Originally posted by Salvatore Tessio:
Turnbull, if you don't think Fredo was the underboss, who do you think was? Not Tessio, not Clemenza. I knew Santino was the underboss to Vito, but who was the underboss after that?
Perhaps Michael didnt need an underboss. He just needed Tom and himself.
~Sal
That's a good question, ST. Frankie Pentangeli was an operating underboss: he ran the old "olive oil business" in NYC for Michael. Fredo ran some "Mickey Mouse nightclub" and the brothel, had some men. Probaby nothing of importance to the family (why would Michael entrust Fredo with anything important when he regarded him as "weak and stupid"?) Neri and Rocco may have had some action of their own (in a deleted scene, you get the inference that Neri's going to run the Corleones' interest in the Tropicala Hotel after he ran Klingman out). But I tend to agree with your last line: Mike kept the family business very close to the chest.
