I agree, TB. You and I have discussed it before, but for the benefit of Lucchese and the other new members, I'll state it again. The other great "backstory" in the novel was Neri's. You could practically film an entire movie around it. I loved it! Especially the "Italian-ess" of it all----Al having lunch, al fresco---Italian style, with Michael and Vito in Vito's yard. I've read that chapter a hundred times, yet I never tire of it.