Michael's Meeting with Moe

Recently, it occurred to me that Michael's meeting with Moe Green in the Vegas hotel room had an intriguing aspect. Why would Michael discuss buying out Moe's hotel/casino interests in front of all those people? I understand that most "VIP's" have their inner circle of trusted people but that seemed to be a big deal to be just tossed out there in front of everyone. Fredo's immediate reaction is a mirrored mistake that Sonny makes at the Sollozzo meeting. BTW, Fredo's little "dance jig" when he opens the door and the band starts playing is priceless! (As noted in the HBO documentary for John Cazale) Thoughts?

It was to humiliate Moe.

And, if not to literally humiliate Moe, to appear with a show of force ("lookit all these guys on my side").
Also, he wanted Fredo there as a courtesy and because he was Moe's "friend" and could be "relied on" to be helpful to Michael, and Tom was there as his lawyer. Johnny was invited by Fredo. The novel says Neri was there, too.

Humiliating Moe was indeed accomplished. Thus leading to Moe's exclamation about making the deal with Barzini and keeping his hotel in the process. I think this is Moe's way of firing back a big "F.U." to Michael and his deal.

It was all a set-up anyway. The Corleones knew Moe would say no to them and that they would have to dispose of him. But I wonder how Moe's ownership interest, if it was legally recorded, was transfered to the Corleones.

You can bet it was through someone else as a front. In II, Michael testifies at the Senate hearingn that he "owns some stock in the hotels."

Do you think Michael suspected that Moe was secretly working on a deal with Barzini while doing a "favor" for the Corleone's by "taking in Freddy"? With the set up, Moe blows his stack and confirms the deal with Barzini thus sealing his fate?

Moe took Fredo in because the Corleones bankrolled his casino or, as the novel states, to help him finish furnishing his hotel. I always figure that there are few secrets in the underworld and that Moe knew why Michael wanted to see him. So he probbaly did talk to Barzini.

In Godfather II there are a couple of scenes in which there is an explanation of who owns the casinos in name, and who really owns them. I think it was some Lawyers in Beverly Hills who were the nominal owners. Even though Michael "owned" the casinos, as did Roth, they apparently allowed various groups such as the Lakevill Road Boys to come in and share in the profits just to keep the peace.

Exactly, Olivant. Moe had to know that the money the Corleones gave him wasn't simply room and board for Fredo. Sooner or later they'd come to claim their ownership. So, Moe, believing that the Corleones were being run out of town, figured he could tolk to Barzini and not have to worry about Michael taking retribution.

If Moe had played it straight with the Corleones and his casino hadn't been "losing" money, would the Corleones have allowed Moe to remain as a partner or was he slated for removal (hostile or not) once the Corleones knew how much $$$ there was in casino gambling.

Well, if we retrofit GFII, then I think he would stay, if only to keep Michael's business relationship with Hyman Roth undisturbed.

If not, I don't see why they would keep him around. What would they need him for? Michael didn't really seem to like having a lot of extraneous baggage around, especially when they were taking a cut of the profits. I'm sure sooner or later Michael would have gotten rid of him.

Michael made it clear that his intent was to "buy you out." His need to control would never let him keep Moe as a partner. And, having a loose cannon like Moe as a partner would be bad for business.

Not to mention dangerous and stupid. Moe would have always been a threat to him, if he let him live (Just like Fredo in Part 2).

Do you think Michael would have let Moe live if he came back hat in hand with apology ready to let the Corleones buy him out?

I think that Michael wanted control of the casino and hotel period. Without a financial interest in them anymore, Moe would have gone away. There was no percentage in Michael murdering him other than out of revenge for his treatment of Fredo.