To compromise Geary it would seem all they needed to do was to get com photographs of him with the hooker, and some statements that he was a regular there, and into really kinky game playing, and they would have him by the short hairs (especially with the Corleone's people in the press). So why did they have to kill an innocent person to further this agenda? IS this supposed to show how much more brutal Michael was than Vito? After al look at the trouble Clemenza went to just to make sure "pain in the ass innocent bystanders" didn't get hurt.

I think it was a deliberate attempt by Coppola to show the brutal and violent nature of the mob, after some critics accused him of "romantacizing" the lifestyle in the first film.

Also, there's no statute of limitations on murder. Murder seems somewhat more irrevocable.

...plus, prostitution has never been illegal on a statewide basis in Nevada. Fredo's brothel no doubt was legal. Although exposing Geary's dalliances in the press would have been embarrassing, it would have been shrugged off soon enough by the voters in a state known for easy official attitudes about "vices." But murder...

I think, technically it's a little like Woltz' horse: For Woltz it was just unthinkable that somebody could act so arrogantly and brutally. Also, now he knew there was "no place where he could hang his hat" without some Corleone gangster around. They could kill him and if they would, they would do it with o mercy at all.

Good point, Danito. I agree. The "this could have been you" factor was not mentioned here.

Don't forget though that Geary did forget. He didn't remember what how the girl was killed and assumed he did it himself: "We'd done it before." So, he left believing that he killed her and knowing that it was the Corleones who rescued him.

That would be his initial reaction. But he had to know that he hadn't killed her, and I believe that once the fear had worn off, he would have realized that he had been completely manipulated by the Corleone Family. And that would have been enough for him to give that "F U" to them at the Senate hearing.

A scenario had to be created where Geary would be absolutely OWNED by the Corleone Family. Legal or not, the prostitution itself would've been pretty bad for a U.S. Senator, but not quite enough to have him by the balls like they did. Anything other than cold blooded murder he might've still found a way to be resistant. They needed him in office and in their pocket.

And yes, Geary knew he didn't do it and eventually did realize he had been slipped a mickey & set up BIG TIME by Michael Corleone. It's written all over his face after Cicci jokes about that 'buffer' question.

Apple

Here was an earlier extortion scene. I always questioned the excessive darkness and believability of the scene from the movie, then what's-his-name pleads guilty to trying to have sex in a men's room.

INT. STATE SENATE FLOOR - DAY

The Senate is in session; Senator Geary is on the floor
during a vote. An aide approaches him, with a slip of paper.

INT. GEARY'S OFFICE - DAY

The Senator steps behind his desk.

SENATOR GEARY
All right, Mr. Hagen, you've got
ten minutes.

He flicks the switch of a small tape recorder.

SENATOR GEARY
...and the tape will be running.

HAGEN
Actually, I've come with good news;
the Corleone family has done you a
favor.

The Senator immediately shuts the tape recorder off.

SENATOR GEARY
What the hell are you talking about?

HAGEN
We know you're a busy man, with
plenty of enemies -- we saw the
opportunity to do you a favor, and
we did. No strings.

SENATOR GEARY
No strings.

HAGEN
You know there's a Senate
Investigating Committee recently
set up; we thought it would be
unfortunate if they were to trace
anything though-provoking to your
name.

SENATOR GEARY
No one can trace anything to me; I
pride myself on that.

HAGEN
Do you gamble?

SENATOR GEARY
A little; what's so thought-
provoking about that?

HAGEN
Do you owe markers?

SENATOR GEARY
Maybe two, three thousand dollars.

Hagen leans forward, and deposits a handful of paper on the
Senator's desk.

HAGEN
The Corleone family has paid them
off for you...as an expression of
our esteem.

Geary quickly looks through the paid markers.

SENATOR GEARY
There's thirty grand worth of paid
off markers -- I never owed that
much.

HAGEN
Our mistake. But what does it
matter; it was our money.
(rising)
We don't even expect thanks.

SENATOR GEARY
You paid off thirty grand I never
owed.

HAGEN
We'll keep it quiet; the people who
know are trustworthy...the Committee
needn't find out.

SENATOR GEARY
And what's the price of their not
finding out.

HAGEN
Simple. Be friendly like us. Not
hostile.

SENATOR GEARY
(he despises Hagen)
Thanks...friend.

I think the decision had to do with Geary's brashness in Michael's office. Geary, much like Woltz, miscalculated that the long arm of the Corleone's power could not reach his own world. Perhaps this lead to his arrogance and unnecessary harshness in Michael's office. Geary's insults and attempts at extorting Michael were probably a factor in the decision to not-so-subtly say, "See this dead hooker. Keep it up or you'll be next."

I believe that if Geary had been civil and polite to the Corleones, they would have muscled him in a different way. But Geary opened the can of whoop-ass that was eventually brought down against him.

I believe that Geary and Woltz were similar in that way. They were so convinced of their own power that they thought they were invincible. HUGE mistake.

Is it really believable that Geary would have participated in trapping Michael during the Senate proceedings knowing what kind of dirt Michael had on him? I could see it with Michael paying of a few markers, but with pictures of Geary with a dead prostitute?

If Michael had been indicted and convicted for perjury Geary would have claimed the pictures were doctored. It would be his word against a convicted perjurer.

A convicted perjurer's word might not be enough to win a trial, but it certainly had the potential to be damning in the court of public opinion. But, in any case, Michael surely would not have been involved directly. He would have been able to see to it that many people (honestly) claimed that Geary was a regular at the brothel, was a regular customer of the dead hooker, and was there that night. Even without the murder angle, exposure of Geary's hypocrisy would have destroyed his career.

Thats a pretty dangerous game because it would also show that
the Corleone brothel covered up a murder.

basically, they killed the hooker because they had to make Geary absolutely shocked. not afraid of bad public opinion, but shocked with a vision that he never had before.