No doubt Kay knew what Michael's business was when they married but when do we think she realized he had personally murdered himself

Was it when the Chairman asked about Sollozzo and McCluskey?
Also was it then her final decision made, to leave the life she had chosen

I think Kay realized that Michael approved of murder as a tool to get what he wanted even before she married him--when he wooed her in New Hampshire. That's when he said his father was no different than other powerful men; and when she said that Senators and Governors didn't have men killed, he said, "Now who's being naive, Kay?"

The look on Kay's face at the very end of GF says it all: After Michael denied Connie's hysterical accusations, she seemed reassured. But then, when Clemenza walked in, kissed his hand and said, "Don Corleone," Kay knew everything about the murders of Carlo, etc., was true.

I also think Kay made here decision to leave right after the Tahoe shooting, when you see her clutching her child and glaring at Michael. Just a few hours earlier he said he was "trying" to leave The Life; now The Life had nearly cost her life, his and his kids. Goodbye Michael.

I watched GF3 recently. It takes on an almost comical note where Michael's ushering her around Sicily, and the discovery of Tommasino's body puts a damper on the afternoon. She just says, "It never ends...," doesn't leave, doesn't forbid the kids to go near Michael, even sits next to him at the opera.

True Pete "It never ends...," might as well join them!
The original plan same as the Tahoe bedroom shooting, was to kill Michael in the opera box along with everyone with him

No doubt she knew murder was a tool in their business but I reckon she didn't know or in denial that he had personally murdered until the chairman mentioned it because his absence was not addressed

Don't know Turnbull whether she made her decision to leave right after the Tahoe shooting?
She sat through the Senate hearings as the dutiful wife of a respected businessman

That's a Bingo!

Whilst Kay knew that Michael had become a man like his "Underworld Chief" father and orders murders including Carlo's, I believe, Kay didn't know until this day! of the Senate hearing that Michael “had personally murdered himself“

I believe “when the Chairman asked about Sollozzo and McCluskey” that's when Kay put together - Michael's disappearance and Tom refusing Kay's letter to Michael
dawning on Kay that's why Michael had to disappear, it was actually confirmed beyond doubt to Kay, shattering her delusions that her husband not only ordered murders but had personally committed murders himself

• It seems to me, there were two noticeable reactions from Kay at the Senate hearing

First Kay drops her head to her chest

Second Kay looks horrified, her eyes darting from side to side

My view, contrary to popular belief, Kay's that look if looks could kill! after the Tahoe shooting may not have spelled it was all over red rover, then and there

Kay was unsettled and furious their bedroom was machine gun sprayed that “nearly cost her life, his and his kids” and the shooting jolted Kay into reality, the denial and delusions no longer holding up

It was certainly a wake up call and then the subsequent events including Kay was a 'prisoner' within the compound [yet still managed to have the abortion!] And Kay the dutiful wife sitting through the Senate proceedings, listening to all those heinous, horrendous things being said about her evil husband, knowing they were all true which I believe triggered the final nail in the coffin

Actually Kay may have thought Michael will surely be sent to prison! for perjury if nothing else and Kay would be a free woman without having to lecture Michael on this Sicilian thing that's been going on for 2,000 years....

Well, in the book it outlines the precise moment she realised he had murdered with his own hands. When she visits the compound during his exile in Sicily, Mama Corleone brings her inside and tells her to forget all about Mikey and to find a nice American boy. Kay realises then that Michael is in far deeper than she ever realised, and did in fact kill Sollozzo and McCluskey. She left the compound expecting to never see him again.

Both realization at the Senate proceedings

. She definitely decided to leave beforehand and had the abortion before too. I wouldn’t say she was being a “dutiful wife”. You can tell she is sickened by what’s going on. She was trying the plan a way to get out

Kay was shocked and horrified at the end of GF when she realized that all of Connie's accusations were true--that her husband really was a murderer and a Mafia Don. Michael had told her never to ask about his business. I think she used it as a rationale for accommodating herself to the situation, rather than leaving him or filing for divorce. And, things seemed to settle down after they moved to Nevada and Michael became a "legitimate" businessman and "public benefactor" of the State University.

But, the influx of Michael's gangster associates at Anthony's party upset her and reminded her that her husband was still in the OC life (you see this in part of a deleted scene). She reminded Michael, while they were dancing, of his pledge that the Corleones would be "completely legitimate in five years--that was seven years ago." And then, bang! The bullets started flying. She was already at the end of her patience--the attack sent her over the edge.

. Absolutely. Like you said she was horrified at the end of GF2 but she still loved Mike and I guess she thought that after the move to Nevada that Mike would finally be out but we saw that wasn’t the case. Like you said the assassination attempt was the final straw

Exactly She was there not because she wanted to clear her husband's name which they have now besmirched and to restore his clean, war hero "legitimate" businessman and "public benefactor" reputation but as the dutiful wife which no doubt helped his image as a family man and respected businessman

Kay knew that Michael had become a man like his "Underworld Chief" father
No doubt she was disgruntled and disillusioned because the crime proceeds blood money laundering is not “completely legitimate

And then, bang! The bullets started flying and jolted Kay into reality, the denial and delusions no longer holding up
However I am still not convinced she made her decision to leave right after the Tahoe shooting?

I reckon, it could have started off "It never ends...," but listening to all those heinous, horrendous things being said about her evil husband, he not only ordered murders but had personally committed murders himself triggered the final nail in the coffin

I doubt “Kay made here decision to leave right after the Tahoe shooting” mainly because if she had, Kay wouldn't have had the 'abortion' No need Why? What is the point?

• As we'd debated before – abortion or miscarriage?!

on further review! of the Hotel Washington scene which still never fails to baffle! me that Kay was under the impression, she could just walk in and tell Michael
and Michael would allow it Sure thing Kay take my children from me It is not an impossibility It was always going to happen....

