Mafia Politics (Stupid Questions From a Stupid Newbie)

Howdy, first time poster here. I just re-watched 'The Godfather,' and love it tremendously, but I really don't understand the intricate mob politics that went on in the film. If anyone can help clarifying it, I'd appreciate it!

* Sollozzo approaches Don Corleone with a proposition to sell heroin. For a cut of the profits, he asks for the benefits of Corleone's political friends. I'm guessing the benefits of this would be the cops looking the other way while the operation is going on.

* The Don refuses, so Sollozzo tries to kill him. Afterward, Sollozzo says to Tom, "Sonny was hot for my idea, right?" As I understand it, he was getting rid of Vito so that the next Don in line (Sonny) would follow through on the deal. Except I don't know how Sonny could provide the same benefits as Vito could have; while Vito was recovering from the hit, Tom says, "If we lose the old man, we lose our political contacts and half our strength. [...] If your father dies, you make the deal, Sonny." But without the political contacts, what deal could Sonny offer?

* And eventually, we find out that it was Barzini, not Tattaglia, who orchestrated all this. I almost found it interesting how this guy pitted Tattaglia against Corleone without getting involved, except I can't really explain how he did it.

* But this probably the dumbest question of all: Why did Michael murder the heads of the five families? I'm guessing this had to do with their move to Nevada, but (a) How were those family heads obstacles to this? and (b) Wouldn't somebody else just take their place?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ear Biter:
Howdy, first time poster here.
Welcome!
* Sollozzo approaches Don Corleone with a proposition to sell heroin. For a cut of the profits, he asks for the benefits of Corleone's political friends. I'm guessing the benefits of this would be the cops looking the other way while the operation is going on.
You could infer that. But Sollozzo was primarily a wholesaler and importer--he was leaving distribution to Tattaglia. Sollozzo was more interested in making sure that if his heroin couriers were caught, judges would hand out lenient sentences. In the novel (which you should read), he tells Vito that all his couriers will have clean records so it would be logical for judges "owned" by Vito to hand out light sentences. But if the judges handed out 20-year sentences, "even a Sicilian might talk his brains out, endangering higher-ups."

* The Don refuses, so Sollozzo tries to kill him. Afterward, Sollozzo says to Tom, "Sonny was hot for my idea, right?" As I understand it, he was getting rid of Vito so that the next Don in line (Sonny) would follow through on the deal. Except I don't know how Sonny could provide the same benefits as Vito could have; while Vito was recovering from the hit, Tom says, "If we lose the old man, we lose our political contacts and half our strength. [...] If your father dies, you make the deal, Sonny." But without the political contacts, what deal could Sonny offer?
Fair question. I'm guessing that not all of Vito's political allies would have deserted the Corleone Family if Vito had died. After all, they still had to eat--and they'd still be hungry for Corleone payoffs. Vito had refused Sollozzo, so with Vito alive, Sollozzo couldn't do business. With Vito gone, Sollozzo thought he had a chance to cut a deal with Sonny for whatever remained of the family's political clout that could protect his business.

* And eventually, we find out that it was Barzini, not Tattaglia, who orchestrated all this. I almost found it interesting how this guy pitted Tattaglia against Corleone without getting involved, except I can't really explain how he did it.
My guess is that Sollozzo first approached Barzini with his drugs deal. He was smart enough to see that Barzini was waiting in the wings to surpass Vito as Number One Don, and would have the most to gain from the money he made with Sollozzo on drugs. But Barzini might have told him: "Look, you need Vito Corleone's political protection to do business. If Vito knows that I'm your partner, he'll refuse you because he knows I'm Number Two and he'll see my parternship with you as a direct threat to him. Go to Tattaglia: he's a pimp, and Vito's not worried about him. With Tattaglia as your up-front partner, Vito just might share his political contacts for a piece of the action. Meanwhile, I'll be your 'silent' partner, and I'll stand behind you."

* But this probably the dumbest question of all: Why did Michael murder the heads of the five families? I'm guessing this had to do with their move to Nevada, but (a) How were those family heads obstacles to this? and (b) Wouldn't somebody else just take their place?
That's not a dumb question. In the novel, Michael only kills Tattaglia and Barzini among the Dons because they conspired against him directly. He lets the other Dons live because, even though they supported Tattaglia and Barzini, they weren't the instigators. In the movie, Michael kills all the Dons mainly (IMO) because it makes for a more dramatic and gory ending to the film. But there's a certain logic to it: Even though GFII and III weren't planned at the time GF was released, those two movies showed Michael as extremely ruthless and ultra-controlling--a man who never gave any enemy of any kind any break at all. So, the killing of all the Dons helped to establish that aspect of Michael's character even though the successor films weren't even conceived then.

You could also argue that Michael whacked all the NY Dons prior to moving to Nevada to assure that his successor (Clemenza) would have no opposition, and that Michael therefore could rule New York remotely through Clemenza. Logically, the other families would have had successors, but those successors may have been people whom Michael approved, or who feared him enough to let him have his way through Clemenza. (BTW: in a deleted scene from GFII, Neri tells Michael that he's found Fabrizio in America: he "entered in 1956--sponsored by the Barzini Family," which tells me that the Barzinis were still a force against the Corleones even after Barzini was whacked.)

I wouldn't call your questions stupid...infact they're really interesting questions ..
and thanks turnbull for answering all of them

Puzo

Yes, indeed! Thank you so much, TurnBull, for taking the time to answer my questions. You rock more than a packet of Pop Rocks.

Also, in the book, powerful caporegimes of the Barzini and Tataglia families switched sides to the Corleones after the hits on their leaders.

Important answers to important questions!!