Carmela
you can never lose your family but the others can and did because of her murderous husband and sons

Sandra and Teresa
must have known when they married, what their family business was, criminal Underboss, future Don and Consigliere to murderers

Deanna
Mystery! why did she marry Fredo

Apollonia
married Michael, an American -- hiding in Sicily... There are people who'd pay a lot of money for that information...

Kay
knew when she married he was Mafia

what about Connie

She was born into the family These women chose to marry criminals

Vito wasn't a criminal when he married Carmela. He worked in the grocery.

You are correct Carmela was the exception My oversight

• Carmela

Sure thing when Vito and Carmela married, Vito was a law abiding shop employee in a Grocery store and only became Mafia after

However Carmela seemingly had no qualms going along with her -
1. murderous husband Vito and sons Sonny and Michael
2. daughter Connie's spousal abuse

and teasing her son Fredo who had low self-esteem issues Havana when the brothers were having drinks -
Also the families who marry their daughters off to Mob men - status quo? deemed a good catch? Rich widow?!

• Apollonia

The Vitellis must have known / found out? that Michael was hiding in Sicily because of Michael's murder charges of the New York City Police Captain and with him a man named Virgil Sollozzo

• Deanna

Mystery! indeed

I seem to recall there was a deleted scene of Fredo and Deanna arriving for Anthony's party in which Deanna was taunting Fredo because Fredo didn't want Michael to see Deanna's indecorous behaviour or similar

How did Deanna know who Rocco was / his name?!

The dialogue referenced above is in the movie. Another Fredo-Deanna confrontation was deleted:

https://youtu.be/MkVdDZozUKc



I don't think we know much about Deanna. There's a Deanna in the novel, but this doesn't seem like her. She seems more like Johnny's second wife. Failed starlet? Aging call girl?



She should know him - he was in the family before she was.

I too reckon Carmela was as bad, condoning their murderous actions

Connie and Kay
Why did they make them so different from the novel?

They were made miserable, bitter and twisted in the movie whereas in the novel Connie apologized to Michael for her outburst about Carlo and Kay had accepted that he was a Mob Boss even that he was always fair

and they all lived happily for a hundred years!

I think this goes back to the notion of Michael as the intellectual brother who intended to be a math professor. Fairness doesn't necessarily mean generous. On the one hand, it precludes him from acting with malice, but on the other it precludes mercy. No matter who you are, you get out of Michael what you put into him. Unfortunately, everyone else is human, so they'll all fail Michael in the end.

Fredo too was made so different from the novel from the loving, obedient, dutiful son and Puzo wanted everyone here to know -- there's not gonna be no trouble from Fredo!

Sure thing The women were culpable too
They knew what their husbands' business was knew their rich, privileged life was funded by tainted money from other people's murder, misery and blood

• Kay

Kay enjoyed the spoils of the blood money for more than 7 odd years until her bedroom was machine gun sprayed when it suddenly dawned! on her, this unholy and evil Sicilian thing that's been going on for 2,000 years must all end

• Deanna

New question! Why did Fredo marry Deanna?

Thanks for the link Pete This deleted scene is worse than I remembered!

Why humiliate Fredo in every turn including not a real man insult and in front of so many people at his brother's - the Head of the family - house too Guests and Staff and all

It looked like it was Deanna's first visit to Tahoe?
You could be right though Only Merle and Deanna were introduced, others seem to know Fredo's bride! especially Carmela looked thrilled! to see her daughter-in-law, Deanna

I think Vito's rejoinder to this is that his wife isn't culpable because he isn't culpable. He is doing what the President does, what the Senator does, what General does, what the Industrialist does, what the Banker and Lawyer do. They all kill and steal. Vito seems resigned to a rough time when he has to answer to God, but he simply doesn't recognize that he has to answer to these others.

Men controlled everything, their wives their property

He were a real important -- how do you say -- a pezzonovante -- a big shot the son of a pezzonovante

first visit to Tahoe? How She should know him

I'm not clear on why it's important how many times Deanna's been to Tahoe.