I believe, Kay threw in the spiteful abortion to inflict [additional] pain “It was a son Michael a son and I had it killed” only after Extract:

Michael: There's a car waiting for you outside to take you to the airport What flight you're on?
Kay: That plane goes to [New England]
Michael: That's where I want it met

You have to answer for Anthony's Consigliere!

You just say "Bingo"

Oh -- who's being naïve, Kay and blind

It is baffling that Kay was under the impression, she could just leave after good-bye Pop but obviously she did
No doubt Kay threw in the spiteful abortion to inflict [additional] pain after Michael's miscarriage comment including I know what that meant to you

She also wasn't happy he was too smart to let any of them beat him and was not sent to prison! for perjury if nothing else

Willie Cicci was so blasé about breaking Omertà

Cicci caused a fair degree of damage to Michael's standing, certainly dented his “legitimacy” even though Cicci said he never talked to Michael ie: Cicci got no direct orders from Michael - that too only because Cicci's lawyer shakes his head for Cicci to say no!

among others -

• Cicci was an employee of Genco Olive Oil Company, front for The Corleone crime organization, called The Corleone Family
• Cicci in actuality was a soldier / button who killed people at the behest of his superiors
• Cicci named Michael as the Head of The Corleone Family
• Cicci testified Michael was personally responsible for the murders of New York City police Caption McCluskey and Sollozzo
• Cicci stated the Family had a lot of buffers ie: between Michael and the people who gave the actual kill orders

Was it also Cicci who revealed the following -

• Michael devised the murder of the heads of the so-called five families in New York
• Michael has a controlling interest in three of the major hotels in Las Vegas
• Michael has interests or control over gambling or narcotics in New York

Cicci never testified to any of the charges against Michael--all he said was that he was a member of the Corleone crime family; that Michael was the head of the family; that he was a button who killed on orders--and that he never spoke to Michael. It's all in the transcript. The specific charges that Michael was asked about probably were fed to the subcommittee by Roth, through Questadt.

BUT: Cicci damaged Michael by testifying that he was the head of a crime family. And, unlike Frankie, he didn't recant his testimony. Since he said he never got a direct order from Michael, he was of no further use to the government. There was no Witness Protection Program then, and the government had no need to provide him with extra protection like they gave Frankie (IMO, they probably thought Frankie would eventually give them something they could use against Michael). Would Michael give Cicci a pass because he said he never got a direct order--or would he have Cicci whacked in prison for betraying him?

Chairman said We have testimony from a witness -- a previous witness, one -- Willie Cicci.
Kay looks horrified, her eyes darting from side to side

Just because not shown not mean he got a pass same as Fabrizio, Rosatos all got whacked

Pentangeli also revealed Michael's specific charges to the subcommittee

It was Roth style not Carlo

It was Carlo and Roth's styles Don't take any chances -- the children will come in a separate car, for Kay to go on ahead!

Cicci welched breaking Omertà and caused a fair degree of damage to Michael's standing, certainly dented his “legitimacy” and testified against him

In fairness, I reckon FBI would have told him Pentangeli had survived Michael's murder attempt and played them against each other However Omertà is Omertà

Tom visited Pentangeli under protection, in an Army barracks with the FBI guys, to successfully persuade him to slit his wrists
So wherever Cicci was they would have got him too same as Fabrizio, Rosatos all would have got whacked No doubt

Cicci saying "he never talked to Michael" ie: "he never got a direct order" is small potatoes! compared to all the murderous, sordid history, aired by Cicci

Cicci blew the lid off exposing everything including the inner workings, the organizational structure and besmirched the Corleone name but worse!

• Cicci put it out there on public record that there is a Corleone Crime Family headed by Michael, the Chief [Don] of which Cicci “was a button who killed on orders”
• kill orders get filtered through the buffers ie: there was no need for the Chief to speak to the buttons but clearly the order came down from the Chief

It was big news back then - Syndicate Big Shot Vito Corleone's youngest son who was forced to leave this country because of all these 'false' charges - Newspaper Headlines "Police Hunt Cop Killer" "Police Captain Linked With Drug Rackets" “Gangland Violence"

Cicci testified Michael was personally responsible for the murders of New York City Police Captain McCluskey and Sollozzo
It was Michael all along

I can't see Cicci getting a pass No way! after testifying against Michael, in public too
Cicci is a dead man even if Cicci was under government extra protection

1. Why do these "Underworld Chief" call their crime families by their blood family names
2. Isn't that a dead giveaway to the law enforcement
3. Didn't they learn anything from the great man, Mr Roth

Michael rebuked Pentangeli

Note that the public face, the olive oil company, was named for Genco.

The acting was terrific by the supporting characters too

1. Sollozzo's evil look, telling Tom let me worry about murdered Luca
2. Tessio when he realized he was a dead man
3. Carlo's fear he had to answer for Santino and then relief thinking he was getting a pass
4. Michael's bodyguard without saying a word too
5. Cicci being comical and Chairman was not amused
6. Questadt when the Chairman agreed for Michael to read his statement
7. Pentangeli on seeing his brother and Vincenzo's steely, icy stare

Carmela friend landlord was terrific too

Neri's subtle nod at Michael's kill order, when hugging Fredo at Mama's funeral

Joe Spinell as Cicci is a great example of the brilliant casting in GF and II. He's a very minor character in GF--he's on screen only four times (probably 90 seconds total) and only has two lines near the end. He had a somewhat bigger role in II (including that priceless appearance before the Senate subcommittee). But, he was so perfect in that role--the quintessential Forties and Fifties button man--that everybody noticed and remembered him. He gets lots of favorable mention on this board.