I think there was something in the book about his being shell shocked at the time, but the discussion about killing Sollozzo came days after Vito was shot. He had already been in the hospital and had guards, and this plan was hatched the day after Michael was smacked by McCluskey.
But while those discussions were going on, Fredo was under heavy sedation. In the book it is Michael who suggests that Fredo should be bought in and included in making their plans. But Sonny informs Michael that Fredo is in such shock that the doctor orderd that he, Fredo, have complete rest. And it is actually Hagen who suggests that Fredo be left out of everything that they were planning to do.
Since someone brought up Moe Green, do you think while Fredo was under his wing that Moe, while he was still alive helped Fredo not to be not so dumb or did he put ideas in Fredo's head after he got mad at Michael for wanting to take his casino away? After all Moe was an ally for Roth.
Just a thought!
Very good question Mig. Turnbull and I had this same discussion a while back and we both agree that at the very least it probably was Moe Green who introduced Fredo to Johnny Ola.
Green probably was the one who put thoughts in Fredo's head. Not so much to make Fredo betray Michael, but probably more so to make Fredo feel inferior to Green,
"Your family doesn't care about you anyway, after all you were the next in line and you were passed over in favor of your younger brother!"so that Green could order him around without any back talk and at the same time show others around him that he, Green, really was this important guy, so important that he could even order and slap around a Corleone and get away with it! Green probably put those thoughts in Fredo's head for his own benefit, to serve his own ego, and really nothing more.
Don Cardi
