The induction rules have changed over the decades. Now you need only have one parent (apparently still your father) Italian. Some families may insist on both though.

You are 100% right the rules have changed. Junior Gotti is only half italian or maybe 3/4 i'm not sure but he is not full blooded italian. In the old days you not only had to be italian but specifically Sicilian

I disagree. Tom definitely knew where Fredo was. I believe this because as soon as Michael asks him where his brother is, Tom immediately tries to deflect, like TB said. Tom is not a stutterer, so it was even more apparent as he fishes for what he thinks Michael wants to hear. You can hear Tom go "Uhhh, he must be in NY". Tom knew. And Mike knew he knew.

Wrong.

Foremost on Tom's mind in that scene, from the moment they settle in the room is that he has to break to Michael the news of Kay's 'miscarriage'. His body language is clear. Telling Michael 'what he thinks Michael wants to hear', especially about something as important as Fredo's whereabouts...is something that Tom would've been too intelligent to attempt. In any case he has NO interest in protecting Fredo, whom he knew as well as anybody was a traitor.

For the same reason, while not certainly not happy with it I would guess Tom's reaction to Fredo's murder was that it was entirely justified.

While I usually hate to intertwine the film(s) with the novel, Tom's dialogue with Kay at the very end of the book pretty much sets up why he would feel this way.

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I see what you mean about Tom's uneasiness because he has to break the news of the miscarriage. But if Tom didn't know that Fredo was in NY, why did Michael immediately say "i want you to get word to him?"

Plus, I don't think there's room on this thread for anyone to be "right" or "wrong"...that's all I'm saying. Let's agree to disagree

Ok, here's the actual dialogue from transcript:

MICHAEL: I asked about FREDO.

TOM: Uh, I think he got out - he must be somewhere in New York.

MICHAEL: Alright - I want you to get in touch with him. I know he's scared, tell him everything's all right. Tell him I know ROTH misled him and he didn't know they were planing to kill me.


That indicates Tom is guessing that Fredo may have fled to NY - because again, where else would he go?!? Other than Nevada it was the only home he knew and had neither the brains nor the finances to get anywhere else. What possible reason would Tom have to 'cover up' for or protect him by claiming he didn't know where Fredo was?

Michael's answer indicates that wherever Fredo turned up, assuming as they did that he made it out of Cuba...then Tom was to find him and give him that message. End of story.

And sure, we can agree to disagree, it's all 'interpretation', etc.

But if I feel someone's interpretation is wrong, I'll let them know. It's business, not personal. That's all I'm saying...

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