Originally posted by Turnbull:
Yes, it was probably perfectly timed. Barzini must have told Carlo, "Really beat her up this time so she can go crying to her mother." Carlo may even have been in the apartment when Connie made the phone call. If he did hear her calling the Mall, he would then be reasonably sure that Sonny'd lose his temper and get in his car. At that point, he might have contacted the hit men for the go-ahead--so they might not have been waiting for hours.
Don't forget that in the novel, Carlo was drunk and passed out when Connie makes the call. Or at least that's what we're lead to believe, so he would have had to call immediately after beating Connie up and before passing out. Because when Tom calls Connie's apartment, she answers and is terrified to wake Carlo up. It takes 5 minutes to rustle Carlo from his slumber and then Hagen breaks the news that Sonny was killed.
