Why was Michael hunted after the agreed peace?

Greetings. Long time reader of the boards, first time post. Hope you guys don't mind me asking questions! I really appreciate the insights and discussion in these forums. Never even thought about the drapes - argh!

Anyway, why is Michael continually hunted in Sicily after the peace settlement? I'm rereading the book, and it mentions the Don was surprised by this. Maybe things were already in motion? I'm curious on everyone's thoughts for why Barzini would still go after Michael.

To me, it seems like that would only provoke and derail the progress they made on supporting the new drug operation. What am I missing?

I always suspected that Sicilians, as depicted in the book, don't believe in forgiving a vendetta.

Sit downs, detentes, peace treaties are American.....

Once the order was given I find it hard to believe a Sicilian taking a reprieve order seriously.

That would explain if the order was rescinded, and the people following out disobeyed the top to call it off.

For Barzini though, why would he still go through with it? Barzini gets what he wants from Corleone, weakens Corleone's position, agrees to peace, and yet still goes through with trying to have Michael killed? To what end?

Seems like he had Don Vito right where he wanted him, and that it would unnecessarily rock the boat to go after Michael, especially after the "if he gets hit by a bolt of lightning" speech.

Welcome, UJ! Hope to see many more thoughtful posts from you.

I believe this was a result of timing and quid pro quo. Vito learns of Sonny's assassination and immediately orders Tom to set up a meeting of the heads of the families. Michael learns about Sonny at about the same time, and Don Tomassino advises him to leave his villa subito. I'm guessing it took Tom weeks to set up the meeting, during which time Michael was still fair game for Barzini. In effect, Michael's life was held hostage by Barzini until he got what he wanted from Vito: agreement to protect the drugs traffic. Only then did he agree to call off his dogs.

Bazrini had nothing to lose. With Michael dead and Vito aging rapidly, the Corleones could be considered on their last legs. Also, as tessio tells Vito at their last family meeting, everyone knows that Barzini gave Vito provocation. Obviously, as Vito made the peace to give him time to put Mike in charge of the family, Barzini simply used it to erode the Corleones power.

I guess that's my question, did he really call off the dogs?

If he did, then I can see chalking things up to timing and what not. The intention in that case would be to let Michael live - and do business with a pacified, weakened Don Corleone - but with the Corleone political web still fully intact and cooperating.

If he didn't call off the dogs, wouldn't he have to finish the job and crush the Corleones in their entirety so he could move forward and pick up the crumbled pieces of their Empire? Strategically at that point, why would the plan be to take out Michael, leave the Don, Fredo, Tom Hagen, and the two caporegimes in place, and then just slowly nibble around the edges for ten years? I guess that's where I get confused.. Taking Michael out and leaving everything else in place (including Fredo as an heir) seems odd. Particularly given Michael's minimal involvement in family matters up to that point and the Don's extra stern warning.

June,

the hit on Michael was set up to look like collateral damage in the flareup between the sicilian don who was hiding him and the new mobsters who were getting that post war construction money.

since this beef was real..... Mike later told his father that he himself,Don Vito, wouldn't have seen it as a hit on mike.



could it have been Fabrizio just turning rogue after the word got back that the tide had turned in America.

Surely Sonny's death must have changed what many thought the outcome of the war would be.....even in Sicily.

alliances would surely switch...

how else would a man who was around Mike 24/7 and could have easily shot him suddenly wire a car to kill Mike?


In retrospect...it was a perfect plan...

Mike looks like he just happened to get caught up in local beef...nobody ever figures it out...

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Had to have been a third party who paid off Fabrizio and gotten him the fake passport and American identity....because if it was directly Barzini....he would have been taken out by them for botching the hit

Vito made it very clear at the meeting where they made the peace that the deal was off if anything happened to Michael, "accidentally" or otherwise. It was only then they called off the dogs, but it was too late for Apollonia