Just started reading the book an hour and a half ago..

..and 50 pages or so in, there is one glaring difference between my perception of the movie and what comes across in the book. In the movie, it always appeared, at least to me, that Sonny was destined to become the acting Don after Vito. Obviously, Michael wanted no part of the "family business" anyway, but I was never quite sure if Vito would have stepped over Sonny to go with Mike, if it had come to that. The book however states that Mike was Vito's first choice, and that with Sonny's temper, and accompanying irrational decision-making, he may have to find someone else to take his place.

I'm interested to find out who you think might have been his choice had Mike not relented. Tessio or even Hagen (though "not a wartime consiglieri") perhaps?

It would never be Hagen, as he not only was not a sicilian, but he was not an Italian period. When Genco died, Vito named Hagen his consigliere, but it was an unofficial naming because he was not a sicilian. If Michael had not wanted the job, even after Sonny had been killed, then we would not have had a GF movie or book in the first place! But seriously, I think if that situation had occurred, the Corleone Family would have been done for good! No one who was left could have saved the family as no one had the savy and cunning that Don Vito had, except Mike! So I think that would have been the end of the Corleone empire!

Don Cardi

in a perfect world the story would have been about Sonny- period!

Good point about Hagen, I hadn't really thought about his not being Sicilian.

By the way.... WELCOME!


Don Cardi

That is an interesting idea....but the idea was that Vito wanted Michael to be more legit...if that was not possible (as it had worked out) then Sonny would have been the wartime consligliere. Remember, Sonny was hot tempered, but could be controlled. As you read the book, and view the movie, remember that as he is needled by an action (like sitting at the dinner table discussing business, and Connie says, 'Poppa never discussed business' he remembers, and agrees) he focuses back on what was required of him. As he aged, he would have mellowed, and became a true underboss to Michael.

Fair enough. But had the attempt on Vito never been made, Mike most likely would not have become Don. Perhaps he would have become "Senator Corleone" or some other high ranking official, like Vito stated. Since Vito was coming to grips with the fact that Sonny would not make a good Don, I'm just wondering who he would have chose as his successor.

If things had gone the way Vito Corleone wanted, the family would split under Tessio and Clemenza while the Corleones would keep their influence thru one of the three sons. His goal was for one them to be pulling the strings thru some other device other than corruption. He had hoped it would have been Michael that achieved this.

This infact did happen by the IIIrd film. Michael had relinquished all his illegal activities while still keeping a loose reign on the remains of the empire which had now been broken up into smaller pieces.

If Sonny and Fredo had lived -- I'm sure they would have used their GENCO experience [once it was completely phased out] in other enterprises to help the family.

As far as a successor, there would not had been a need for one, but, unfortunately, there was not enough time for the Don's plan to be completed.

"There just wasn't enough time."
"We'll get there Pop."

The scene where Connie tells Sonny, "Papa never discussed business at the Dinner table" is in no way indicative of Sonny agreeing with his sister. It is only when Carlo, who is no longer in favor with Sonny, starts to talk business at the dinner table that we see Sonny's sarcasim towards Carlo telling him that " We don't disguss buisness at the dinner table!" It was in no way Sonny realizing that what his sister had said was true. It was his dislike of Carlo that causes him to say that. As far as Sonny eventually becoming a true undeboss to Michael had he ( Sonny ) lived, it would have never happened. If Sonny had lived Michael would not have stepped in to take over the family, out of his respect for his brother Sonny. If anything Michael would have been the dedicated underboss to Sonny!

Don Cardi

I believe that, if the Don had had his way, Michael would have become a political pezzanovante, leading the family toward legitimacy. Sonny would have been the head of a much-diminished "olive oil business" that would gradually transition out of illegal and violent activites because Senator or Governor Michael Corleonen would, for example, have worked to legalize gambling.

I can imagine that other families would call the Corleones as "The Irish" or "The Germans" because of this.
Just as they named Sollozzo as the Turk because he spent some times in Turkey.

I'm with Turbull - Michael runs with politics, and Sonny runs with the "Olive Oil Company" and together they legitimize the family.

It's been a while since I've been on the board - it's good to be back. I've missed my daily Godfather postings, I'm happy to see that nothing has changed

Michael would be Don anyway. He tested himself and discovered so many interesting things ! And he tasted that life, and his Sicilian roots - and liked them. Remember this thinking of his, in Sicily:"He was, after all was said, a murderer, a mafioso who had "made his bones"." You can'd expect a Mafioso to make his bones for nothing, even if he is half as formidable person as Mike is.
Even if there would be no Solozzo, something would help him. Vito would make him his successor in some more elaborate way. Or he would kill someone else. He was destined to find out what he really was (how many of us can't imagine that-thank God )and you know, man has one destiny .
And why couldn't he step over Sonny? Mike was not a man to act less ruthlessly because of his respect to anyone. "It's the way pop wanted it. Sonny, old man, it's not personal, strictly business, you must know by now."