An exchange with Evita in another thread brings up something that has long puzzled me:

As I’ve argued many times: Michael had to have Pentangeli and Roth killed. Both were threats to him; and, as a Don, he had to show enemies and potential enemies that no one escapes his vengeance, no matter how well they’re protected.

Using Tom to convince Pentangeli to kill himself was a brilliant move because his death could not be linked directly to Michael. But, having Rocco whack Roth in the Miami airport, surrounded by FBI agents, news reporters and cameramen, strikes me as being insanely risky for Michael. Rocco had been identified as a Corleone Family caporegime in a chart displayed at the recent Senate hearing. Rocco, killed after the shooting, would be immediately linked to Michael. And, even in the extraordinarily unlikely event that Rocco might have (temporarily) escaped, he would have been identified from still pictures and newsreels taken of Roth’s arrest, as well as from eyewitness descriptions. Everything would lead directly to Michael. I’d think that’d be the last thing Michael would want after his own narrow escape from having his “legitimate” front destroyed at the Senate hearing.

What do you think?