Hey, I got a question about the Vito/Michael talk in the garden.
When Vito says that the one that comes to you to set up a meeting is the traitor, is it just that Vito is such a good Godfather that only he knows this? I mean surely Tessio would not have approached Michael at the funeral is he knew this, as apparently even Tom new what was going when he asked Michael about it.

I can't help but to think back to when Vito was at the hospital, and the police cheif ordered Tessio and his men away, or I guess arrested them. Wouldn't Tessio have done anything possible to warn Sonny that his Dad ( and his own Godfather) was without protection? or was he starting to turn then?

Even in Goodfellas, DeNiro says its always the close trusting friend that is ordered to betray the victim (Liotta). I think that's a general mob theme. It would be easiest for a trusting person to keep the victim at ease.


Regarding Tessio at the hospital, there is no indication that Tessio was a turncoat yet. In fact, it was at least a couple years later, after Michael takes charge that Tessio's disatisfaction becomes evident: "Pretty soon there won't be one place in Brooklyn I can hang my hat." He made the "smart move" by casting his lot with Barzini!


Also in the pre-cellphone, pager, etc. days, it was probably easier for the cops to arrest Tessios men without Sonny's knowledge.

I don't think Tessio started to turn until the meeting when Vito turned everything over to Michael. Tessio disagreed with the way Michael was handling the Barzini matter & how Michael wouldn't let Tessio recruit more men:

TESSIO'S VOICE (OS)
I'm not asking you for help, Mike -- just take off the handcuffs.

MICHAEL'S VOICE (OS)
Be patient.

CLEMENZA'S VOICE (OS)
We got to protect ourselves -- Give me a chance to recruit some new men.

MICHAEL'S VOICE (OS)
No -- I don't want to give Barzini an excuse to start fighting.

TESSIO'S VOICE (OS)
Mike, you're wrong...

CLEMENZA (to the Don)
Don Corleone -- you once said that the day would come when Tessio and me could form our own Family. Til today, I would never think of it. I must ask your permission...

VITO CORLEONE (looking away)
Well, Michael is now head of the Family, and if he gives his permission, then you have my

blessing...

doesn't seem to answer the question, which has also troubled me in the past, how did Vito know that 'whoever comes to you...is the traitor' just instincts or what? i suppose it's pretty logical if you know Barzini is behind everything and is gonna arrange a meeting to have him assassinated but that leaves the questions... how did vito know for sure Barzini was behind everything, watching the meeting a few times there isn't really anything that gives this away for 100% absolute certain. And then even if he knew that how did he know that Mike would be assasinated at a meeting arranged by someone close to mike? was there really NO other way in which they could have got to Michael? these things could i suppose have been guessed. but they don't really seem that certain...enough to order the death of one of your oldest friends over? i think Mike would have wanted to be certain before killing off Tessio.

The probable reason is: dramatic effect. Those were among Vito's last words to Michael. And it made for nice irony at Vito's funeral to have his long-time underboss set Michael up for Michael's own funeral.

I think Don Vito realized Barzini was pulling the strings by the way he took the lead in the meeting of all the families. Barzini acted as mediator but started working Don Vito to loosen his reighns on some of his power contacts. Don Vito said that Tataglia was a pimp meaning he was small time and really didn't need his political contacts for that. Tataglia was not smart enough IMO to operate a drug ring either.

Telling Michael the person who comes to him with this Barzini meeting is the traitor was obvious to Don Vito. The Corleone family was basically sitting back waiting for Michael to make his move as noted in the scene in the den where he tells Clemenza and Tessio to "be patient". Tessio came to Mike and instead of just saying Barzini wants a meeting, he arranged the location even assuming Mike would go ahead with it, in other words making the decision for him.
Think of it in these terms, if an employee came up to you with a suggestion or perhaps one of your children, on occasion, don't you think there is some other kind of motivation behind it? I believe that is what the Don was alluding to.
Great topic!