I always had the impression that Michael didn't speak Italian as fluently as his parents, yet I assume Vito did. When he had Fabrizzio translate, I assumed that he just wanted to make sure the translation was perfect, and didn't feel totally comfortable speaking it.

Then when talking to mama, as Apple pointed out, he seemed to do okay. I attribute that to the fact that he was speaking to family and felt more comfortable. Perhaps too, since Michael seemed to want to move away from some of the old traditions, he didn't try that hard to perfect his Italian. ohwell

TIS

"Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind. War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today." JFK

"War is over, if you want it" - John Lennon