Hee hee. I've posted snippets of ideas I have for GF IV in about 10 different threads, so I suppose I'll have to go look them all up and copy and paste. But here are a few points:
1) BASIC STRUCTURE: Dual timelines a/la GF II.
a) "The Happy Years 1927-1941."
Based primarily on the chapters of the GF novel not used in GF I and II. Vito Corleone builds his organization from a neighborhood gang to a major power on the national scene, builds his political influence.
We see how he sets up his organization with Clemenza and Tessio as capos, giving them each authority but not enough so they can challenge his control. We see how Vito builds his association with the younger and brutally savage Luca Brasi.
We see Vito's associations with Young Hyman Roth in bootlegging, Young Frankie Pentangeli, a sidekick of Clemenza's from Italy, in bookmaking and gambling in NYC, a younger Don Altobello and Don Tomassino in Italy. We see Genco's influence as consigliere. Finally, we see Sonny and Tom Hagen in their early 20s- Sonny becoming a feared street soldier and enforcer, Tom a brilliant law student who handles much of the Genco Puro Oil Co. legal business.
Fredo is in his late teens and starting to get involved in criminal activity, tagging along with Sonny, but screwing things up because he lacks nerve and confidence.
Michael and Connie are in high school. Michael follows the lead of Tom in his studies, as Vito tries to steer him into the "legitimate" world. Connie is kept sheltered by Vito and Carmella... they want her never to know what the family is involved in. They want her to never know the details.
Through the end of Prohibition and the Depression, the Corleone family grows in influence, fighting fearsome battles with the other families in NYC and even across the nation. By the late 1930s and the outbreak of war, the Corleone family is perhaps the leading underworld gang in the country.
2) "Epilogue 1983-2004":
It is 1983, a couple years following the murder of Mary Corleone on the opera house steps in Sicily. The Corleone family is gathering at the same NYC church used for the baptism of Michael Francis Rizzi in 1955.
The occasion is the baptism of the first son of Vincent (Mancini) Corleone and Grace Madison Corleone, whom he married about a year following the Sicily attack.
Michael Corleone arrives, walking with a cane, but in reasonably good health. "Uncle, I'm glad you came," Vincent says. "It's been good for me to spend time in Sicily," Michael replies. "For a while, I couldn't come back here. Too many memories." Vincent agrees. "I know. I'm kind of suprised you came at all. I thought you might never come back."
"Nothing can bring back the dead, Vincent," Michael says. "You can sit and mourn for years but you have to go on."
Connie Corleone arrives with a personal assistant at her side. She stops and whispers into Vincent's ear. Vincent nods, intently. She hugs Michael and says, "It's been almost a year." Michael responds, "Vincent says you and he have kept things running, I shouldn't be surprised. He didn't tell me the details, he said they were all taken care of. Getting the family out of that Immobliare deal was brilliant. He doesn't need my advice, if he has yours..."
"Vincent was right," Connie says. "We took care of all the details. ALL the details." She gives him a quick glance. Michael lifts an eyebrow.
"Oh. ALL the details? The details that B.J. Harrison didn't know about?"
"Especially those details, Michael. That guy..." she shakes her head. "He knew too much to just let him leave, but he knew too little to be of any use to us. There really was nothing else to be done with him."
"So he had an ... accident?" Michael asks. His sister rolled her eyes, and shook her head with bemusement.
"Yeah," she said, nearly smirking. "An accident. Decided to take up scuba diving as a hobby. The damnedest thing. Got shot by somebody just as he was going to jump off the dock. C'est la vie."
"But Al Neri was over in Sicily visiting me the week B.J. died, Connie."
Connie Corleone smiled, a chilling, cold, merciless smile. Her eyes were as black as midnight.
"We didn't need Al Neri, Michael." Michael Corleone looked straight at his sister, and nods, almost imperceptibly.
Anthony Corleone arrives. He greets his father, coldly though politely. "Mom told me to come, Dad," he says. "She's not coming, then?" Michael responds." "No, she's not ready for that. But she said I should go see my cousins. She said there were things we neeed to talk about."
"Law practice keeping you busy, I see," Michael responds. "I knew it would," Anthony replies. "When I quit singing, I decided to get into the law all the way. No time to waste."
"No, there isn't," Michael says. "You happy with that?" Anthony swallows. "Dad, when Mary was killed, I just wanted nothing more with any of it. Music, or any of it. I just wanted to make a complete change, take the other fork in the road. Kind of like how you decided to live in Sicily. I just threw myself into school completely. But Mom and I decided there's something I can do. Hang on a minute, I have to talk to Vincent."
"Hey, cousin!" Anthony breaks away from his father, and joins Vincent Corleone in conversation.
Michael pulls Connie aside. "I heard about Mikey," Michael says. "Released yesterday, right? He's going to be here?
"Of course he'll be here, Michael," Connie said. "We've been working on the pardon for, must be 10 years now. Finally Geary came through. You wouldn't think leaning on a Arizona Governor could get a federal pardon, but the President needs that state, and he needs it bad, in the next election. All we had to do was tell Geary that his father, the sainted former Vice President who's been bedridden in the hospital for the last five years with Alzheimer's, was going to have his name splattered in the paper with a 35-year-old murder of a prostitute. Bingo, Governor Geary talks to the President, and Michael Francis Rizzi Corleone gets a federal pardon and walks out a free man."
