So his not implicating Tom and his only answering specific questions and testifying that he never recieved a direct order from Michael tells me that Cicci was placed under arrest but DID NOT turn states evidence or make any kind of deal with the government.
He could have copped a plea to do a long sentence in exchange for testifying that he was a "button" and that he murdered people at the behest of his "superiors," but he could not finger Michael, and they probably never asked him about Tom.
Well, again we have to acknowlege film time limitations and story board. If Cicci implicates Tom, how does that affect the film's story board overall? If FFC was thinking about a GFIII, he could have had Tom severly implicated, convicted, sent to prison and have him die there. That still gets Mike off the hook, but it injures the Roth set it up beautifully storyline.
Also, the novel states that Mike instructed Clemenza personally who would have then instructed Cicci at least regarding Tessio's demise.
Others have posted that Cicci appeared before a hearing; it was not a trial. Yes, his lawyer probably instructed him to answer only the questions he was asked. At trial, he probably would not have been put on the stand. By the way, I think that it was a legal error for Mike to read his statement or even enter it into the record. The last thing a potential defedant wants to do is to give the other side any fodder.
