Originally Posted by Lana

  • Tattaglia stated “Vito had ALL the judges and politicians in his pocket. He refused to share them”
  • Barzini stated “Don Corleone had ALL the judges and the politicians in New York, then he must share them or let us others use them”
  • Even though Tattaglia and Barzini seem to use 'had' the discussion was in the present tense ie: they were still after Vito's protection even after that long
  • Barzini concluded “Don Corleone will give us protection in the East and there will be peace”
  • Does this mean the other New York families did not have political and legal influence? Hence Vito's protection was essential for the proposed drug operation

Thus I also deduce that Vito's participation and protection in the proposed drug operation was essential indeed

I think Tatt and Barz were exaggerating, but they had a point:
All Mob families have police and political protection in order to protect their operations and stay in business. As long as their rackets are (in Vito's words) "harmless vices" like gambling, liquor and prostitution, the cops and politicos are easy to "buy." But drugs, as Vito said, "is a dirty business." That's why judges are so important. The novel provides detail missing from the film:

At their meeting, Sol tells Vito: "Even a Sicilian sentenced to 20 years could break omerta and talk his brains out, endangering higher-ups." He pledges to Vito that he will use operatives with clean records "so it will be logical for judges to hand down light sentences." For Sol, that was the essential value of a partnership with Vito: he may not have had all the judges in NY, but he had most of them. More important, he had earned (bought, if you will) their trust and loyalty over the years. Only Vito could prevail on judges to hand down light sentences to Sol's operatives if they were caught.

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.