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The Drapes (again)
#679396
11/27/12 10:15 AM
11/27/12 10:15 AM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 11,468 With Geary in Fredo's Brothel
dontomasso
OP
Consigliere to the Stars
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OP
Consigliere to the Stars

Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 11,468
With Geary in Fredo's Brothel
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This idea did not come from me, but it is worth posting and makes a case I do not recall having been made before on this oft discussed topic.
To get to the conclusion we need to ask some questions:
1. Who was smart enough to be counted on by Roth's people to do it?
2. Who would have had unfettered access to Michael's bedroom, and even if caught there by a servant or even Kay could explain?
3. Who was constantly being put down and rejected by Michael?
4. Who understood that the olive oil business was being supplanted by legitimate casinos in Vegas and Havana?
5. Who uderstood better than anyone that the business model of the Corleone family had changed from transactions based on Sicilian omerta and loyalty to a Jewish investor, foregin dictators and crooked Senators? 6. Who understood all the factors in point five beter than Michael?
7. After Michael's death who would replace him as unquestioned head of the family?
8. Who objected to the killing of Roth but not of Fredo?
9. Who could ( and did) get away with it because he was beyond suspicion?
10. Who saw Michael for what he really was?
The person who opened the drapes. Tom Hagen.
Last edited by dontomasso; 11/27/12 11:26 AM.
"Io sono stanco, sono imbigliato, and I wan't everyone here to know, there ain't gonna be no trouble from me..Don Corleone..Cicc' a port!"
"I stood in the courtroom like a fool."
"I am Constanza: Lord of the idiots."
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Re: The Drapes (again)
[Re: dontomasso]
#679398
11/27/12 11:22 AM
11/27/12 11:22 AM
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,718 Berlin, Germany
Danito
Underboss
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Underboss
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,718
Berlin, Germany
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Wow! This brings new light to the Tom-Michael-scene. Tom played Michael like a puppet. (And it explains Tom's tears.  )
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Re: The Drapes (again)
[Re: dontomasso]
#679438
11/27/12 02:59 PM
11/27/12 02:59 PM
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 151
Mr_Willie_Cicci
Made Member
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Made Member
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 151
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Tom Hagen profited even without Michael being killed. Michael makes Tom de facto Acting Boss while he goes with Roth to investigate the shooting. This could allow for more wheeling and dealing with Roth in the background. Who better to help set up Michael with the Congressional hearings behind the scenes than a guy who knew the legal system better than anyone in the Family? Fredo would be useless to the Congressional Hearings unless he himself had testified.
Fredo wasn't in the loop when it came to big family things--He couldn't tell you that Frank Pentangelli was Michael's Capo in New York and Willie Cicci was his top Soldier. Someone like Tom would know all of this.
Tom Hagen was bitter at Michael as shown in the scene where he's contemplating moving away, out of the Family, without even telling Michael. He has no emotional connection to Michael outside of his vestige of Family Loyalty to Vito, which probably fully died when Mama died.
Fredo was weak and stupid and probably the extent of his treachery was giving out info which hurt the Corleones. But he didn't know it was going to be a hit. I think, even as bitter as he was and as naive as he was, he knew opening the drapes would mean a hit, and probably wouldn't have betrayed Michael to death.
Fredo made for a good scapegoat. The only guy who was actually losing money, influence and a place in the new Family business model was Tom. He was being left out of meetings and really had no place in the new Family and was losing money and only regained power and authority when Michael was nearly killed.
He was also the only guy Michael didn't suspect at all and the only one Michael fully trusted and thus didn't investigate besides Fredo.
Fredo wasn't strong or tough enough to kill the would-be assassins, especially so quickly. He couldn't even bring himself to hit his disrespectful wife, much less coldly and brutally take out two hitmen rapidly. And the assassins weren't hired out of New York...Who could hire assassins, not from New York, and also have the toughness to have them killed cooly and quickly but also the fear of being discovered? Who would have the means and intelligence to have the murder of the would be assassins covered up?
I'm sure Tom had men working under him directly, if Fredo did.
Consider how Tom handles the murder of the hooker. Cold, fast, with no real way to connect it to himself.
Keep your friends close but your enemies closer. Tom knew that lesson as well as anyone. Michael's trust in Tom might've been too blind to see it.
I also find it suspect that Tom has no emotion toward the unspoken plan to have Fredo whacked. Fredo was as much a brother to him as Michael or Sonny. Michael at least had guilt. Tom didn't seem to have any emotion over it, or at least try to counsel Michael not to have Fredo killed.
He showed more regret about having Frank Pentangelli kill himself, and more apprehension to Roth being killed, than he did to having Fredo killed.
Last edited by Mr_Willie_Cicci; 11/27/12 03:03 PM.
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Re: The Drapes (again)
[Re: dontomasso]
#679522
11/27/12 08:31 PM
11/27/12 08:31 PM
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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 19,696 AZ
Turnbull
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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 19,696
AZ
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7. After Michael's death who would replace him as unquestioned head of the family?
Surely not Tom. He lacked the muscle and personal force to be the new boss. He'd also have to face much stronger opposition in Rocco and Neri. No way would they bow to him. I believe part of Roth's strategy, had the Tahoe shooting succeeded, was to pit the members of the family against each other for succession. That would have had them fighting each other--to his advantage.
Ntra la porta tua lu sangu � sparsu, E nun me mporta si ce muoru accisu... E s'iddu muoru e vaju mparadisu Si nun ce truovo a ttia, mancu ce trasu.
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Re: The Drapes (again)
[Re: Turnbull]
#679625
11/28/12 11:20 AM
11/28/12 11:20 AM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 11,468 With Geary in Fredo's Brothel
dontomasso
OP
Consigliere to the Stars
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OP
Consigliere to the Stars

Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 11,468
With Geary in Fredo's Brothel
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7. After Michael's death who would replace him as unquestioned head of the family?
Surely not Tom. He lacked the muscle and personal force to be the new boss. He'd also have to face much stronger opposition in Rocco and Neri. No way would they bow to him. I believe part of Roth's strategy, had the Tahoe shooting succeeded, was to pit the members of the family against each other for succession. That would have had them fighting each other--to his advantage. Au contraire. Fredo was already set up as the scape got. Tom could sweep in, "discover" Fred's meeting with Johnny Ola in Beverly Hills, turn Rocco and Neri on him, and give Roco and Neri more power and money within the organization.
"Io sono stanco, sono imbigliato, and I wan't everyone here to know, there ain't gonna be no trouble from me..Don Corleone..Cicc' a port!"
"I stood in the courtroom like a fool."
"I am Constanza: Lord of the idiots."
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