why did tessio want mike killed. he only had to wait 6 months! he wouldnt have came under barzinis thumb, he had power; the regimes. tessio and clemenza could have waited and stood up for themselves. dont you think it kinda sucks that he betrayed the family because he was like best mates with vito; they went back and the family wouldnt have been in the high postion there were in if it werent for tessio (and clemenza).


tessio was the best!

Yes, I agree Tessio was one of my favorite characters. However, this is what I think were his reasons for betraying Michael:

- He might have had a strong regime, but Barzini was more powerful after Vito died. The novel has a passage that says (I believe it's during Vito's funeral) that the Barzini were now undoubtedly the strongest Family.

- It wasn't a question of if he would come under Barzini's thumb, it's that he thought Barzini would win out in the end. If Tessio had formed his own Family, Barzini would still have pressured him to join the Barzini faction or die. Tessio must have figured that Barzini would win in the end and he would HAVE to join, wether it was as his own Family or as a member of the Corleones. By selling out the Corleones, Tessio would be on the winning side (or so he thought..) AND probably become a high ranking person to Don Barzini (although it's my opinion that had his plan succeeded Barzini would have had him killed eventually; after all, he betrayed his old Don, what's to stop him from betraying his new one if someone better comes along).

Just my thoughts.

I am very confused at to what you mean by that. It's probably something obvious but I'm missing it.

From JGeoff\'s transcript of GF-I on his web site www.thegodfathertrilogy.com


MICHAEL (seated on a chair)
After we make the move to Nevada -- you can break off from the Corleone Family and go on your own. After we make the move to Nevada.

CLEMENZA
How long with that be?

MICHAEL
Six months.

...(then later in the same conversation...)

MICHAEL (who is now seated behind the desk)
There are things being negotiated now that are gonna solve all your problems and answer all your questions. That's all I can tell you now.


Michael was addressing both Clemenza and Tessio during this conversation. However, NEITHER Tessio nor Clemenza knew that Michael planned to kill the rival Dons. Tessio may have simply interpreted Michael's vague reply as a genuine sign of weakness, a failure to have a real concrete plan, and part of an ongoing "snow job" to buy himself six more months. Tessio felt he couldn't wait another six more months in the absence of a real plan. He's already been operating at a disadvantage under "the peace" and perhaps felt Michael was hedging on Don Vito's committment to allow Tessio and Clemenza to form their own families.

tony b.

As Michael took over from his father, he needed to determine if Tessio and Clemenza were going to be loyal to him. This was especially important because, as Vito stepped out of his role and then died, Barzini got more confident, more assertive, more sure that he could supplant the Corleones and become the Number One Mafia family in NYC. Michael was in danger. To test Clemenza and Tessio, he deliberately put on a show of weakness and diffidence. Clemenza stayed loyal, Tessio thought Michael would never be able to stand up to Barzini, so he betrayed Michael, thinking Barzini would then make him (Tessio) head of the Corleones. Michael could never give a traitor a pass, so Tessio was killed.

thnks guys

It wasn't personal. Simply business.

Alot of people didn't have any faith in or respect for Michael due to his inexperience. The Barzini/Tattaglia alliance had already opened up two "book" operations in Brooklyn the day of the don's death. In their eyes, Michael had not earned the title and his succession was questioned. For Tessio, the smart business choice was not realy a choice.

Stop trying to make it a personal matter. You have a better chance of turning water into wine.