The Last Woltz

• Michael believes he can become legitimate while running the nation's top Mafia Family
• Kay tells herself that the Family will be legitimate within 5 years
• Roth thinks he can rule his empire forever
• And Fredo tells himself that he can take sides against the Family and somehow end up more powerful and respected

Kangaroo Don

• Vito believes his no to Sollozzo drug deal and then sending Luca over to Tattaglias will find what they have under their fingernails
• Vito believes after the Baptism, Moe Greene, Carlo murders Michael can live a 'legitimate' life
• Woltz acts he is bigger than the Corleones and wakes up with his prized horse Khartoum's head
• Greene thinks he can slap a Corleone around, insult another Corleone and somehow keep the hotel
• Carlo thinks he can lure Sonny to his murder and somehow end up as Michael's right hand man in Nevada
• Turncoat Tessio believes he can set his Don up to be murdered and another Don will embrace him into their family
• Geary thinks he can insult, squeeze the Top Mafia Don for 250,000 dollars Plus a monthly payment of 5% of the gross of all four hotels -- and Mr. Corleone will just pay up and keep paying

Trojan
Kay thinks she can abort their unborn son and somehow he'd let her take the children from him

I reckon, the biggest lying to themselves were the women Biggest Hypocrites

They knew exactly what their husband's business was that their rich and privileged life was funded by tainted money from other people's blood, misery and murder

You are not wrong!

Roth's wife, Marcia blissfully and conveniently ignorant! of her husband's business
Where and how did Marcia think her retired investor on a pension, husband accumulate $300 million in his 'pension' silk purse

tuna sandwich lunch That's how

Roth don't like violence, He is a business man. Blood is a big expense.

True. Tahoe shooting was his first ever violence. Looks like they were hired out of Rosato brothers crew

In fairness to Michael, Roth was stringing Michael along among others “gifting” their Hotel and pretending “to go along” with Michael moving Klingman out instead if Roth had been honest perhaps Michael and Roth could have worked out some mutually beneficial arrangement

As regards Roth's Havana business, I believe Michael understood that whilst Michael was Roth's successor, the heir apparent, Roth was always going to hold onto his Havana empire until Roth's retirement or death and at that time, Michael would inherit Roth's interests in the Havana operation but we all know Roth was somehow going to rule his empire forever!

Then both Michael and Roth could live happily for a hundred years! Nobody any the wiser

Michael, his "legitimate" life, decent American, gambling mogul, public Benefactor and Roth, the average neighbour, harmless old man, his carefully cultivated reputation as a retired investor on a pension intact

Michael overestimated -- He acts like I'm his son his successor the heir apparent and underestimated Roth

Sure thing Michael's greed, nearly undone himself with Roth believing Roth that Michael was Roth's successor, the heir apparent, their father-son alliance -- blinded until Michael survived the Tahoe bedroom shooting

It concerns me, too. Is it okay, Mike, if I stay? his passage on The Queen

Vito we're not murderers

The way Michael totally ignored Merle as if Merle wasn't even there....
Merle and Connie holding hands would sway?! Michael to pay their passage on The Queen

Merle so used to living off women [or his 'future' brother-in-law] just sits through it all.... shameless
then again Merle's got to be -- thick-skinned -- in his line of work!

Only Michael Corleone can make “you'll disappoint me” sound menacing

she didn't disappoint didn't marry him

Eh gosh -- imagine the nerve of the gigolo Also wanting a drink

How did you do your new handle Kangaroo Don

Turnbull is a good man -- changed it for me

Sollozzo couldn't even remember his own lies!

In the car
later at Louis' Restaurant in the Bronx

McCluskey the untouchable New York Police captain

It is fleshed out in the novel that McCluskey never expected Michael was going to kill him too
He was waiting for Michael to surrender

Great casting in small roles

Al Lettieri as Solozzo: Perfect!

To be fair he didn’t really lie. The Don was never touched again and Sollozzo was the hunted one.

He pretty much laid out how the rest of his life would go (how short it was lol). Sollozzo was cocky enough to think he could negotiate his way out of killing the Don while laying the blueprint of The Corleone’s Revenge

Could you expand on your answer -- I'm particularly interested in knowing -- uh -- how he think he could negotiate his way out of killing the Don while laying the blueprint of The Corleone’s Revenge

I frisked him -- he's clean. I've frisked a thousand young punks... 1,001 bang! bang!

