Good question. There was no witness protection program at the time. I doubt that Cicci was important enough to merit 24/7 protection that Pentangeli was promised. They'd probably put him in prison for a reduced sentence in return for his cooperation, and perhaps in an administrative segregation unit. But Michael would find a way to get him if he wanted to.


Would he? Michael had two reasons to whack Pentangeli. First, Pentangeli knew enough about him, firsthand, to be a danger to him down the road, even if he was no longer a credible witness against Michael. The FBI would keep pumping him for info they could use against Michael. Second, he had to show enemies and potential enemies that no one ever gets a pass from Michael Corleone, no matter how "securely" they're being held. I'm not sure either would apply to Cicci.