The Roth/Michael relationship showed, once again, how greed blinds otherwise intelligent men to the obvious. This played out to an end game in Havana:
Michael was so greedy for Roth's Havana gaming empire that he was blind to the obvious: Why would Roth, who lived in Miami and had business interests in Nevada and Cuba, interest himself in a two-bit dispute between Pentangeli and the Rosato brothers over three territories in the Bronx? Ever occur to you, Michael, that maybe, just maybe, Roth was planning to install the Rosatos as the new bosses of your New York gambling and muscle empire--after he arranged to have you killed?
Roth was so greedy for the $2 million that he was blind to the obvious: Why would Michael, after he told Roth in Miami that "Frank Pentangeli is a dead man," instead dispatch him to settle his problems with the Rosatos? Ever occur to you, Roth, that maybe, just maybe, Michael didn't suspect Pentangeli in the Tahoe shooting--meaning that he might suspect you?
One of the marvels of that last scene between Michael and Roth in the Havana hotel room is that, by that time, both were onto each other: Michael knew Roth's plan to have him killed, and Roth knew that Michael was not in Havana to pay to be anointed as his successor--and yet both were hanging tough at the end: Roth for his $2 million, Michael buying time to find the traitor.
My take, for what it is worth!
- Roth's biggest mistake and undoing
Roth was being too clever, interesting himself in the “Rosatos/Frankie beef” thus showing his hand
and trying to frame Pentangeli for the Tahoe shooting [Roth probably thinking Pentangeli would air his grievances with Michael unsuccessfully....] - always a futile exercise -
unnecessarily complicated Roth's never been done before bold plan, gunning down the Top Don, in his own bedroom
Tom, Neri and Rocco? were present at Michael-Pentangeli meeting and witnessed everything
They could have easily figured out it was – Roth all along....in spite of all the chaos ensued if Michael had been killed
I don't think Roth was a greedy man
I believe Roth was not greedy for Michael's $2 million [Michael was all set to be murdered New Year's Eve with or without the $2 million] but of course if it fell into Roth's lap, Roth will take it Bonus! and added bonus Michael's own money paying for his own murder
