When Michael returns from Cuba and tells Rocco and Neri to wait outside, Rocco leaves, but Neri turns his back to Michael, waits, then finally leaves. However, he exits, then closes the sliding door, but waits there for many seconds looking inside. I took that as his demonstrating his dissatisfaction with being excluded. Did any of you see that and interpret it such?
That's a peculiar scene. Looks to me that Neri was about to follow Rocco out, but turns, snatches a smoke (maybe a cigar) from the coffee table, then lights it up outside the sliding door.
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But his main role was being a bodyguard, the confidant came second. So why be upset with Tom?
Are you referring to the boathouse scene near the end of II when Michael asks Tom if he's going to quit and join the "House and Hotels" as vice president? As Michael is nailing Tom, Neri leans back in his chair with a smug look on his face--as if he was the source of that potentially damaging info. Though I can't prove it, I've always inferred that Neri, by that time, was trying to shove aside Rocco and Neri, and stand alone as Michael's No. 2. Watch how he conducts himself in that scene--he's a full member of the discussion about Roth, even though he barely said ten words earlier in the Trilogy (except for a deleted scene).
This raises a broader question: what was the relationship among Rocco, Neri and Tom? Rocco and Neri couldn't have had much respect for Tom because Tom never made his bones, was not in the muscle end of the business, was not Michael's choice for consigliere, and had been demoted by Michael and humiliated by him more than once. Michael put Tom in charge while he was away after the shooting, but as soon as he returned, he was shouting at Tom ("Can't you give me a straight answer anymore?") within earshot of the others. The boathouse scene was really humiliating.
Rocco was Clemenza's choice,, Neri was Michael's choice. We don't see them exchanging any words during GF and II. I don't believe they could have been close in any way. One of the Mafia's prime rules: Never have friends in the family--you might have to kill them one day.
Ntra la porta tua lu sangu � sparsu, E nun me mporta si ce muoru accisu... E s'iddu muoru e vaju mparadisu Si nun ce truovo a ttia, mancu ce trasu.
