Karl, much have what you posted is very valid. You've made some really excellent points. However there is one that I must respectfully disagree with you on.
Now near the end of the novel, Chapter 32, Now the Corlene Family was unchangeable, and Clemenza had his own family. Rocco Lampone was the Corlene Caporegime. In Nevada, Albert Neri was head of all security for the family-controlled hotels. Hagen too, was part of Michael's Western Family.
So as you can tell Hagen and Neri, the closer of the men are working in the legit world while Rocco is still on the dark side with the muscle.
While this is true, at the same time you are using quotes from the novel. A novel that was written without a plot for a Godfather II movie in mind. And a Godfather 2 movie that was
BASED on pieces from the novel. Yes there are many parts of the novel that back up certain sub-plots of the movie, but there are also many inconsistancies between the novel and the movies. According to the novel Santino is a teenager and sees Vito kill Fanucci. But in the movie Santino is just a baby. My point here being that it is not always valid to use something from the novel to substantiate an issue in the movie.
Yes Neri was Michael's right hand man. Yes Neri was the closest one to Michael. But let's not forget that in the GFII movie, we see both Neri and Rocco in on many of the meetings and the planning that takes place.
"I trust these men with my life Senator...." THESE men, meaning Rocco and Neri. Rocco was on the inside, maybe not right next to Michael, but just a notch under Neri. And therefore I also think that there became this competition thing on Rocco's part, with Neri. Rocco wanted to be trusted by Michael in the same way that Michael trusted Neri. Rocco wanted Michael to look at him as his Luca Brasi also.
Rocco could never have passed over Neri, he could only hope to keep his position by doing the hit.. That is the way I see it anyway.
Yes, I agree that in Michael's eyes, Rocco could never have passed over Neri or even be an equal to Neri. But I do believe that in Rocco's mind he thought that by taking on the mission of taking Roth out himself, there would be a chance that Michael would then look at Rocco as being as valuable to him as Neri was. He took a chance that he may just get out of there alive and then having the possibility of being held in a much higher esteem, like Neri was, by Michael.
Don Cardi
