Originally Posted By: JacobJ
I've heard many different explanations for why Michael replaced Tom with Vito for consigliere.

The first one I've heard was Vito was dying and getting old and Michael wanted to use his wisdom as much as possible.
The second one I've heard was Tom wasn't a wartime consigliere, but his face of disappointment when that was announced almost convinced me he had the ability. Or did that mean he was vulnerable to getting attacked?
But the best one I've heard was how he was testing Toms loyalty, especially after the betrayals in the family.

What do you guys think? Tom is one of my favorite characters.


There is a little truth in all the theories you espoused. There is an ongoing sibling rivalry between Michael and Tom that went back at lease as far as December 7 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked and Mike signed up for the Marines. At that time he was livid at Tom for discussing his future with Vito. There is also a foreshadowing of Michael's concerns about Tom as consigliere during the wedding scene when he tells Kay that Tom is in line to be consigliere. He makes it a point to say he is a good lawyer, but not a Sicilian. In fact
Tom was not a wartime consigliere. He was always trying to settle things and compromise. Santino complained to him about this and so did Michael. In the end, I think Michael trusted him but he was always testing him and using his position to belittle him. Still he trusted tom with the fact that he was going after the heads of the five families, how to deal with Geary and how to settle things with Frank Pentangeli.

"Io sono stanco, sono imbigliato, and I wan't everyone here to know, there ain't gonna be no trouble from me..Don Corleone..Cicc' a port!"

"I stood in the courtroom like a fool."

"I am Constanza: Lord of the idiots."