When describing Sollozzo to Don Vito, he tells him that... "He's spent a lot of time in Turkey and is supposed to have a Turkish wife and kids." But then in the very next paragraph he says, "Also he has an American wife and three children and he is a good family man." So, which is it? Does Sollozzo have two families? One in Turkey and one in the U.S. or is the wife the same: Turkish and American?

It is not long after these statements that Don Vito refers to Sollozzo as an "infidel". Do you think his marital situation could have anything to do with the Don's statement?

Thanks for your input.

~~ Lollie

Lollie, you just resoved a debate over in The Godfather Thread! You are brilliant! Olivant and I have been debating as to why Vito made this remark about Sollozo, and I really think that you hit the nail right on the head! His marital situation, his disgust for any man's inifdelity towards his family!

Don Cardi

No, I don't thnk your answer resolves the debate between me and Don Cardi. Vito was understandably upset with Sollozzo's having two wives given Vito's stringent "moral" standards (with the exception of murder, bribery, blackmail, and theft). No, Vito's reference to Sollozzo as an infidel was definitely a religious related perjorative based on Sollozzo's Turkish affiliations. The two wives thing just accentuated Vito's animus for this infidel.

Olivant, that is YOUR opinion, YOUR interpertation. I have mine. It doesn't make you right or me right for that matter. I happen to DISAGREE with your notion that Vito was making a religious reference to Sollozo in his remark.


Don Cardi

I disagree. Vito had many non-Catholic/non-Italian associates. Why would he consider Virgil Sollozzo an infidel for having non-Catholic/non-Italian associates, too?

Vito probably was making an off-handed (perhaps bigoted, perhaps just casual) remark about Sollozzo being "The Turk." I doubt Vito spent enough time with Turks or any Muslims to develop a real prejudice. What he really disapproved of was not Sollozzo's having two wives, it was the fact that before the War, he made his living from prostitution--"as Tattaglia does now."