Originally posted by Don Cardi:
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Even if Rocco was loyal to carry out the Don's order, there was absolutely no reason that they could have not planned a better way to hit Roth. Why have Rocco do it then? Why not send someone else who was expendable to finish the job? Rocco was a high ranking man in The Corleone family and yet the plan of executing Roth was a weak plan with no way out! And as you say how do we know that he didn't have a bulletproof vest on? Well if he did, then that would even be more stupid on the part of Michael as I believe that Michael wanted whoever was sent on that job, not to live! Michael wanted all roads that could lead to his connection to illegitimacy shut down and destroyed! If Rocco was sent on that hit wearing a vest, then he definately runs the risk of being caught and taken into custody! No, Michael would have NEVER taken that kind of chance. Michael knew damn well that whoever went on that hit would never make it out alive. So why Rocco?
Don Cardi 
Well, again, here we are somewhat constrained by the reality this is fiction. I suppose because we (the audience) know who Rocco is, FFC wanted a familiar face doing the hit. My comment about the bullet proof vest was made in jest, but your point that this was a suicide mission is well taken. I think however, Michael was very explicit about how he wanted the hit to go down because he said he wanted the "plane to be met in Miami." Obviously Roth was going to be taken into custody, where they could not have got to him, however if Roth was indeed based on Myer Lansky Michael would have had to know that he would get out of custody soon enough, at which time a safer hit could be attempted. I also suppose they could have whacked him someplace between the spot where the plane landed and the spot of the press conference...and come to think of it when was the last time the FBI took someone in cuffs to give a press conference anyway?
