info. I really messed up overlooking the detail that Pete and Tessio both knew they were staying in NY. I feel pretty stupid.

This dissention within the Corleone family would be something Michael would hope Carlo would tell Barzini, to reinforce Barzini's belief the Corleones were coming apart, making Tessio's overture more belivable, and thinking Michael wa an idiot.

Right, dt.

Michael's charade of appearing weak was hinged upon Carlo's reporting back to Barzini, setting in motion a chain of events that Michael and Vito foresaw and could use to their advantage.

Yes, it was a risk, but it was a calculated gamble that worked out, and wouldn't have without letting Carlo in on the Family business.

Tell me one thing Mike did, once he was the boss, that his father told him not to do. Mike's father let it be known to him, tom, the capos, and the brothers that Carlo was not to be part of the family business. Other than the meeting when he was told he would be Mike's right hand in Vegas, what meeting of the family do you see Carlo at? The meeting where he is killed, thats it. If Carlo was on the inside he would know for one and the heads of the families are about to get it and two that he was next in line, point blank period.

Telling Carlo that he'd be Michael's "right hand man" in Nevada did not necessarily constitute disobeying Vito's order that Carlo have nothing to do with the "family business." The family business, when Vito said that to Tom at Connie's wedding, was gambling and unions. The impending family business in Nevada was legalized gambling.

Also, the novel states that, after Sonny was killed, Vito ordered Tom to put Carlo in with the unions--"he's a good talker."

The first job given to Carlo was running a betting parlor, the place where Sonny beat him up. They latter placed him in the unions and he thought he was moving closer to being in the inner circle and he began to treat his wife better,but he never made it.

As TB points out, Carlo's access to the family's business and his future position in Nevada was simply a ploy by Michael apparently intended to give Carlo a false sense of security in the hope that Carlo would convey false information to Barzini.

Carlo left Connie alone because he feared that Sonny would kill him next time. After Sonny's death, Vito stated that he was short of sons and that Carlo and Connie should be moved into the mall and, as TB states, Carlo shold be placed in the unions because Carlo was a (stated derisively) good talker.