Background info about the Atlantic City massacre

The Godfather wouldn't be the Godfather if there are always some new details you will notice every time you watch one of these films.

I was just re-watching Part III when I suddenly noticed they were actually doing a report on television about the shooting of the Dons during the scene when Michael got his diabetic stroke or something like that.

So I tried to listen carefully to what the news anchor said as far as I was able to hear it while Michael and other were talking.

First you hear the news anchor mentioning "Apalachin" which means that the Apalachin meeting also took place in The Godfather universe.

He also mentioned some of the bosses' names like "Matty Parisi", "Frank Romano" and "Albert Volpe". They are also part of the first draft of the script and are listed in the credentials of the film. According to the script Albert Volpe was the boss of the Midwest meaning that he was obviously the boss of the Chicago Outfit. Parisi was a boss from the Southeast meaning he was likely from Florida or New Orleans. Possibly Carlo Tramonti's (original novel) successor. And Frank Romano (who was played by the same actor who also portrayed Victor Stracci) was from the West Coast, possibly Los Angeles.

Furthermore it was said that 12 people were killed and 10 seriously wounded by the attack. And the New Jersey State Police and FBI had sealed off the building.

You would think that after an event like this the authorities would have started to seriously going after the mafia. I don't think Vincent would have lasted long as boss. It's likely that he would have been sent to jail by something similar as the real-life commission case.

I agree sonny. I say the same thing about the Sopranos a great show but very fictional portrayal of the modern mob. The mafia in the movies and tv is partly truth and also partly fiction so you are right

In real-life such a hit would be highly unlikely. But it's not like the mafia wouldn't be capable of doing such a thing.

The Rizzutos from Montreal reportably copied this attack when they were fighting a rival clan from Grandby. It was said that they attacked the house of one of the clan members with AK47s from a helicopter. I'm not joking.

I'm sure they are capable but in the present age mobsters are trying to be really careful. even when they are careful they still get caught since the feds are much stronger than say 25 years ago

Yeah, alle these high profile hits in Part III are a little too much. All hell would break loose that's for sure.

It's already a miracle that the Corleones weren't prosecuted for killing "Meyer Lansky" at Miami airport by someone who was known as a high ranking member of the family. Let alone that they probably even got away with killing Altobello, Lucchese, an arch bishop and a swiss banker fuck.

Still love the films anyway.

Well, we have to cut the director some "directorial license." And, you're right about the Roth hit: a high-profile murder like that would be covered most extensively by US media. They'd identify Rocco's body, and trace him right back to Michael. Of course he'd have an alibi--he was in Tahoe at the time. But, the police questioning him would be another body blow to his claim of "legitimacy"--and this time, he wouldn't have the benefit of Frankie claiming it was "all lies."

You were very alert to pick up all that radio dialog, Sonny. Thanks for doing that. But, I wouldn't put too much stock in the numbers of people killed and wounded. FFC, who was such a absolute fanatic about detail in GF and II, slipped badly in III. The Wall Street Journal headline about Immobiliare has a text below it that's taken from a computer word-processing manual. And, another newspaper or magazine headline (I forget which) has text about some completely unrelated subject.

You're right, TB. But they did the same with those newspapers seen in the first film.

What did Connie think? Everybody could see that it was she who gave him the Cannoli.
(Or should I say, what did FFC think what we should think that Connie thinks?)

Yeah, we all remember how far fetched the helicopter hit might have been, but how about Neri getting past the Swiss Guard at the Vatican to kill the Archbishop?

They would have cut his throat in a heartbeat.

First off: Sonny Black I think you have your geography mixed up there, pal.

Secondly, about the newspapers, the filmmakers could have never imagined in 1970 and 1971 that there would one day be technology that would allow us to pour over every detail of these films -- in HD clarity no less. I know FFC was a stickler for detail in the first 2 movies, but I can let that fly.

Interesting they kept the news report from the original part III script.

Youre right. Consider it a typo.

IMHO, FBI should have gone after Michael, both for the helicopter massacre, to which he was clearly tied due to his checks lying all over the bodies, and for the Zaza thing. At the very least, he wouldn't have been allowed to leave US. Could have been an interesting change of pace, to see him being persecuted for something he didn't do .

As to the murders of the Andreotti look-alike, the archbishop, etc., not only was it completely implausible to organize all this on such a short notice, not only is it unclear how it would have gotten them back the half-billion dollars, but all the hell would have broken lose as a result, on all fronts. No way would they have been walking away from that.

I'd argue that that the previous 2 films skirt the suspension of disbelief, despite some notable lapses, but III just blows it up sky-high, which is one of it's most egregious short-comings.