True Sollozzo was cocky enough to think he could stall the Corleones to buy time, to make another attempt to kill Vito -- underestimating civilian Michael

He won't be, Mike; I swear on my children he won't be. Then What guarantees could I give you, Mike?
So swearing on his children he won't be, was a lie but then had a dose of truth serum!

I mean, this is terrible -- it's not the way I wanted things to go at all. It should've never happened. Then What happened to your father was business -- You must understand why I had to do that... Twice!

All I want, is a truce until third time lucky!

You think he knowingly went to that restaurant to willingly die?

He was there to negotiate and as Trojan said he overlooked Mike and thought Michael didn’t have the cajones to kill him. The Corleone’s wanted blood and the one person Sollozzo overlooked was the one that put a bullet in his face. He made it easy to kill him by Sollozzo wanting to negotiate his surrender in hopes it buys him time to kill the Don.

Michael was right -- he's gonna kill Pop, that's it. That's the key for him. Gotta get Sollozzo
Where does it say that you can't kill a cop? -- if history has taught us anything -- it's that you can kill anybody.

Sollozo was right I am the hunted one!
I'm not that clever. Otherwise he frisk him when he came back not when he went, to the bathroom

McCluskey was wrong Ahh, he's a good kid.

Both were wrong No one was to die
To be fair they were under the impression, Corleone didn't know where the meeting was taking place

Tom was wrong Sollozzo was not invulnerable being guarded by New York Police captain

Michael was right indeed

Nothing nefarious! about the Corleones

Good one Capri That is Funny

I try


Michael: I have never been arrested or indicted for any crime what-so-ever. That no proof linking me to any criminal conspiracy whether it is called "Mafia" or "Cosa Nostra" or whatever other name you wish to give has ever been made public. I have not taken refuge behind the 5th amendment as it was my right to do. I challenge this committee -- to produce any witness or evidence against. And if it do not, I hope they will have the decency to clear my name with the same publicity with which they have now besmirched it.

Oh -- who's being naïve and Lying to themselves

Kay: You know how naïve you sound?
Michael: Why?
Kay: Senators and presidents don't have men killed...
Michael: Oh -- who's being naïve, Kay?

She got in the car Married him

but it occurred to me.... No way Sollozzo can get to Vito

The Corleones have Vito air-tight. Vito is invulnerable being guarded by 24 hour private detectives hired to protect Vito Corleone. They're licensed to carry firearms.

McCluskey can't get all these guinea hoods locked up!
If McCluskey interfered, he'll have to appear before a judge in the morning and show cause

You think too much of yourself, Turk -- you are not that clever

So Michael didn't have to kill Sollozzo There was no need Gotta get Sollozzo

True. Revisiting -- Michael didn't have to kill Sollozzo There was no need Gotta get Sollozzo
No way Sollozzo can get to Vito even if he managed to stall the Corleones to buy time

Michael could have continued his That's my family, It's not me civilian life

Another hypocrite! Lying to himself

Michael knew exactly what his father's business was that his rich and privileged civilian life was funded by tainted money from other people's blood, misery and murder

Looks new theory not floated before

We were in agreement -- he's gonna kill Pop, that's it. Gotta get Sollozzo

we'd discussed in various including Business or personal? thread that They did need to kill the Turk and there seemed to be no other way than for Michael to do it himself.

However now with this new theory There was no need Gotta get Sollozzo by Michael or anyone
They could have let them think there is a truce, lulling them into false security until Vito was back

and they should all live happily for a hundred years -- the family.
1. Santino bad Don playing comedy with that young girl.
2. Fredo banging cocktail waitresses two at a time!
3. Michael Senator - Corleone. Governor - Corleone, or something...
4. Connie -- well -- Connie was -- well --

Barzini wants to arrange a meeting with Michael through Michael's capo Tessio to straighten any of their problems out...
Normal procedure, Barzini's consigliere would approach Michael's consigliere

Tessio can arrange security in Brooklyn his territory where Michael will be "safe"

Could it have been any more transparently obvious lying?!

It's a smart move -- Tessio was always smarter.

also Barzini's people chiselling Tessio's territory, he was signalling to them he's gonna kill Michael that he was not for peaceful coexistence.

Barzini underestimating Michael and overestimating himself

Ahhh.... that little warm scene you played with my capo Tessio [at Vito's funeral] -- you think that could fool a Corleone?

He insults a Corleone intelligence -- and makes him very angry... transparently obvious lying to straighten any of their problems out... and have to answer for Santino

It is fleshed out in the novel that Tom and others were astonished why Michael was trying to get this traitor to admit guilt?

