Sonny and Fredo were so unlike their father in that regard while Michael, who was initially independent from the family, turned out to have the same family values as his father.

Here are some things I find interesting, though. Although Sonny was unfaithful, we didn't see him running around with a bunch of different women. There was only Lucy Mancini. Do you think Sonny really loved Lucy, or do you think she was just first in a line of what would have been subsequent mistresses (i.e., a "one-at-a-timer" as opposed to Fredo's "two-at-a-timing" )? I'm assuming that Vincent was born after Sonny's death (I'm sure the other experts here will correct me if that assumption is incorrect); but if Sonny had known about Vincent, do you think he would have acknowledged him as a son and have been a presence in the boy's life? Or do you think Lucy would have been on her own?

Now Fredo is another case. When Michael arrives in Las Vegas to negotiate with Moe Green, Fredo has a roomful of girls waiting for him. He knows that Michael is married to Kay, so why is he condoning adultery? Does he think it's a man's right, or does this stem from some kind of jealousy over Michael's stable family life that he wishes to "mess up"? And why didn't Fredo have children? I think he really didn't have a woman in his life who cared for him for who he was inside. Fredo didn't exude the self-confidence that makes a person attractive, so I think he made no secret of his money and connections in order to attract women. Unfortunately, the women who are drawn to such superficialities are seldom interested in being lifetime companions, "for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer."

Then there's Michael. If Michael weren't in the mafia and had kept to his path of having an independent life unattached to the family business, I think he would have made an ideal husband and father. Well, maybe not totally "ideal" (which implies perfection); he did have some old-fashioned 1950s attitudes. Why this inordinate desire that his next child be a son? If Michael weren't in the mafia, do you think it would have been as important to him? And in GF3, why the emphasis on protecting Mary ("I would burn in hell to protect you") and controlling her romantic life? Does he consider daughters so fragile that they need chaperoning, that their honour is a reflection on the family? Or is he truly acting out of concern over her involvement with a crime boss like Vincent, knowing what Kay went through with him?

Any more opinions on any or all the brothers in this area? I look forward to reading them .