Sicily was too small for Vito to have eluded Ciccio.
Do you think so? I mean, we're talking about the early 20th century - no cars, no public transport. Siciliy is more than twice as large as Hawaii and has 5 Million inhabitants. Even Michael managed to hide in Sicily for more than two years, and even before his wedding he must have been known as "The American".
Young Vito was only 9 or 10 years old, without powerful allies. Michael was being sheltered in a protected estate by a powerful
gabolettoand was accompanied by armed guards. But, your comment raises an interesting anomaly in the movie:
Though Michael dressed just like any Sicilian peasant, it would have been perfectly obvious to the locals that he was a new face--and not a Sicilian (
N.B.: in the novel, Don Tomassino wanted him to stay within the walls of his compound for that reason). Then Michael immediately revealed almost all to Sr. Vitelli without even knowing who he was, other than Apollonia's father. Sure, he uttered a threat ("...lose a father instead of gaining a son..."), which Vito and Tom would have utterly disapproved of. Then he insisted on having a very public wedding in the town square. He did everything to tell everyone who he was except hire the Goodyear Blimp to fly over Corleone flashing a sign: "American Fugitive from Justice Hiding Here." Small wonder Barzini found out where he was.
