Originally posted by plawrence:
So as I’m looking I came across yet another passage which I don’t believe has ever been cited in these discussions before, which reinforce the idea that there are five other families in addition to the Corleones.
Creating an anticipation matched only when Kay heard Michael's car door slam in the Corleone driveway....
Anyway, Puzo writes about Sonny’s thoughts:
“It was the first challenge to the Corleone Family and their power in ten years. There was no doubt that Sollozzo was behind it, but he never would have dared attempt such a stroke unless he had [b]support from at least one of the five great New York families. (Bold and italics mine).[/b]
If I were determined to prove that there are five and only five families, I would respond that the phrase "such a stroke" worked to generalize the rest of the passage, so that it doesn't refer specifically to this situation where the Corleones happen to be the targets.
On page 95, Sonny also says, "I don't care if we have to fight all the five families in New York", but it's always good when the narrator says it, too.
