At Anthony's party, Rocco is seen scanning the crowd, like the rent-a-cop he's become. Neri's nowhere to be seen.

In the boathouse, Neri introduces himself to Johnny Ola, like the full partner he's become. Michael dispatches Rocco to feed Ola's men, like the waiter he's become.

During dinner, Michael dispatches Rocco to put Deanna to bed, like the bouncer he's become. Later, Rocco heads up the posse trying to find the Tahoe shooters. Where's Neri? On a mission [deleted scene] to oust Klingman from his hotel, where he also orders the showgirls to "keep it going." No doubt his proprietary air is because Michael gave him a piece of that hotel.

In the penultimate boathouse scene, while Rocco stands, tense, like a bodyguard, Neri reclines in his chair and is a full partner in the discussion about Roth and his whereabouts. Rocco says nothing. When Michael tells Tom he can take his family "and your mistress" to Vegas, Neri smirks--you know he was the source of that info. And, when Michael chides Tom, "If history has taught us anything, it's that you can kill anyone," he finishes by turning to Rocco and says, "Rocco?" Notice he doesn't say, "Al?" That's because he needs Neri, not Rocco.

To be fair: there's a serious weakness in airport murder scene. Unless Rocco got away clean (a near-impossibility, IMO), the cops would have linked him to Michael sooner rather than later. Rocco appeared in the FBI chart at the Senate hearing as a caporegime. How would Michael--so recently accused of being a top organized crime figure--have explained that?