Lana's post in Breaking the peace? thread
Down but not out - It's a long way to the top! if you wanna rock 'n' roll [Ref: AC/DC Australian Rock band] - in crime business

Immigrant orphan rising to be the top Mafia Don and staying there against all odds

Godfather yes Real life no

The combined forces and muscle of the other Families – Barzini, Tattaglia, Stracci, Cuneo – could hardly make a dent on Vito's rein let alone....You believed that story You believed that

and political/police contacts monopoly

They couldn't cajole anyone away in spite of, You see -- all these people are business men, their loyalty is based on money

Except the New York Police Captain!

Was the car bomb in Sicily before the Peace meeting, revenge for Michael's murder of Sollozzo without whom Barzini and the others would have lost their link / middleman to the drugs supply

It is fleshed out in the book if he had died, everyone even Vito would have thought the car bomb was for Don Tommasino and Michael was an unintended casualty

Michael's car

Good point Can't remember why they thought that

Vito and Carmela was a great team Granted times were different and Carmela was a traditional wife of that time

I do believe if not for Carmela, Vito's Rise and Rise may not have been perhaps as smooth or not to this extent, keeping in mind Vito became a crime boss after their marriage

We hardly see Vito being a family man It seems Vito took care of the crime family and Carmela the blood family without any conflicts

Carmela was culpable too Carmela knew what her husband’s business was knew her rich, privileged life was funded by tainted money from other people's murder, misery and blood but happily enjoyed the spoils of the blood money seemingly no qualms

• Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli by Mark Seal

It seems Puzo based Vito on his mother [page 16] a remarkable woman indeed

I recently got the book from the Library only up to 150 / 388 pages though as I find it is not one of those unputdownable! books for me not dissimilar to Godfather 3
It was an offer I could refuse! I find it disappointing so far, seemingly little to nothing really new even the 8 pages of photographs not a lot, I had not seen before

What remains unchanged, half a century on, is all the intense debates and disputes still raging on! - Leading up to, Making of the Godfather and the Movies itself like us!

Interested to hear of any members' review who may have read the book Thanks

Bet you glad you did not buy book

No doubt lucrative market as long as there is Godfather hungry, die-hard fans like us

Behind every great man there is a greater woman Duh! No doubt Carmela was culpable too

• Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli by Mark Seal

Say what?! Just one of the many glowing reviews on the back cover of the book

Carter needs to visit J Geoff's Forum then he will learn something new! and have a gloriously Homeric, entertaining and magical experience

What am I missing?! I for one had learnt little to nothing really new, in any of the 150 pages I had read so far....

No reviews posted So none of us are reading this yet another Epic! We knew better

• Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli by Mark Seal

I found on Page 304 - Luca Brasi murder
“It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes” Richard Castellano as Clemenza, says when the late enforcer's bulletproof vest is delivered to Sonny Corleone

I seem to remember there were debates as to who - Clemenza or Tessio – said this line According to this book it was Clemenza

Vito's modus operandi and shrewd strategy got him to be the top Mafia Don

among others -

• Vito having two separate Capo regime Clemenza and Tessio which on the surface looked like his muscle was half strength than it really was
• The other Dons mistakenly believing Vito was under muscled compared to them
• Vito had the foresight to cultivate political / Police contacts [though Sollozzo had the New York Police Captain in his pocket!]

How come the other Dons couldn't even wet their beak!

Yes, there have been debates, but Geoff's transcript says it was Clemenza.

Vito's great strength was focus: He focused on alliances with politicians who could protect him, and on two rackets--gambling and unions--that were highly profitable and were easy for his politicians to go along with. Gambling was a "harmless vice," and unions provided (at Vito's direction) money and other support for politicians' election campaigns. That focus worked so well that Vito apparently monopolized all the influential politicians and judges in NYC, according to Barzini at the Commission meeting.

I reckon what contributed to Vito's downfall was his sentimental weakness for his children and his complacency

I've posted earlier that Sol would have tried to kill Vito even if Sonny had kept his mouth shut, Vito's "no" put Sol's back against the wall--he either would have had to return to Sicily empty-handed, or else try to kill Vito and negotiate with a greatly weakened Corleone Family. Vito's big slip was to send Luca to the Tattaglias with the ridiculous story that Luca was "not too happy with our family"

Sonny bad Don but still Boss
Fredo -- well -- Fredo was -- well
Michael never wanted this for you
Connie spousal abuse

It's a smart move We always smarter

Prostitution – Tattaglia is a pimp
Drugs – dirty business

Vito's rackets -

• Gambling - the poor punters losing money they could ill-afford to, especially the odds stacked against them – No money to put food on the table for their family
• Unions – loan sharks? strong arm tactics including extortion

Tom to Woltz
I ain't no band leader! Yeah, I heard that story....

Vito's Rise and Rise - focus: his “alliances with politicians who could protect him”
You are right “--gambling and unions--that were “highly profitable and were easy for his politicians to go along with” and 'in their mind' "harmless vice,"

Narcotics money discussion with Vito and Sonny before the Sollozzo meeting

Sure thing Turnbull Sollozzo cannot allow another man to hold him back Vito's "no” and Vito is a dead man

Sollozzo's slip ups, among others -

• Sollozzo was smug he had the backing of Barzini and all the other families unbeknown to the Corleones
• mistakenly believing Vito's hothead son Sonny, the other two kids, Tessio and fat Clemenza, would still do business with Sollozzo even after Sollozzo tried to kill Vito - twice
• thinking because Sonny was hot for Sollozzo's deal, he could get Sonny on board not realising Sonny's very gaffe, tied Sonny's hands
• underestimating civilian Michael
• feeling invulnerable being guarded by the New York Police Captain

Vito was slippin' big time Ten years ago could Sollozzo have gotten to him?! Let alone....sending Luca to the Tattaglias with the ridiculous story that Luca was "not too happy with our family"

Vito not upping his security and letting Fredo -- well -- Fredo was -- well-- doubling up as his driver and bodyguard


If only he had focused half as much on his blood family

Vito's Rise and Rise in crime family Fall and Fall in blood family

He didn't factor in a traitor within the blood family

How do you solve a problem like Fredo?

Poor Fredo copped it from everyone - Vito, Carmela, Sonny, Michael, Greene, Deanna

Fredo was an unusual problem indeed and no real viable solution even face saving - Don or ?

Fredo was not Don material but then again neither was Sonny as bad a Don as Sonny was, Sonny interestingly still would have been Don if he was not killed

Wonder whether there are any older brother stepped over situation and if so how it panned out, in real life? Thanks