Hey guys, theres one thing I'm a little confused about and I would like to clear up. Remember in Godfather Part I where Vito and Michael are in the garden and Vito tells Michael that he never wanted "this" for him (implicating that he never wanted Michael to join the Family). Well how come in Godfather Part II, where they show the flashback scene to where the family is gathering for Vito's birthday and Michael tells the family that he is going to the join the Army, Tom Hagen says "Mikey we had big plans for you". Here, do these "plans" refer to joining the Family or just like the whole "Governor Corleone, Senator Corleone" thing??

Thanx...

Don Vito Corleone wanted his son Michael to enter society in respectable fashion such as a senator or governor. He never wanted Michael to be involved in the mafia family. He wished for a better life for the son who he thought had potential to make something of himself in society with a respectable legal job.

So, what did Vito really want for Michael?
IMO, he did not want Michael to be a Senator or a Governor and simply wash his hands of his family and their criminal activities. If Vito had had his way, Michael would have used public office to legitimize the family. As a powerful elected official, Michael could absorb much of Vito's political support and funnel labor union graft to his election campaigns. He might even work toward legalizing gambling in some form that would build upon, and legitimize, the family's activities. Sonny would head a (receding) Corleone "blue collar crime" faction, and would eventually fade from the scene.

IMHO Vito wanted Michael to enter politics and the "legitimate" world, but on terms that would not have been acceptable to Michael. Vito could have used his influence to buy a congressional seat, and then probably fix the Senatorial or Gubernatorial election in the State of New York. How much the other families would have thought this made Senator Corleone or Governor Corleone beholden to them may not be something Vito thought through. I think Michael wanted something similar for himself, but in a way that allowed him to publically and privately dissassociate himself from his family.

Here's what I posted a while ago.


About Vito's plans we read in the book: “Michael had been his favorite before the war and obviously the chosen heir to run the family business when the proper moment came.”
When Clemenza is driving Kay to the Hotel and they chat, “Clemenza assured her…..that the “old man” thought Mike was the best of his sons, the one who would surely inherit the family business.”
When Mike defied his fathers command and enlisted, Vito was angry, but I don’t think he was VERY angry. It showed bravery, and he saw that Mike was just too like himself, not to be pushed by anyone. These are good qualities for the future don. Knowing Mike’s legitimate inclinations, he might decide to make him the heir to legit part of his business, if he didn’t make ALL biz such. Maybe, owning, as we know, stock in banks and Wall-street, he wished to make Mike president of the bank or something like that. Maybe he meant that saying to Mike: ”I have some plans you will like…….I wan’t ask you to do anything you don’t approve of. This is something special.” I think, he would still try to interest Mike in the business. Vito was masterfully manipulative. But Mike was a difficult person to manipulate, and if he still resisted being the don, remaining illegit activities could be given to Sonny.
What seems obvious for me, is that Vito could never be so stupid as to think seriously about any political career for his sons. Their relationship with him would make it absolutely impossible. Their opponents will implicate them in ties with mafia even if they couldn’t proof it. We remember what happened when Vito was shot. In Kay’s words: “….he seemed like such a nice man at the wedding. I can’t believe the things the papers are printing about him.” And Michael’s: “If the newspaper guys get ahold of your name and background you’ll be on page three of the Daily News. Girl from old yankee family mixed up with son of big Mafia chief. How would your parents like that?” We may imagine WHAT will papers print if Mike joined any election campaign. Vito was too smart and realistic to pronounce all that Senator-Governor stuff FFC invented for him (I guess he did it later, because we don’t see that scene in the original screenplay). And I can’t say that it was the most clever improvement he made to the plot, though it sounds so romantic. (And so unlike Vito…) And this was no time to lie, so he wouldn’t say “I never wanted this for you” either. Because he DID!
I think FFC got the idea from this Vito’s speech at the meeting with other Dons: “I have grandchildren now and I hope their children may someday, who knows, be a governor, a President, nothing’s impossible here in America.”
But children of your grandchildren and your own son – there’s a little difference….

Excellent post DC. I amgoing to have to re read the book