Mike's Bodyguard in Havana

What was the deal with this guy? He sucked big time as a hitman.

He looked bad-ass... Dressed all in black, stone-faced, never speaking, so you figure he must be a pro.

But then he does a very sloppy hit on Johnny Ola, and botches the hit on Hyman Roth. (which i suppose you can't blame him for, since the soldiers showed up and killed him.. but if he had acted quicker, Roth would have been toast.)

And what were his weapons of choice for these 2 ultimately important hits???

A coat hanger and a pillow.

I thought he was cool, just using tools around him, a real bad ass doenst need to carry a weapon, i thought he was very effective, and he couldnt be blamed for all those soldiers turning up at a hospital

Along with Fanucci, the bodyguard (Buscetta) also borders on cliche characterization. I think he's too old and dressed too obvious. The hangar- choke is not good. Ola goes too quick and the hangar slips off. I liked the way he slinked around and stayed in the background. But beyond that he just wasn't a believable bodyguard/hitman.

He seemed to go about his work too slow. Had he gone in and quickly put the pillow over Roth's face, insted of checking to see the pillow was regulation size and shape, Roth might have been taken care of. The pillow obviously wasnt bulletproof,either. I guess he forget to check on that when he was looking it over.

There's something appealing about the bodyguard's old-fashioned appearance--as if Michael, at that critical juncture, had reverted to the "Sicilian" mode. He chose Buscetta (his screen name, though it's never used) because he didn't know if he could trust Neri or Rocco at that point. Also, using Buscetta (clearly an outsider to his family) was a deliberately misleading signal to Roth that told him Michael suspected someone inside his own family, not Roth. I'm guessing that Buscetta wasn't armed partly because Michael feared that Roth, the most powerful gringo in Havana, could have arranged for Immigration police to search Buscetta on arrival, confiscate his gun, and either jail or deport him. Also, having Buscetta unarmed would send another misleading signal to Roth: I feel threatened, but not so threatened around you that I need an armed bodyguard.
I agree that strangling Johnny Ola with a clothing hanger was a bit weak--the hanger would have snapped long before Ola breathed his last. The reason he delayed smothering Roth with the pillow was so that FFC could have the militia show up to shoot him through the pillow (nice touch!) and so Roth could survive to cause Michael more problems. Another nice touch: Buscetta shows up in the hospital, with that heavy black turtleneck and black hat, clutching a bunch of wilted flowers--but nobody takes note of him because it's New Year's Eve in fun-loving Havana! Still another nice touch: Right at the beginning of Roth's birthday party, watch how Buscetta removes his hat and looks upward--he's been bombed by bird-s***t!
BTW: Amerigo Tot, the guy who played Buscetta, is a famous Italian sculptor, and has a museum dedicated to his work.

So what? Whatever gets the job done and this way no need to carry a concealed weapon. One could say that's one of this fellow's skills.

With regard to 'acting sooner' in the attempted killing of Roth we should keep in mind he had to hide & wait while Roth was taken out of the hotel room and to the hospital, somehow keep track of the ambulance then nimbly make his way to Roth's room without any of the nurses in attendance noticing him. Pretty tall order.

Are you saying he should've been quicker in killing Roth right there at the hotel? Well...he had to get past Johnny Ola first. By the time that was accomplished, Roth was suffering his own 'attack'.

OK, and even if the pillow at the hospital seemed a little of a lame method (which really it wasn't and would've been quiet & neat)...you have to admit it's always amusing watching him instinctively holding it up as a shield when the police storm in, and seeing the bullets blast right through it.

But on to more important things:

Just how were the police alerted to an attempt on Roth's life in the hospital, anyway....hmmmmmmm?????



Apple

Though I can't prove it, I always suspected that, when Fredo said, "I'm gonna get me a real drink," he was on his way to phone someone in the Cuban gov't he'd met in a previous trip to Havana to warn that Roth hadn't shown up at the President's party. In the very next scene, we see those smart-looking militia double-timing down the hospital corridor. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.

That's what I figure, too; although I wouldn't have considered it in the past (in other words my pre-BB Board life!!).

It would appear a pretty bold move of Fredo to accomplish something like that practically under Michael's nose. And especially after the guilt pangs he seemed to suffer that very afternoon while having a drink with Michael. But by then he was well into Roth's pocket so may have felt obligated to put out the warning...and besides there's no other explanation I can think of as to how the police would've been notified.

UNLESS...after the ambulance took Roth from the hotel someone may have discovered Ola's body, thereby indicating foul play and an impending attempt on Roth's life as well. That alone would alert the militia without any help from Fredo Corleone.

Apple

ps - Also, at the party when Mike asks him where he's going, Fredo seems a bit too relaxed & ambivalent to be on his way to put out a warning for Hyman Roth. Could be though, that he's had enough to drink to be able to carry it off.

We are getting kind of off the subject here but...
I believe that Fredo would not have called the militia however I am still confused on how they men knew that a guy was going to kill Roth.

And another thing is-I can kind of understand why Buscetta was unarmed as a body guard but as a hitman....??? Going in unarmed is not badass-its stupid. This guy looked like a proffesional but a proffesional would have snuck a silencor in the place a shot both of them nice and clean but in the commentary on the DVD FFC said he just wanted an unuaual way for Ola to die-as he tries to do for all of the men who die in gf.

