Originally Posted By: Turnbull
I take a different view:
As I've posted before: I believe Geary was part of the plot to set Michael up for five counts of perjury. As a member of the committee he had to know that they were holding Pentangeli in reserve. He asked Cici if he ever got a direct order from Michael or if there was always a buffer. When Cici said no, he never got a direct order, Michael relaxed: he thought Cici was their top witness against him, and since Cici said he never got a direct order, the way was clear for Michael to lie under oath. Then the hammer fell on him. IMO, Geary deliberately set him up for perjury by asking Cici that "buffer" question.

I also believe Geary was being two-faced in his statements--the all-American political two-face. When he said "...these hearings on the Mafia are not a reflection on the great Italian-American people..." who did he mean by "Mafia" if not Michael? And when he said, "...it'd be a shame for a few bad apples to spoil the whole bunch," who did he mean if not Michael?

So, Art, your question is a good one. I, too, wonder why Michael wouldn't have whacked Geary--Michael was far too smart not to have figured out that Geary helped set him up. Why would Geary risk it? Revenge for that brothel setup. As we saw elsewhere in the Trilogy, seekers after revenge seldom think through the consequences; and anyway, the only thinking Geary did was with his dick.


Very interesting thoughts. I never considered that.

Could it be possible that Questadt, who belonged to Roth, knew that Geary was in bed with Michael. I would have to think that Questadt knew Geary was a guest at Anthony's Communion and that Michael resided in Geary's state and spent time with Geary in Havana, and that they were tied together in gambling.

Could Questadt, who seemed much sharper than Geary, have deliberately withheld the fact that they had Frankie in custody from Geary? Perhaps keep Geary in the dark.

I also found Geary's comment about the Mafia and a few bad apples to be troubling. It certainly carries great significance under your keen analysis. I guess I always attributed it to an awkwardness in his speech. I had felt that he was so insincere in his homage to Italian Americans that his true feelings briefly surfaced when referring to the Mafia and the bad apples.

I'm going to have to watch that scene over again.