First Communion is usually at the age of 7. Anthony is only about 2 years old at the time of Carlo's death, maybe 3. That's 4-5 years to the First Communion, and then about another year until Mama's death. That's 5-6 years, which easily could be considered "many years".
Nope. Not many years. Vito and Carlo both died in 1955. Carlo probably bought the farm in July of '55. Anthony's First Communion was 1958. Mama Corleone died the following year, 1959. Four years ... not "many".
BTW - Anthony was at least three years old when Carlo died, probably closer to four ("my boy reads the funny papers - only three years").
