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?

That's a good theory... I think it speaks volumes about the plots taken against the Corleones.

Well that is a very interesting observation...I never thought of that.

The "buffer system," as described in the novel, was designed to protect Don Corleone against being convicted by a traitor in his own family. In order to obtain a conviction in a standard felony case, the prosecution must produce a "corroborating witness"--someone who can back up a main witness's testimony. So (a hypothesis) if Hagen had turned traitor and testified that the Don had given him the order to have the two punks who ruined Nazorine's daughter beaten to a pulp, the prosecution would have needed Clemenza to testify that he heard the order from Vito, not just from Hagen. If the order was passed down, one at a time, no witnesses, the Don was clear.
But you're making a broader analogy, UB. It applies in the case of Barzini keeping his role in the war hidden, and making it look like it was Tattaglia's and Sollozzo's doing. Yes, perhaps you could say it was a "buffer" example, broadly. But McCluskey was simply an operative, in effect an employee of Sollozzo's. He didn't care if Vito or anyone else knew his role because he thought he was, as a police captain, untouchable. The "buffer" analogy doesn't apply to GFIII. Yes, Lucchese was the ultimate foe. But, unlike Barzini, he showed himself early in the film ("Our ships must all sail in the same direction," leading Michael to characterize him and his pals as "a nest of vipers"). When Michael says "our true enemy has yet to show his hand" (just before his diabetic attack), he means Altobello, who was in fact subordinate to Lucchesi.

Good points TB and I haven't seen GF III for a few months, and only one other time before that, I need to see it again.

I agree from a true functionality stand-point, there isn't a 100% overlap with these two systems. But at the same time I am making the arguement that the system used to keep the Feds (the enemy) away from the head of the crime family in a judicious way, is applied to the structure of the enemies of the Corleone family in a very similar way by keeping the enemies of the Corleones hidden. This is done, as I am arguing, because in the world of American justice, if a Don is supected of being the head of a family and comitting a Felony that is far different from having evidence that a judge and jury would use to put the Don away. So in the American legal system proof is required to issue justice on someone; a Don by using the Buffer system is manipulating the system to keep himself hidden, in terms of anything incriminating.

In the world of the Cosa Nostra, if one power structure rivals another one, it is almost always done (at least in the GF trilogy) in a hidden way because to know that, for instance, Barzini was the one at the head of the Barzini, Tattaglia, Solozzo power structure that would give the advantage to the Corleone and allow them to perhaps out strategize their enemies.

I am arguing that the Buffer system, which originally was applied to keep the Don of a family safe from procecution, is applied by MP to shield the identity of Barzini in The Godfather.

Also the power structure of the Corleone Family is rivaled by the Barzini, Tattaglia, Solozzo power structure. You can argue that Barzini is the Don, Tattaglia, acting as the Capo and the underboss (the underboss by being the ultimate buffer against Barzini being discoverd), Solozzo as the Button man and finally McCluskey as an Associate. This works well and when applied within the framework of the Buffer sytem, this effectivly sheild's the true Don's identity and keeping him safe from Procecution (the Corleone's brand of procesuction).

I re-read my explaination of the Buffer system and it's kinda lacking, thanks for clearing it up Turnbull.