The Senate hearings surely scuppered any chance of his going legitimate. But any remaining possibility went totally out of the window when he sent his very high profile capo to murder his enemy in front of cameras at an international airport. Utterly lame-brained.

Pentangeli's renunciation of his affidavit apparently brought a swift end to the hearings, and Tom seems to have had the last word: "This committee owes an apology...an apology, Senator!!" On the other hand, the hearings put on record accusations of Michael's criminal activities, and people always believe what they want to believe. In the end: Money talks! Michael in III bought a Papal Knighthood. What's interesting is that, at the Senate hearing in II, Michael denied owning three casinos and said he owned some stock in the hotels, but very little." But, at his party in III, Abbandando tells the press that Michael "sold the casinos."

That is troubling. The FBI knew all about Rocco--he was in the Family organization chart shown at the Senate hearing in II. Even if he'd somehow gotten away and gone into hiding, his face would have appeared in some of the many pictures snapped by press photographers at the airport. It could be argued that Michael wanted to send a message to his enemies that nothing would stop him from getting vengeance--even if, as Tom said in the boathouse, it was like "killing the President." But, that would hardly be consistent with wanting to maintain a "legitimate" image.

No doubt it is well known, no secret Michael is a Mafia Don, he was in the "legitimate" gambling business, owned or controlled hotels and casinos including the Hotel they bankrolled for Greene, the casino they took over, moving Klingman out

Only he had the key to his Fort Knox vault and unlocked it when he "sold the casinos."

They killed the New York Police Captain in a restaurant, the heads of all the other families, Roth at the airport surrounded by Police and reporters, got Pentangeli to kill himself in an Army barracks guarded by FBI and got away with them all No doubt brilliant

Michael's "legitimate" front was the Elephant in the room