In the aftermath of the shooting of Vito Corleone, I know the family briefly suspected Clemenza was involved, and overall there was an air of panic and confusion culminating in the knowledge that Luca Brasi was dead. During this time Clemenza shows up at Sonny's place and he tells Sonny the "word on the street is he's already dead." Sonny acts with his usual diplomacy to this. My question is did Sollozzo and/or the Tattaglias deliberately put this word out on the street to confuse people or perhaps somehow get people to abandon the Corleones? It would seem to me the only people interested in spreading this kind of rumor would be the Corleone family, (had they been thinking straight) to see if anyone would immediately defect. In fact it was Clemenza who first confirms within the family that he is going to make it.

Good question.

I think it's the old game of "telephone". Word of mouth about Vito's shooting spread and as the story was told over and over it soon "added" that Vito was dead.

Still, its an interesting point about possible defectors.

In the novel Sonny gets a call from a bookmaker stating that Vito is dead. In the movie the neighborhood people who gathered around probably thought he was dead or about to become so. Consequently, it was probably just people working from the knowledge they thin they had and not puposeful by the Tattaglias.

That seems most logical. Clemenza asked around, or was called, by the people in the neighborhood, and they all thought Vito was dead. In the novel, the detective who calls Sonny says "there's a lot of blood around but it's not as bad as it looks."

I think it basically was just "word on the street".Like SC posted, after it got passed around a "Chinese whispers" effect happened.

the witnesses of the shooting who were at those fruit stands at the time probably thought he was dead and the word got out. it's that "effect" you're talking about. if I was there I would say "I just saw Vito Corleone got shot" but there is always someone to say "Vito Corleone got killed, I just saw it!"

or... someone says Vito Corleone got shot, then some one interprets it as he got killed. either way, same effect.

The answer is in (and this also includes 99% of the questions regarding The Godfather part1)in the book. Read it Turnball's post is right.

exactly

I know that the Corleone brass (in the novel) suspects Clemenza and Paulie, but I don't think that made it from book to screen. If one simply saw the movie, he or she might have no indication that the Corleones suspected Clemenza. Clemenza is present at the "council of war" with Mike, Sal, Tom and Santino who is pretty sure that Paulie "gave up" the "old man."

The only clue might be when Clemenza asks Santino if he wants some of Clemenza's men sent over and then Santino answers "no," but once Clemenza leaves he tells his wife that he is sending some men over (presumedly from his regime).

Actually it is shown in the movie. Unfortunately it's in a deleted scene. It's a scene that I've always felt was one that should never have been deleted.


Michael arrives at the Corleone Mall after finding out that his father has been shot, and when he walks into the house, we are shown Thresa Hagen sitting alongside Clemenza, outside the Don's office. When Michael enters the Don's office, we see Sonny and Tessio sitting there talking. Now I don't remember the exact dialogue, so I am going to paraphrase a bit here.

Sonny tells Michael to leave, that he may not like what he is going to hear from him and Tessio. So Michael tells him " He's my father too." Sonny says something like " Pop would kill me if he found out that I let you in on this stuff." But Michael refuses to leave. Sonny then says something like " Ok college boy, you're so smart, who set up the old man, was it Clemenza or Paulie?" and Michael sits there for a moment and then says " Nah, not Clemenza, It had to be Paulie." and Sonny tells him, "Yes you're right, our man in the phone company confirmed that by tracing the calls from a phone booth across the street from pop's office." So that scene tells us that Sonny immedeatly suspected Clemenza, and that is why he had Clemenza sit out of that meeting between him and Tessio. They were deciding and trying to find out if Clemenza was involved.

Now again, I may not have the exact dialogue down pat, but that is basically what took place in that scene. It clearifies the later scene which shows Sonny telling Clemenza to take care of Paulie, because he set up the old man. Without that deleted scene we are left to wonder how Sonny came to that conclusion.

I like your pic Cardi.. Don Gotti is one of my fave gangsters. ( RIP JOHN )