Originally Posted By: dontomasso
So what does Tessio mean when he says "tell Mikey it was only business. I always liked him?"


Tessio made a mistake in judgement. He had no personal animus towards Michael.
From Tessio's (limited) POV it appeared that Michael was requiring Tessio to take a dangerously weak position towards Barzini's incursions-a position that could only end with Tessio eliminated by Barzini, Tessio forced to accomodate and submit to Barzini or Tessio hounded out of the business completely by Barzini. Tessio made a business decision that now was the right time to jump ship to a "winning team" but it wasn't because he was jealous of Michael or disliked Michael... although he would have overseen his murder... whistle

"When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives."
Winter is Coming

Now this is the Law of the Jungle—as old and as true as the sky; And the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk, the Law runneth forward and back; For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.