I was reading the GF novel the other day and in the first section of the book, when Hagen is on his way to Hollywood on the plane, he explains the buffer structure of the Mafia. Where the Don, issues the orders through the Consigliere, who keeps his mouth shut about where the orders come from, then to the Capo and from the Capos to the Buttons or Soldiers. By employing this buffer structure every level would have the turn for the Don to be caught, which is exactly why it's such an efficient structure.

Now I am bringing this up because I notice in GF I, II and III a buffer structure is used to keep the enemy secret, until the traitor could be unraveled.

Barzini, for instance was the head of the operation, under him was Tattaglia, then Solozzo and under Solozzo there was McCluskey. This was a more olbvious order, but Vito only found out about Barzini by careful observation and deduction at the Commision meeting.

I think this is most olbvious in GF III. Zasa was the lowest level, he started all the shit and then as some argue tried to hit the Dons to further Antobellos/Luchesse's agenda. Antobello was the next step on this ladder, but he is only discovered as working for someone else (Luchesse), by inference by the Corleones. Now this is some major buffering happening here.

Has anyone noticed how this buffer structure has been employed by FFC and MP to keep the true enemy hidden?