Michael's "perjury rap"

Would Michael have been convicted of perjury and been sentenced to a long prison term if Frank Pentangeli had testified against him at the Senate hearing?

Probably not. Questadt, the Senate lawyer who “belongs to Roth,” would have forwarded the transcript of Michael’s and Pentangeli’s testimony to the US Attorney for the District of Columbia. But, to bring charges against Michael, the US Attorney would need not only Pentangeli, but also a “corroborating witness” (someone who could back up Pentangeli’s testimony with his own eyewitness accounts), and/or “corroborating evidence” (i.e., a court approved wiretap). The only living witnesses who could back up Pentangeli were Tom, Rocco and Neri; and they would never have testified against Michael. And, Michael didn’t strike me as the type to say anything incriminating on the phone. So, I’m guessing, the US Attorney wouldn’t have been able to indict Michael—much less try him and convict him.

But, Roth still would have won. Having Pentangeli at a public Senate hearing, telling the world that Michael ordered the murders of the heads of the Five Families, ran all the illegal gambling in America, owned or controlled Nevada casinos--and that he killed on Michael's orders--would have forever destroyed Michael’s pretense of being a legitimate businessman. The indelible impression that would have stuck would have been Michael as America’s top criminal. He’d spend the rest of his life denying Pentangeli’s charges and
leaning on the wobbly claim that he hadn’t been indicted.

What’s more, the Nevada Gaming Commission would have launched an investigation of Michael’s proxy ownership of casinos. At minimum, they would have yanked his licenses and could charge him with fraud in obtaining them. And, guess who’d pick up the licenses for Michael’s former casino holdings? Roth!

Your thoughts?

TB, I agree with your analysis. It would have been a huge challenge to indict for perjury, but Michael's reputation would have been destroyed.

Michael handled his communications in the way we expect Mafia dons to handle them. He always insured that he had a buffer.

I also agree. It is near impossible for a perjury charge to come forth, much less result in a conviction, but there were other significant ways Michael could have been ruined aside from such a charge.

Once a common Mafia hood.....

Pentangeli was hardly a slam-dunk witness. Hagen could have poked enough holes in his story to get Michael off on perjury charges.

But he'd look real bad in the court of public opinion, and the Feds would be on the Corleone Family even tighter.

in conjunction with
Michael & Hagen towards the end of 1

Let's say Frankie Pentangeli's brother Vincenzo didn't magically materialise! all the way from Sicily

If Frankie who has had no buffer between Michael and himself, had corroborated the Senate committee's nefarious charges [Corleone crime empire, murder, interests or control over gambling or narcotics and a lot more!] against Michael....

It is still Frankie's [and Willie Cicci] word against Michael's

We seem to agree, even if Frankie had corroborated, there is no real proof for the committee to recommend a count of perjury against Michael and “the US Attorney wouldn't have been able to indict Michael ”much less try him and convict him”

As far as we know there was no investigation by the Nevada Gaming Commission

Surely Roth-Questadt would have factored in all these?
So the purpose of Roth-Questadt was to try and damage Michael's standing, at least, dent his legitimacy “in the court of public opinion”

However reasonable conclusion - Michael continued as “legitimate" businessman and "public benefactor" without any major adverse effects - No wonder! the Pope blessed and knighted Michael

Yes. From their viewpoint, they couldn't lose. Frankie simply testifying that he "murdered on the orders of Michael Corleone" would have seriously damaged Michael's legitimacy in front of "millions of [his] fellow Americans," whether or not Michael denied the charges, or "taken the Fifth." It was almost foolproof--except that they hadn't figured that Fredo would tip Michael to Questadt belonging to Roth--and Michael bringing Vincenzo to the hearing.

Why on Earth would they put Fredo in the loop? Unreliable. Untrustworthy. It sure came back to bite Roth in the arse. Some plan!

Maybe I'm misunderstanding: I reckon Vincenzo was already on a plane to the hearing when Michael went to talk to Fredo

Since Michael already knew that Frankie Pentangeli was alive and was being prepared in custody to testify against Michael – the committee's surprise star witness - my take, arrangements would have been already put in place to bring Frankie's brother, Vincenzo over or “Vincenzo was already on a plane to the hearing” when Michael went to talk to Fredo

I agree knowing about Questadt helped [not pivotal] confirm Michael arranging to bring Frankie's brother, Vincenzo over, was Ace! thus trumping “Roth played this one beautifully”

Let's say if Fredo had not said -
1. They [Senate committee] have got Pentangeli
2. Questadt belongs to Roth

thus not revealing how deeply Fredo was involved with Roth and Ola, against Michael that Fredo withheld the said information because Fredo still wanted to harm Michael and try to send him to Prison -

• Would the outcome been any different?
• Michael may have given Fredo a pass even after Fredo's stepped over outburst [Michael still should have! no matter what]

After Michael learned that Pentangeli was alive, he asked Tom what Fredo knew. Tom said, "He says he knows nothing, and I believe him." Had Fredo stuck to that story--that he knew nothing--he would not have revealed how much vital information he was deliberately keeping from Michael, and thus how deeply he was involved with Ola and Roth.
But, Michael would not have given him a pass for two reasons: Fredo had betrayed him and nearly caused his and Kay's deaths; and, as a Don, he could never give a pass to a betrayer--even his own brother--lest he show weakness to enemies, and even friends. Had he let Fredo live, sooner rather than later some other foe of Michael's would have approached Fredo with another scheme to get what Fredo thought was his.
As for the outcome: Michael probably sent for Vincenzo the moment he heard that Pentangeli survived, and before he summoned Fredo.. He'd need as much time as possible to get Vincenzo from Sicily to America in 1959 - 60.

Michael given him a pass Tom to tell him he know Roth misled him, everything's all right
No foe approached Fredo when Mama was alive

I reckon three times
1. You are still my brother
2. Roth misled him He didn't know they were planing to kill him
3. stepped over outburst

You're nothing to me now only after Questadt information

How did word get around of Fredo's betrayal of Michael? apart from Tom [If Tom suspected / knew anything,Tom wasn't letting on....]

I imagine Roth would be the source.

I reckon Roth wouldn't want it to get around that he was behind the shooting even if Michael had died
He would have tut-tutted Stupid -- people behaving like that with guns and continued I'm a retired investor on a pension