Neri and Michael had to make sure that Fredo’s body would never be found. At the same time, they had to put on a great show of demanding that the authorities drag Lake Tahoe and otherwise spare no effort to find poor Fredo’s remains. How did they do it? And, what do you think Neri told the authorities about how Fredo disappeared without his being able to either rescue him or find his body?

Keep in mind that the boat they were in was close enough to shore that Michael (and, presumably, everyone else at the compound) heard the two shots.

Good question TB. I think there are several factors that come into play. The shots would probably be heard at the compound if one was expecting to hear them. But Connie and Tony were probably inside as was Tom. The guards? They may have heard them and put 2 and 2 together. However, the sounds of gunfire can be affected by several environmental factors.

I'm sure Michael could arrange for "select authorities" to investigate Fredo's accident.

I agree with olivant; pretty sure that he would have had people on the take to "investigate" what had happened, only to determine that poor Fredo must have fallen and hit his head or something, fell into the water, and drowned

I assume at some point there would have been a fake funeral or something, to give the impression that they had found the body.

Why would Michael insist that the lake be dragged?

Why would Michael draw any attention to Fredo and the lake at all?

Fredo didn't live at the compound. Who's to say he didn't leave the compound that morning for parts unknown? Who would even miss him? Who would ask questions about the disappearance of a divorced, childless Mafioso?

Quietly settling Fredo's accounts after the murder would have been easier and more prudent than putting on a "great show" to draw attention to the fact that Fredo was last seen at Michael's house.

Great topic Turnbull, and every reply has been excellent.

Let's remember that in GFIII Mary asks Vincent if it was true that her father had Fredo killed. So that tells me that there obviously was gossip and chatter over the years about Michael offing his own brother. Couple that with the fact that in his Hubris, Michael wanted those close to him to see him as being so powerful that he would even have his own brother killed. Michael wanted to send that message in his own way.

I agree that the boat was close enough for the shots to clearly be heard from the compound. We see Michael looking through the window and we clearly hear the shots as does he.

He had to set it up and make it look like an accident. Now as far as the body, they may have let the body stay down in the lake for several weeks so that it could decompose to a point where the skin would turn to a black color and the fish would have had time to eat at the flesh. Thus having a closed coffin. And as someone said in one of the above posts, Michael had enough influence with the authorities to make sure that the investigation into Fredos death would not be done in too much depth. Let's remember that this took place around 1959 when forensics were not as advanced as they are today.

Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the US, and slopes off very quickly. The whole lake is only 12 x 22 miles, so you might be able to hear gunshots from a point where the water is quite deep.

As is the tradition of the GF forum, we speculate on events in the films that have no answer in the film. And TB brings up a dicey scenario. The gun shot would have been heard from a long distance. Based on the cloud cover there was likely a low pressure system in place. Low pressure allows sounds to travel and across a flat surface as a lake, the gunshots would be clearly heard from most shore points. Since Michael is seen on camera at the time of the shots, it is possible that Anthony was in earshot of the gunshots (they were suppose to leave the compound). Connie whereabouts were unknown, but most likely in earshot range. So it does leave some speculation as to who was in range to hear the gunshots. A possible dramatic gaffe by Coppola.

But you also must consider the refraction of the sound wave from the gunshot and the temperature of the lake. The lake is not a flat surface. Because of wave action, it has multiple surfaces in any one location that both refract and absorb sound. Also, Anthony and Connie were probably indoors.

Just tossing this in: I think at least some of the ambiguity in GF2 is intentional. Copolla was working on The Conversation at the around same time he was working on GF2, and he was under the influence of Antonioni's Blow-Up. In this instance, I'd have to wonder if Michael actually heard the shot, or just conjured it in his brain.

...or if it was directorial license, designed to show us, dramatically, that Fredo had been shot, and that Michael was behind it...

There is no way Fredo was killed anywhere close to the compound. That would have been foolish. I think Michael dropping his head at the time of the shots was directorial license. No way would he be stupid enough to do it where there could potentially be witnesses.

Lots of dramatic affect TB. The whole lake fishing scenario is a little contrived. They are dressed for winter, late in the day, not a prime time for fishing. How big is the lake, how far out did they go? I liked Neri standing up after the shot; more dramatic affect.

Cold weather fishing is something I've done. Late in the day? Connie is dressed in a robe and says Michael wants to take Anthony to Reno. While they could go there at any time of day, it's more likely that they'd get an AM start.

Had Fredo accepted his death? Why would he stay in the boat with Neri after Anthony left? Did he know what was coming? Is his prayer deliberately his last prayer?

That's the beauty of it... nobody knows for sure.

Great thread.


If history tells us anything, it is that the Mob knows how to make sure "drowned" bodies do not resurface. Compared to the East River, Lake Tahoe is a piece of cake.

Still, I wonder if Michael ever had that nightmare they showed at the end of "Deliverance."

Given his self-imposed recrimination in III, he probably did.

I'm on the boat that Michael couldn't hear the shots. It was dramatic effect I think.

I agree. There are so many factors that could affect the sound of the shots.

fredo probably had no idea what was to come. originally coppola didn't want to kill off fredo or make him the traitor. poor john cazale passed shortly after deer hunter was released. imho killing fredo made michael a monster and also damned his soul as we see in GF III. he is haunted by that decision to kill his father's son. coppola also knew that the audience might not react to michael's actions and would hate the character so he planned fredo's death after michael's mother dies. " i don't want anything to happen to him as along as my mother is alive," stated michael to neri.