Michael being always fair and just, wanted to have no fraction of an uncertainty that only a confession by Carlo could erase before making his sister a widow

If Carlo didn't admit what he did, didn't confess he fingered Sonny for the Barzini people Then what?

Carlo Rizzi felt his whole body go weak with a terrible sickening fear when he saw Michael Corleone standing in his doorway, Michael's face, the face of death

Michael's “You have to answer for Santino, Carlo” made Carlo really sick, physically nauseous

Carlo spoke out of his terrible fear, without dignity, without any kind of pride
My take, Gianni Russo was very good and pulled off all of the above including his enormous relief! that Carlo's only punishment was only "out of the Family business"

Master manipulator Michael

Remember his smirk -- Michael's right hand-man in Nevada and Thank you, Papa..

Carlo thinks he can lure Sonny to his murder and somehow that Carlo's only punishment was only "out of the Family business" which he was never in

As I remember, Russo muscled his way in -- threatened Brando who thought he was acting -- to get the part

Tom: Now your new son-in-law; give him something important?
Vito: Never. Give him a living, but never discuss the Family business with him

Michael's right hand-man in Nevada

And you stood Godfather to our baby -- you lousy cold-hearted bastard.

Gianni Russo had to battle Marlon Brando after snagging Carlo Rizzi role in “The Godfather”
Silive.com 03 October 2022

He’s [Carlo Rizzi] a central character in two of the most iconic scenes in what many consider to be the greatest film of all time, “The Godfather.”

According to Gianni Russo Extracts:

• Battling Brando

But Gianni Russo, who played traitorous Carlo Rizzi in the film, had to go nose-to-nose with Vito Corleone himself, legendary actor Marlon Brando, before filming even began.

Russo had never acted before landing his role in the movie. Brando pressed Russo about his acting bona fides during an early rehearsal.
According to Russo, “He said, ‘Who’d you study with?’ I said, ‘Study what? What are you talking about?’”

Russo said Brando told director Francis Ford Coppola that he’d better re-think Russo’s casting.
“He’s trying to get me fired,” Russo said

Russo, who has his own lifelong familiarity with the mob, said he took Brando aside and out of earshot told the actor, “Listen to me, Mr. Brando, out of all due respect, you screw this up for me, if I get fired, I will suck on your heart. You will bleed out here today. If this guy fires me because of you, you’re dead.”
Brando, Russo said, stepped back and told him, “‘That was brilliant.’ He thought I was acting. I meant it.”

Brando later took Russo under his wing, helping him conceptualize the chilling scene where Michael tells Carlo that he’s is going to be exiled from the Corleone family only to have him whacked. “That’s Brando,” Russo said. “Brando was my only acting teacher.”

Gianni Russo had to battle Marlon Brando after snagging Carlo Rizzi role in “The Godfather”
Silive.com 03 October 2022

According to Gianni Russo Extracts:

• No Stranger To The Mob

In his youth, Russo was a messenger for mob boss Frank Costello. And Tommy Bilotti, gunned down with mob boss and fellow Staten Islander Paul Castellano in 1985, was best man at Russo’s wedding.

Russo had paid for his own screen test in order to land a role in “The Godfather,” but Paramount Pictures told him that only name actors would be cast.

Enter another real-life mob Godfather known to Russo: Joe Colombo
Colombo had founded the Italian Anti-Defamation League to protest the negative stereotypes portrayed in “The Godfather.” Colombo threatened to use his influence with movie unions to stop production of the film.

With Columbo’s blessing, Russo eventually helped broker a deal with Paramount big-wigs that allowed filming to proceed. Russo was rewarded with the role of Carlo Rizzi. “And it changed my life,” he said.

Russo said he helped “Godfather” producers find the celebrated house on Longfellow Road on Emerson Hill where the movie’s wedding scene was filmed. Russo said his father used to do gardening up there.

According to Gianni Russo --
We have to take everything with a pinch of salt He is known to embellish everything in his favor

That is the understatement of the century, lol! He's so full of shit that his eyes are turning brown.

He still milking and people still buying

Russo is an actor, singer, movie producer, author and entrepreneur with Corleone Fine Family foods and other “Godfather”-themed endeavors.

Frankie Pentangeli believes that Frankie can "betray omerta and his own Don" and

Roth believes he could take Michael down and then continue to live the life of a retired investor on a pension, on $300 million