Originally posted by Turnbull:
It's possible that Cicci helped Michael at the Senate hearing. Remember, he testified that he never got an order from Michael--"I never talked to him." But Cicci did get orders from him--apparently. Near the end of GF, when Tessio's getting in his car, Cicci says, "Sal, Tom, the boss says for you to go on ahead..." Sounded like he got a direct order from Michael that would implicate Michael in Tessio's murder. So his telling the Senate that he never talked to Michael would be a deliberate lie to get Michael off the hook. Maybe Michael recognized it as such.
But, as stated by Plaw before: "The boss" could also be Clemenza, who was Ciccio's boss.
I'm not saying Ciccio didn't know who Michael was, but the only boss gangsters care about is their own boss.
Cicci was a Capodecine (or lieutenant, or crewcaptain, whatever), and as such, had to respond only to his Capo, who was Clemenza.
