But was it? Michael saw through it immediately, and but for Roth's timely heart ailment, would have been the one to strike - "Hyman Roth will never see the new year"

I don't want to belabour the point but what you call a backup plan I maintain should have been the primary plan.

How did Roth last so long in that business? By being a behind the scenes guy who didn't put his head above the parapets. The one time he did, it got kicked in. His Rosato brothers misdirection wasn't going to fool anyone; did he think the other families would allow him to pull the strings and try to control the New York underworld?