That's exactly why Coppola was right to just remove the Fontane subplot from the film version of Godfather altogether. Having said that, if MW had to pick up that plot for his books, I think he did a superb job in Returns, including commenting on the Rat Pack days, and especially bringing Fontane to the conclusion of realizing that, no matter how close he is to James Shea, he'll always be a stupid Guinea to them. That's a good side-story. It's when he gets to Revenge that, I have to concede, there was very little for Fontane to do and very little reason for him to be in the book. He hosted Columbus Day, yawn. He played Columbus in a flop movie, yawn. Having him angrily dynamiting his helipad in Returns was a fine climax to his story; having him marry Francesca not necessarily so. That's a plotline that would require its own little short story to clarify and, perhaps, make less gross.

Now, when the book says Fontane got his second Oscar for being in the film based on Lupo's book that was based on Geraci's memoir, THAT peaks my interest. I've said this before. Who did he play in the film? The Fontane stand-in? Maybe even the Don? Who knows? And given that he's still friends with the Corleones, then and later, why would the Corleones let him do a film that's a thinly-veiled attack on them and their lives? What were the behind-the-scenes arguments like? Did Michael and Fontane talk about it? THAT's a possible short story waiting to be told: behind the scenes of the "Fausto's Bargain" films.