This thread was stimulated by dontomasso’s “Sale of drugs compromise” thread:

Sollozzo offered Vito 30 percent of his drugs business, amounting to $3-4 million in the first year…”and then it would go up.” Vito said no. But at the Don’s Convention, when Vito was forced to capitulate, it seemed that all he’d get out of his agreement to provide police and political protection for the drugs trade was a rental fee for his cops and judges. As Barzini said, “Of course he can provide a bill for such services,” which I interpreted to mean, “…if and when they’re needed.” Doesn’t seem like much for an agreement that, in effect, enabled the drugs business. What’s more, by that time it was to be a nationwide business (Barzini: “Then it is agreed—the traffic in drugs will be permitted and Don Corleone will give it protection in the East”), not just twixt Sol, Tatt and Barz.

Of course, Vito was negotiating out of weakness at that point, and his main interest was getting Michael back safely to the US. But my question is: Having removed his drugs roadblock, was Vito content simply with his rental fees? Or, seeing that other families around the nation would get rich from drugs, did he—and later, Michael—become active in the actual drugs trade in order to maintain their strength against the other families? Did he maintain his disapproval of drugs by just providing protection, or did he finally heed Tom’s early warning about the other families getting stronger unless the Corleones got in?

Hmm, it definitely seems as if the other Dons really put the squeeze on Vito in this one, offering him millions less than the original deal Sollozo had offered.

And I personally don't think Vito gave much thought to how the Corleones would operate in a new drug laden criminal underworld. As TB said, he was primarily concerned with getting Micheal home at that point, and quite frankly I don't think he wanted to live in a world where drugs played such a key role in both their business and society as a whole. He was more than content to die when he did (per the novel).

I think that Tom especially would have tried to ensure that the rental fee was at least somewhat commensurate with the profits the other families were making with the new drug businesses.

Sollozzo's original offer was for finance and protection; the revised compromise was just for protection so probably the Corleones wouldn't have got as much money as under the original offer-especially since the other Families likely blamed them for the war.

As mentioned, Vito was only interested in getting Michael back safely and plotting his revenge. So I think he would have directed all his abilities to those purposes. Per book I think it states that everyone understood that Vito would not invest his money in drugs or be involved operationally. Even if Vito saw much how much money the other Families were making he wouldn't make a stink because he was playing possum to allow a bloody revenge to be exacted later. No need to tip his hand.

But criminals being who they are once Vito was out of the picture I think Michael would have licensed a more aggressive and direct entry into the narcotics business. It also is hard to believe that Clemenza would have been taking recruiting trips every five years or so to Sicily and not have taken the opportunity to arrange a few business deals on the Family's behalf.

There's some ambiguity in the book as to whether Tessio and Clemenza were able to organize as separate families. It could have been a way for the Corleones to get into the drugs trade without being too directly involved, much as Disney spun off a movie company (Touchstone?) that didn't make strictly family films.

After he wiped out all the heads of the five families, there is little doubt that Michael invested in the drug trade. I believe, however he held to the deal his father agreed to because in GF III he takes Joey Zasa to task for delling frugs in the old Italian neighborhoods. Not for selling drugs in the "dark areas" but in the neighborhoods. This tells me that Michael is amenable to selling drugs with some restrictions.

As several of you have pointed out, Vito's capitulation was solely to insure Mike's safe return. Once that was accomplished, really and truly, all bets were off. That's why he put Mike in charge because that way he could technically claim that he had kept his side of the deal. In the meantime, Vito probably accepted fees for his help with the drug trade because money wasn't what he was interested in.

In the novel it says that after the dons meeting Tom was sure that "in the subtle and complex mind of the Godfather a far ranging plan of action was being initiated that made the day's happenings no more than a tactical retreat." Once Vito was dead and Mike was in charge, he probably gave in to reality and tolerated the drug trade while getting a percentage.

Ollie posted a lot of what I was going to say. I have no doubts that Mike got the Corleones into the drug business, and I would doubt that they were only in the business a little bit. In GF3 Mike had the power which means he had the money and he had to make it somehow...

Another hint that the Corleones were in the drug business came in Sicily when Vincent commented with Zasa out, there was a vacuum and if the Corleones did not fill it "the Colombians" would. Far as I know "the Colombians" didn't care about running numbers or women. Vincent's comment is also an admission that his rubbing out Zasa was a mistake.

My oppinion is that Vito agreed to provide protection because he already had in his mind the move towards the gambling.So, he didn't have much of interest.the move to Nevada was long decided-before Vito's death.