And, yes he couldn't have helped the whole militia in the hospital thing-but how did he know that the nurses were definately going to the other room.

This guy is anything but pofessional

The way I figure, there are 2 things about that scene that don't make sense: First of all, where was Fredo going during the New Year's celebration when Mike asks him and he replies, "I'm going to get a real drink, cause I can't..."? And second, where did the military guys come from? It seems to me, the simplest explanation is that Fredo alerted them. He knew about the hit. When he and Mike are enjoying banana daiquiris, Mike tells him that Roth won't live to see the new year. Fredo probably figured that with Roth dead, he would never get whatever was in it for him, on his own, so he decided to foil Mike's assassination attempt.

And you're right, Bruscetta is a resourceful fella, but my point is that if he would have used a knife or something instead of a pillow, Roth would have been dead.

Dont think it had anything to do with Fredo, i just think that the Military were patrolling and doing their best to protect the hospitals from the impending riots

Well, that as it was written...was just plain luck and we have to accept it! It's clear that Roth was not to be left alone, but the other nurses called this one sitting with him over for a quick New Year's toast.

To write a scene where B has to get past & possibly kill a nurse in order to get to Roth and then be shot down by the military police...would just have been too messy.

Apple

Although i have no alternate explanation to offer, I don't believe it was Fredo who alerted whoever about the impending Roth hit.

1) I take at face value Fredo's words to Johnny Ola in the late night phone call ("You guys got me in deep enough already...you lied to me...don't call me anymore")

2) I take at face value Fredo's words to Michael in the banana daquiri scene ("Why couldn't we spend time like this before?"), and the look of disgust on his face which I interpret as "I'm really pissed off at myself for ever getting involved with Roth"

3) I take at face value Fredo's words to Michael when he said "I didn't know it was gonna be a hit"

As Michael said to Tom, Fred o is "stupid and weak". I believe Fredo was duped by Roth & Ola, and when he realized the error of his ways, sought to pull himself out of the mess he was in by disassociating himself with them.

Finally, the most compelling argument I can offer is that it was in Fredo's best interest to have Roth and Ola dead, so that Michael could never learn of his betrayal.

Which is pretty ironic since it was neither Roth nor Ola...but Fredo himself who ended up informing Michael of his own betrayal.

Though I do see your point plaw, from Fredo's own POV...

Apple

only because Michael knew it was him and told him so

I'm talking about at the Superman show in Cuba, on New Year's Eve.

When Fredo mentioned to Sen. Geary that it was Ola who had first brought him there...that was the slip confirming to Michael that Fredo was indeed the traitor.

So the point is Fredo gave himself away without even realizing it.

Apple

yeah, why didnt Fredo just not mention Ola and Roth and just say a friend showed him this place, bloody piss-head (drunk)

Because he really wasn't thinking at that point; he just answered Geary's question and didn't realize what he was giving away.

Even after he said it, the slip to Mike didn't even occur to him, he was just on to the next drink.

Now c'mon HF...I don't mind a good discussion but you do understand all this already don't you?

Apple

I tend to agree with plaw.

But another theory on why the military showed up.
Roth being the resourceful, wily character he is has pre-arranged with the Batista government, IF, the rebels should happen to take control be sure to get him off the island. (Money talks). So the little band of soldiers came looking for him at home, was told he was in the hospital and showed up just in time.

That theory makes more sense to me, MC.

Besides, who would Fredo call with his "warning", anyway? His contact was Ola, who was already dead. I doubt if he'd been introduced to any high ranking members of Batista's government. Why would Roth want anyone in Batista's camp to know that Fredo was involved in a plot against his brother. As always in these kinds of things, the fewer people in the know, the better.

Not that I'm sold on the theory that it was Fredo who tipped them off...but let's face it he had had PLENTY of time to warn his contact Johnny Ola even before the evening's festivities began.

Remember that drink with Michael took place in the afternoon. So Fredo knew of Mike's plans hours beforehand, if he was going to say anything about Roth not seeing the New Year...he'd probably do it long before he needed to get himself a 'real drink' at the Presidential Palace.

Apple

Well, if he had warned Ola & Roth as soon as he learned of Mike's plans earlier that day, I would think that they would have been acting a little more carefully.

Wouldn't thay have had military or police guards immediately?

I doesn't make sense that if Fredo warned them earlier on, Ola was unprotected and the military guys waited until the last possible second to show up and save Roth.

So if Fredo did warn them, I think it would have had to have been at the party.

So, why did he wait until the last possible second, and again, who would he call?

True...in which case Buscetta would most certainly not have been able to get into Roth's room so easily.

So this leads to back to the conclusion that it couldn't have been Fredo who tipped off anyone...I just don't think he would've had the nerve to try it that evening, with Mike right there at his side almost constantly.

Perhaps the unexpected event here was that Roth DID get sick and needed to be taken to the hospital. Had this not happened, then Buscetta would have certainly had an easy kill right there in the hotel room.

So again, it would seem someone came across Ola's body AFTER Roth was taken to the hospital, and that's when the police were notified.

Thanks,
Apple

Apple of course i understand it all, and it leads me to the conclusion that Micheal is right and Fredo is stupid but i know theres some corleone cunnong in there somewhere there has to be

Changing the subject back to Buscetta - I love his character - the way he creeps about! Those scenes with him make me smile!
TPM