What do you think happened with the Rosato Brothers? Do you think Michael would've had them killed, or made peace with them?

The last thing we heard of them was at the end of Part II when Tom said that they 'were on the run'. But in the beginning of Part II Michael was even defending them against Pentangeli stating that Frank had denied them Clemenza's promises. He even withheld Pentangeli from killing them.

Couldn't it be that the Rosatos only held a beef against Pentangeli and not Michael? Weren't they manipulated by Roth?

I think the Rosatos would've been capable leaders, but I think they were too ambitious for Michael to control them. Still, I think there's a very slim change they could have taken over from Pentangeli. But by the time of Part III we didn't hear about them which implies they were out of the picture.

Just knowing Michael, it's completely unfathomable to me that he would have let them live. But I guess that's just my opinion, as there's no way of knowing .

Good question. I would think Mike being so paranoid that he would kill his brother who was not a bad guy he would definetly kill two killers who aligned themselves with his enemy. The thing is we dont know what happens to the crime family structure at the end. By part 3 we know Mike doesn't take part in the criminal part of the family anymore. Does Mike still run the criminal empire throughtout the 1960's or does he relinquish his control.

In a deleted scene, Manolo finances the Rosatos as they become the makers of Rosato Brothers Coffee the motto of which is "They sell coffee in their grandmother's neighborhood."

They later get into a fight with Juan Valdez, but Michael backs them in that struggle with Columbian coffee producers ("We're obligated to step in").

I'm with JC on this one. Although it could be argued that Roth was the prime mover in the Rosatos' attack on Pentangeli, they were still part of the conspiracy. Had they succeeded in killing Pentangeli, and Roth against Michael, the Rosatos would have taken over the olive oil business that belonged to Michael and that was being run by Pentangeli for him. That's more than reason enough.

But, we don't know what happened to the olive oil business after Pentangeli's arrest and the Rosatos' flight. I can't believe Michael simply walked away from it right then. Probably he appointed someone in Pentangeli's stead, and then gradually worked his way out of it. Zasa was in charge of it in 1979, but that was 21 years after the Frankie/Rosatos meeting.

Exactly. Zasa would have been little more than a kid working his way up at that time.

The Altobello character was never properly fleshed out, but we can safely assume that he had some say in the post-Pentangeli era.

I'd think so--especially since he was tied in with Zasa in the AC shooting. But then, he introduces Vincent to Luccese as "the hero who killed Joey Zasa..."

I think it's pretty clear that he was just blowing smoke up Vincent's ass with that introduction.

I thought Altobello was the don of one of the other 5 families. he just happened to be a close friend of the corleones

That's what I believe also. He headed then or prior one of the NY families, but not the Corleones.

I think the Rosatos were dead men. Michael helped set up the meeting with Frankie, so he would their action as a personal betrayal.

ya i forget which other family it was but it was after mike killed the heads in 1955. I'm still not sure who took over after pantangeli. Zasa would be too young at that point. It seems like Zasa didn't take over until the 70's

Which family do you think would that be then?

I personally think Altobello succeeded Pentangeli. He was way too close to the Corleones to be a rival mobster of another family. I think he was referred to as Don by Michael simply because he was the Corleones oldest friend and Connie's godfather.

Some months ago I made a topic of my thoughts about this:

http://www.gangsterbb.net/threads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=604759

He was the don of the Tattaglia family

Who says so..?

I found it on wikipedia and a few other godfather sites. One thing is for sure he was never a Corleone since joey zasa ghad control for at least a few years

What's the original source?

That Zasa had control doesn't mean that Altobello couldn't be a Corleone. If you paid much attention when you viewing Part III you would have noticed that Zasa was nothing more than a pawn used by Lucchesi and Altobello.

Ya Sonny i did pay attention. Thanks for pointing out the obvious. We all know Zasa was used by Altobello and Lucchesis since Zasa was ad Mike put it "a small time enforcer who had braun and no brains." Mike put him in charge because he didn't care about the criminal lifestyle anymore. altobello had his own family i mean thst pretty clear. You do know you can be allies with someone even if you have different families.

This is true. Always have more friends outside your family than inside.

Thank you for you're insights. But you forget to answer the question though. And could you elaborate on "altobello had his own family i mean thst pretty clear"?

Let's say Altobello was a Tattaglia member. What do you think his role would've been during the Five Families War? He would've been in a pretty though position; being a close ally to the Corleones on the one hand and a member of the Corleones arch enemies on the other.

In the novel, Altobello could have suceeded either Tattaglia or Bazini. In the film, he could have succeeded, additionally, Cuneo or Stracci. During the war in the 40s he could have been a capo, underboss, or consigliere of any of the other families.

The only relationship between he and the Corelones that we can be sure of is that he was the Corleones oldest friend. Profaci was a friend to the Bonannos. So, there is precedent for such a relationship families.

Well man I'm not the only one who says Altobello was apart of another family so I dont know what to tell you lol

Yes, but the relationship between the Bonannos and the Profacis wasn't exactly the kind of relationship between the Corleones and let's say the Tattaglias or Barzinis.

Anyway, in part III there's already a Don Cuneo so what's left are the Straccis. I find it suprising that there is at least one thing you agree on with Winegardner.

If I was Tattaglia or Barzini, I would never, ever trust one of my capos who was the godfather of one the children of my biggest enemies. I would have ordered him whacked as a precaution. Or I would have ordered him to prove his loyalty with personally carrying out the hit on Sonny.

"Difficult, not impossible"

Altobello could have been Pentangeli's succesor, or the Don of another family (probably not in NYC) that was allied with the Corleones. Or, he simply could have been a close friend of Vito, who honored him by making him Connie's godfather. Certainly he was connected to the Mafia in some direct way, although he wouldn't have had to have been an actual family head to have the honorary title Don.

DON ALTOBELLO: "As your family’s oldest friend, I’m always chosen to bring you messages.

Your old partners, are grateful for the money you’ve made them, they, they worship you. But their hearts are broken, because, they think you abandoned them. They want to share your deal on Immobiliare. To be a family again. It can purify their money.

I, I ask nothing for myself. Only peace in my old age. But I – I must please the world around me. Michael, your father was a reasonable man, learn from him."

Altobello sounds like a man who was in on Mafia counsels at the highest levels.

I've never been up on the ins and outs of GF3, but could he be a Bocchicchio?

Being the default messenger between the families as he seemed to imply, that's entirely possible.

Sometimes, in the Mafia, a guy who doesn't have his own family, but is connected, can be that influential precisely because he's not a threat to the others.

In a way, it's unfathomable he'd let anybody live.

Altobello being a Bocchicchio is another very plausible theory. It would fit perfectly.

It also seemed like Lucchesi was his superiour, which would have been a little odd if he was a boss of one of the major crime families.