Originally Posted By: Desertwolf
No one broke the promise that Vito made, not even Michael. the "Peace" was broken by the attempt to kill Mike after his father's funeral. To plot and begin to execute an assassination is breaking the peace, to fail in carrying it out does not mean that they (the other families) did not try, and trying is breaking the peace.

Now we know that Mike and Vito predicted it would happen, but no act was made to break the peace from the Corleone's side, what Mike did was REACT to a real threat; best defense is offense, simple.


Desertwolf, you make a good point: Barzini technically moved first by engaging Tessio in a plot to assassinate Michael. But the fact remains that Michael and Vito had been anticipating Barzini's move before Vito died. So, it seemed, both Michael and Barzini made a tacit agreement: the peace that Vito and Barzini made at the Commission meeting would be honored--as long as both of them were alive.

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As for Tom, it was a tactical move... in times of turbulence, no leader wants to be second-guessed; Tom was older and with greater experience working alongside Vito than Mike had, Mike needed absolute power, and he moved Tom out to protect him from becoming a liability to the family, he was an asset as a lawyer. in GF2 that lead to Tom temporarily taking over the family after the Lake Taho assassination attempt.


Yes, it was a tactical move. In his quest to become "legitimate" in Nevada, he needed Tom to be established as his "legitimate" lawyer--far away from the NY violence he planned. He brought Tom back in after Vito died because he trusted Tom. But, as we saw in GFII, "trust" in Michael's case didn't necessarily mean that he relied on Tom's advice. Michael relied on no one other than himself. I think he needed Tom simply because he knew Tom was the one person wouldn't betray him.

Ntra la porta tua lu sangu � sparsu,
E nun me mporta si ce muoru accisu...
E s'iddu muoru e vaju mparadisu
Si nun ce truovo a ttia, mancu ce trasu.