Originally posted by dontomasso:
Don Corleone would have known about it because he would have found out on his own. He was a self educated man.
Dontomasso,
We could go back and forth about this all day long, but in reality it is purely speculation on both our parts. I feel that Don Corleone made that statement because he frowned upon anyone who was not faithful to their family. He frownd upon Infidelity. He uses that word in describing Sollozo right after Tom tells him that he has a family in Turkey and one in America, and Tom goes on to say that Sollozo is known as a good family man. Vito's reply right after that includes the term Infidel, and in my humble opinion he used that word to tell Tom that although Tom described Sollozo as a good family man, he was not a good family man because of his INFIDELity to his wife back in Turkey. In Vito's mind, how can this man be a good family man if he has a wife back in the old country, and another here! Remember, Vito lost his whole family as a child, and therefore he grew up holding his own family in very high esteem. So anyone who did not treat their own family in the way that Vito treated his, was looked down upon by Vito. He even gets annoyed with his own Son when he is giving the " .. because a man who doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man..." speach to Johnny, but all the while meaning it for Sonny.
Sollozo was an Infidel in Vito's eyes because of his not being loyal to his wife and children. Not an infidel because of the muslim background. My opinion and interpretation.
Don Cardi
