Absolutely. For some reason, Geary fails to appreciate the line between business and personal that the mob lives by. He just couldn't resist the temptation to insult Michael in front of his own men - even as his ostensible purpose was a simple extortion. In that sense, he shot himself in the foot.

Had he kept his demands to a reasonable, even customary amount and kept his personal contempt for the Corleones to himself, he stood a good chance of getting what he wanted. It just goes to show Geary's rank naivete and amateurism. The guy was a total rube, a simple country boy picking a fight with a highly-skilled and ruthless city slicker. He never stood a chance.

~ Q