Which begs many other questions. Had Sonny lived, would he have been as impersonal with Fredo as Michael was ?
Would Sonny have included Fredo more in the family business ?
Would Fredo have betrayed Sonny as he did Michael ?
And the big one, would Sonny have ordered the death of Fredo ?
Heavy stuff PB....
1. Sonny would not have been as impersonal as Michael was. It wasn't Sonny's nature. I think Sonny would have left him in Vegas and put the lid on Moe slapping him around, and maybe even paid Moe extra to let Fredo do his thing. Michael was apalled at Fredo's conduct, Sonny would have thought it was funny.
2. I doubt he would have included Fredo more in the inner workings of the family business. I suspect he would have kept Tom on as consigliere, and together they would have moved Moe Green out peacefully or otherwise. Then I think he would have let Fredo think he was running the hotel, and Fredo would have just schmoozed with celebreties and gone on banging cocktail waitresses two at a time.
3. Because of 1&2 I doubt Fredo would have betrayed Sonny --- at least not knowingly. After all Fredo was Sonny's younger brother so he would never resent having been "passed over." He would have thought he was a Las Vegas big shot and would have been contented with that. Having made that assertion, however I would say that Freddie was very stupid, and if Tom or Sonny told him something or other in confidence, Freddie would have been one to blurt it out or have it tricked out of him.
4. If Fredo did something that caused an attempted hit on Sonny, I doubt that Sonny would have Fredo killed. Sonny would have had a tantrum, gone to Freddy and wrung his neck personally.