"He's been in, what, 10 years?"
"Yes, almost 10," Connie says. "I know I wasn't the greatest mother to him and Victor, but ..." her voice trails off.
"Connie, what happened with Victor was not your fault. The drugs... they do that to people. Papa knew that. That's why he never wanted any part of it." She fixes him with a steely look. "I know it wasn't my fault, Michael. But it means if I can do anything for Mikey now, I just have to do it. And that's what I did."
She looks at her son, now in his early 30s, also dark-faced and angular like her mother and uncle.
"He looks so different. I hardly know him. Not the same boy he was when he went in."
"Mother, Uncle Michael," a voice offscreen calls out. "Michael Francis Rizz... Michael Francis Corleone," Michael says. He is obviously happy to see his nephew after such a long time. "I remember the last time you and I were together here. You were about two weeks old."
Mikey laughs. "Yes, Uncle Michael, Mom told me all about it. Many times. She said I should always listen to my Godfather. Other people have told me that, too..."
The baptism ceremony begins. Michael Corleone and Connie Corleone are he godparents. "Vito Alfredo Corleone, do you reject Satan...?"
"I do reject Satan," repeats Connie Corleone. "All his empty promises..."
As the ceremony ends, the crowd disperses, and the four cousins gather in the vestibule.
The reception following the baptism is a gala party, with Grace showing off her new baby. Vincent is proud, but looks about nervously. Another voice off camera calls.
"Hey baby brother! What a bambino! Glad you finally joined the respectable world!" Nervous laughter from all.
Vincent shakes his head and throws a bear hug around the man. He is in his mid-40s, trim and with the dark angular features of the Corleone family.
"Well, Santino Junior," he says, with mock emphasis on the "junior," with a laugh. "I haven't seen you for years, since you went off to Florida to become rich in real estate. Remember how your mom always called me your 'second cousin'? We had good times, ya know? Hung out a lot together. Remember when we were about 15, and you told me the truth?"
"Yeah," Santino replies. "When we were kids, Mom wasn't too happy about us knowing you were our brother - or a lot of the stuff that Dad did. She wanted us to stay out of 'the life,' you know? Sent me off to Florida, sent me to college, made sure I stayed out of it, all that stuff. Heck, I only saw Uncle Mike every two or three years. I almost forgot I was a Corleone. It really hit Mom hard when Frankie died. Sad thing, that boating accident."
"Yeah, it was," Vincent says. "I didn't know Frankie too well - our ages were different and your mom didn't let me hang out with him like I did with you. I knew she always felt that I wasn't really Dad's son ... Too bad, I would have liked to have known my other brother."
"Mom wanted us to both "stay clean," Santino says. "I took Frank in the firm with me. But he just wasn't ... you know. Always doing crazy stuff. Flipping a boat while marlin fishing, what a way to go."
"I heard about the court case," Vincent says. "A bunch of crap, that savings and loan deal. At least you got a suspended sentence out of it. The Feds really nailed you on that one. We tried to push some buttons, but we got no juice down in that court. If you coudla had it tried in New York or Jersey, you woulda had a shot."
"So much for staying clean," Santino says, grimly. "I'm a felon now, too. But with the divorce and bankruptcy maybe it was all for the best, Vinnie, you know?" Santino replies. "It was time for me to get out of Florida anyway. At least Marie lets me see the kids every other week."
"How are the kids," Vincent asks. "They're a handful, Vinnie," Santino answers. "You'll find out in a couple of years yourself. But twins are even worse. Ahh, but little Tino and Lita, they're great..."
"Yeah, a family is important," Vincent said, reflectively. "I remember, when I was very, very young, Uncle Vito ... you know, that's what Ma told me to call him? He told me that. I was four or five, playing with you and Frank at the Long Island house. He told me I always had to remember that."
"Hey, Little Mikey," Vincent says, embracing Michael Francis. "They finally let you walk, eh? Presidential pardon! Madonn'!! How are you feeling, Little Man?"
"Fine, Vinnie," Mikey replies. "I've been waiting years for this day." "I can relate," Vincent nods.
"Oh, would Papa be proud of this," Connie says, beaming, to Michael, standing by her side. "Look at the four of them. Anthony, Mikey, Santino, Vincent - I don't think they've ever been together before. Papa's four grandsons, it's great."
Michael Corleone says nothing but gazes silently at his son and three nephews. Anthony says little, but listens intently to Vincent and Santino's conversation. Michael Francis seems nervous, wary. He radiates nervous energy and seems ready for action, but remains silent.
Vincent, shown deference as the Don, takes the leadership role, but Santino seems insisent on dominating the conversation. Finally, he says, "Uncle Michael, Aunt Connie, there are some things we have to talk about."
Vincent nods, a bit peeved at Santino's aggressiveness, but lets the moment pass. "Yeah, Santino's right, you guys. Come on, Mikey, Anthony, let's sit down and talk."
Then....