Up the thread a bit, Deanna is not introduced to Merle for the first time. Connie says to Merle, "Merle, you've met my sister-in-law, Deanna."

1. He took care of his father
2. mother lived with them
3. invited Connie to stay with the family, having everything she wanted
4. He was prepared to work on their marriage with Kay
5. always took care of Fredo
6. large dowry for Sonny's daughter

I reckon, people acting with malice cannot be shown mercy especially in their kill or be killed world and for repeated offenses
And a man in his position can't afford to be made to look ridiculous!

except the passage on The Queen!

I mean no disrespect to you or this Forum....It is just that I can't see Deanna bothering with Michael's hired help
Just intrigued Deanna knew Rocco and addressed Rocco by his name

You are right Pete not "important how many times Deanna's been to Tahoe" small potatoes!
and as you say, Deanna and Merle must have met before Anthony's party “Deanna met Merle in Vegas I saw her with him!” Pleasure!

Well put Vito was delusional indeed

He deluded himself, among others -

• The Corleones were not murderers
• Drugs was a dirty business Then it was not, when used as leverage for Michael's safe return
• Michael's American Girlfriend would make a good Mob Wife
• Michael can be legitimate after consolidating his nefarious power with murders and more murders
• Fredo would go along with his kid brother being the Head of the family
• Connie would go along with Carlo answering for Santino

What about others taking care of their families?

Murder, extortion, threat of lethal violence, comply or die - to take care of his family, indulging his Godson, sentimental weakness for his children and spoiling them – but evil, murderous, ruthlessly destroying other families, leaving them without their fathers, sons, brothers, husbands Nice!

Anybody kinda rooting for Roth to beat Mike?

• Vito shut Carmela out of business too, starting with when he went into the bathroom and closed the door on her after receiving the bundle of guns from Clemenza
• Carlo beat up pregnant Connie but Vito did nothing because once married the woman is deemed her husband's property
• Sonny was unfaithful to his wife, Sandra which Vito was aware of
• Fredo told Michael at Anthony's party "He can't control his wife"
• Pentangeli dismissed / ignored his wife's concerns, when Michael was waiting for Pentangeli in Pentangeli's house
• Roth's wife Marcia seemed totally ignorant of what Roth's business really was

Alarming and disappointingly the Corleone women accepted and accommodated being the "property" of the men and even schooled the younger women of their place

At the dinner table, after Vito's discharge from the hospital -

Connie her face all bruised and swollen after yet another beating by Carlo, to Sonny “It was my fault”

While no doubt times were different, wonder why they chose to portray Connie and Kay in a manner, such contrast to the novel

Fredo too marrying a woman like Deanna, being humiliated by her
I don't think he married, in the novel

Well said almost worked for him if not for the loss of Sonny, catapulting Michael into taking over

Still could have cut his losses, handed over to Clemenza and Tessio and walked away, retired.
1. Vito alive
2. Michael could have lived a "legitimate" life in Nevada
3. Fredo continues learning the casino business with Greene

Would they make Carlo still answer for Santino

Nothing could stop Carlo from having to answer for Sonny.

Even in this re-imagined Corleone world, with Michael having gone legitimate, I reckon he would do it himself.

Would Nice guy Vito have stomach to make his daughter widow

What are your examples of people here asserting that Vito is a nice guy?

I reckon, Vito is seen through rose-colored glasses

1. swore on the souls of my grandchildren -- that I will not be the one to break the peace deal knowing he'd get Michael to
2. If Michael gives his permission, then you have my blessing...to form their own Family knowing he can't
3. told Carlo he is happy for him knowing he was going to be answering for Santino
4. left Michael to make his daughter a widow

Nice! guy Vito left a murderous legacy for I never wanted this for you son and caused untold misery

He told Michael I don't want anything to happen to him while I am alive.

That's not in the movie. I'm pretty sure it's not in the book either? Do you have a source for it?