Danny Aiello said he ad-libbed "Michael Corleone says hello." If so, why didn't FFC cut it out?
I've often speculated that the remark was meant for Richie the bartender. Richie obviously was a civilian ("No, Carmine, not here!"). If the cops got involved, Richie would never rat out the Rosatos. So Tony Rosato fed him a line to give to the cops: "I dunno who these guys were, but one of them said, 'Michael Corleone says hello.' " That'd point the finger at Michael. And, when the newspapers got it, his "legitimate" image would be damaged further.