......So it makes me wonder, did Tessio have a backup plan? ....did Tessio have something in place to take out Barzini soon as possible (had Vito actually been killed)?
Matter of fact, I believe that it was quite the opposite. Barzini was the one who probably had a back up plan to take out Tessio had they succeeded in assassinating Michael. Barzini's thinking:
"Now how can I ever trust a man who is willing to set up and sell out the Corleone family...a family that he has been with since the beginning? If he was willing to turn on Vito and his son, a family that has been loyal to him, then who am I? Surely he won't think twice about turning on me if the opportunity presents itself."I believe that Barzini made all kinds of promises to Tessio and never intended on keeping them. He was going to take Tessio out as soon as he, Barzini, became the new Boss of Bosses.
I agree with both. Clearly Barzini would know that a guy who turned on his long-term Godfather would be an immediate security risk to his new boss or patron. And, having gotten rid of Michael (and presumably Clemenza), why would Barzini tolerate even a semblance of independence from Tessio? So I agree that he would have dispatched Tess sooner rather than later.
But wouldn't Tess, "always smarter," have figured that out? Sure. But, a constant theme in the novel and the trilogy is how greed clouds men's judgment. Probably Tatt believed all the blandishments Barzini offered him because he
wanted to believe them, rather than think about how much risk he was putting himself to. So he ignored the peril--just as Paulie Gatto and Carlo Rizzi did.
