Originally Posted by mustachepete
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The more we discuss Vito, the more I am baffled how Vito is fêted as the family man
Vito was instrumental, contributed and caused the misery of every one of his children to their gloom and doom including the violent deaths of Santino and Fredo Thanks! Pop

Michael still “could have married Kay and gone back to college” even after killing McCluskey and Sollozzo, on his return from Sicily if Vito hadn't dragged Michael into the Corleone crime organization deeper


Characters have to be credited with free will, or there's no story to tell. Vito's woes could be blamed on his father, who could blame his father, etc. There's certainly no evidence that Vito forced Connie to marry Carlo. What we see is that Vito disliked and distrusted Carlo. It's reasonable to assume that he discouraged the wedding. It can't be Vito's fault that Connie insisted on the wrong man, or there's no narrative. We know from the book that Vito tried to keep Sonny out of the rackets, and that Sonny ended up a teen holdup man. We know that Vito was comatose when Michael crossed the threshold and took part in the war planning. The best-laid plans of even the most-powerful are easily defeated by the whims of the next generation. That's life.

I also reckon Michael still could have had a life away from Mafia if not for Vito no doubt

True Pete Characters have to be credited with free will, or there's no story to tell.

There is no indication from what was seen in the movie that he discouraged the wedding
If Vito disliked and distrusted Carlo why let him into the family, to marry his only daughter?

As we debated in Vito and Fredo thread:
I reckon it is not complaining or blaming their parents It is not interfering, it is parental guidance

Sonny's philandering, Connie's bad choice of husband, Carlo's wife beating, Fredo's sexual excess, Moe slapping him around all went undisciplined Fredo was left rudderless

Vito's action, inaction and slip ups adversely affected every one of his children and his son-in-law including violent deaths