Do you think Vito knew that it would probably either be Clemenza or Tessio that would betray Michael? Mike had a pretty good idea it would be Tessio, and Tom said he always thought it would have been Clemenza, so I doubt this would get past the Don's eyes. And if so, then that should go to show that as good a man as Vito was, he was willing to have one or both of his best, most valuable friends killed. Vito mentioned it over and over again during the garden scene, "The man who comes to you with the Barzini meeting, that's the traitor, don't forget that." If the Don knew that it would probably be one of his caporegimes, he was basically giving Michael is blessing to kill whichever one of em it was, which goes to show that Vito was just as cold and calculating as the next guy. Thoughts??

I don't think Vito suspected anybody explicitly, he knew that only a handful of people would have been able to come up to him directly with the request; but any number of people lower in the organization, for that matter, could have requested the message delivered to him in person, so it could have been anybody, as the incident with Paulie Gatto proved earlier in the movie. By your logic this would place greater emphasis on Al Neri, Rocco Lampone as being the most likely person to betray Michael. Vito and Michael were very logical and I know that they all things being equal nobody would be able to be ruled out in Vito’s or Michael’s minds, but in terms of historic data, less emphasis would have been placed on Clemenza and Tessio due to their track records.

The logic behind Vito's statement is the person who comes to has had prior contact with Barzini, who is still scum. This prior contact is indicative of betrayal, Barzini, is power hungry and a conniver and the uses people to do his bidding. The person who comes to him will have his hand in the pot and have a hand in the betrayal, by doing Barzini’s bidding for a pay off. Nobody within the organization in other words would have enough interest in and of themselves to become peace makers, if they come as peace makers they are wolves in sheep skin.

As for Tom's comment, He thought it would have been Clemenza (out of the 2 capos, he means). To Tom Clemenza seemed more likely to betray the family than Tessio. This comment just allowed the viewer to get more of a sense of the distinction between the two Capos. Clemenza, although not as cunning, was still more loyal. As for Tessio, he was smarter, and this logic is what made him attempt to betray Michael was more of a "business" move (although the term business is a euphemism, used by mobsters to make hard decisions, like murder easier and even justifiable).

Second of all no matter how noble and honorable Vito was, he still played the Mafia game, he wasn’t a good person, although he does nothing we directly disapprove of in the movie, he is a criminal, maybe not a psychotic killer and drug dealer, but still a killer, a thief, and extortionist, etc. The code of the Cosa Nostra is clear, whoever betrays you in the organization he goes. From a personal standpoint if my old friend is going to betray my son, fuck ya, I’m gonna whack him before he whacks my son.

It seems to me that Michael, having experienced his wife's murder in an attack intended for him, was very secretive and held his plans close. Thus the number of people whom Vito could have suspected was very small because not that many were close enough to Michael to know of his plans. If Vito really, strongly suspected someone, he'd have told Michael. But he couldn't be sure, so he tipped Michael to circumstance: "Whoever comes to you with this Barzini deal, he's the traitor."

I don't think Vito was all that cold harded. I mean, it was either Tessio dies or his son dies. Which one whould you want dead first? And especially with Vito-family always came first.

Vito's value was that family came first before all the wealth and power, even before friendship. Also, when Tessio betrayed the fmaily, he was no longer considered a part of the family as a friend and as a man you can trust. Tessio betrayed Vito's trust and deserved his death as his loyalty changed.

This goes back to the "mafia isn't that bad" thread.

Tessio made a decision that was best for him. He saw that the Corleone family was losing power with Vito dead and switched sides. Granted he was setting up Michael to be killed, but in the mafia death is like getting fired.

Tessio just made the best move for himself and either way death was imminent.

In the business world you find a new job when things go bad at your employer.

That's why the mafia is bad.

Vito knew it would be someone very close to Michael, but I dont think he had a specific person in mind, Thats why he kept advising Mike on which precautions to take.