about Connie being a 'dominatrix' all of a sudden in III after hating Michael in I and not being too forgiving in II (altough she moves in and start to take care of his children); the gap between Michael sitting alone in Lake Tahoe and Michael writing his children for his church award in New York is over 20 years. So much could have happened in those 20 years. I think we are to believe Connie and Michael, both alone after II in some way, lived together that period, so therefore it's obvious they grew to each other.

And maybe it was intended to be a "new, fresh, spectacular" plot to have Connie be the gangster in III while Michael wants everything legal in his Family.