In II, Hyman Roth picks a fight with Michael that ends up destroying lives and friendships. I just watched II a few days ago, and here's what I see. Roth sends Johnny Ola to sanction Michael's takeover of a casino, seemingly to spark a good business relationship. But subsequently, as we later learn, Roth setup a hit on Michael. What I never understand, is why? The story focuses on Fredo's betrayal, not Roth's. There's my first question.
Michael had been encroaching on Roth's Nevada gaming empire since his return from Sicily. Roth could not take Michael on directly, so he jollied Michael along, pretending that Michael was his heir-apparent, until an opportunity arose to whack him--and get away with it. Anthony's party was an opportunity. Roth knew Pentangeli would be there, contentious over Michael's support of the Rosato brothers. So, Pentangeli would have an obvious motive to whack Michael--and would be the obvious patsy for the killing. When that failed, he lured Michael to Havana with the promise of setting him up as inheritor of Roth's Cuban gaming empire.
Second concerns Frank. Roth orders the Rosato brothers to garrote Frank, and blame the hit on Michael. The result is, Frank sings, and for some reason, so does Cicci. Again, I don't understand. Did Roth order the hit as a preemptive strike, since Frank was out for the Rosato's blood? And wasn't this how Michael figured out it was Roth who tried to have him killed?
Michael knew Roth was behind the Tahoe murder attempt almost immediately. His trip to Miami was to make Roth relax and feel that their deal was still on. He also made it clear that he blamed Pentangeli for the attempted hit ("Frank Pentangeli is a dead man--you don't object?"). But, when Michael, instead of killing Pentangeli, dispatched him to settle his problems with the Rosatos, Roth figured that Michael didn't blame Pentangeli--meaning that he could suspect Roth. So, Roth ordered the Rosatos to whack Frankie for two reasons. First, Frankie was Michael's loyal subordinate, and had plenty of muscle in NYC that he could use against Roth and his allies if needed. Second, Roth planned to have Michael killed in Havana, so killing Frankie in NYC would set up his allies, the Rosato brothers, as the new commanders of the "olive oil business."
Also, rhetorical question Michael sending Rocco to whack Roth. Sending Rocco on a suicide mission. Isn't that what are supposed to be for soldiers are for?
A subtheme of II is how Neri pushes past Rocco, and tries to push past Tom, to be Michael's second in command. Remember: Rocco was Clemenza's protege, Neri was Michael's. By the end of II, Rocco was, essentially, obsolete. So Michael, the master manipulator, set Rocco up in that boathouse scene. After humiliating Tom and stating that "history teaches us that anyone can be killed," he immediately turns to Rocco--not Neri. Now Rocco was on the spot. He answered, "Difficult, not impossible." I'm guessing that he saw his "volunteering" to whack Roth as a kind of hail-Mary pass--a last chance to get back into Michael's good graces, despite the overwhelming certainty that it was a suicide mission.
