The novel several times makes the point that Vito never uttered a threat, not even to enemies, and he instructed Tom to do likewise. A wise policy.
Vito came very close to breaking that policy once..... in the meeting of the dons when Vito announced,
"My youngest son -- was forced to leave this country, -- because of this Sollozzo business. All right -- and I have to make arrangements to bring him back here safely -- cleared of all these false charges. But I'm a superstitious man -- and if some unlucky accident should befall him -- if he should get shot in the head by a police officer -- or if he -- should hang himself in his jail cell -- or if he's struck by a bolt of lightning -- then I'm going to blame some of the people in this room. And that, I do not forgive".That's a threat to my way of thinking.
