Originally Posted by Turnbull
Originally Posted by Lana

According to Roth's plan, Michael would be dead the night of Tahoe party

So why would the ever astute, meticulous Roth as clever as he is, take such an uncharacteristic risk, showing his hand interesting himself in an obscure beef - between Miami, New York, Nevada and Havana - seems to me far too high a risk for Roth to take especially so early on when by all accounts Michael would be dead the night of Tahoe party

The Rosatos were essential to Roth's Plan A--to have Michael assassinated at Tahoe. By advocating for the Rosatos against Pentangeli, Roth in effect set up Frankie to show up at Anthony's party, contentious and angry. Therefore, Pentangeli would make the perfect patsy for Michael's assassination. If Michael had been killed, Pentangeli either would have been on the run, or would have had to fight the Rosatos for control of the Olive Oil business. Either scenario would have weakened the Corleone successors.

Even though the attempt failed, it still looked like Pentangeli had set up the Tahoe shooting--that is, until Michael finally came to his senses and figured out that Roth was behind it. That's when he started playing Roth beautifully, telling him (in Miami), that their Havana deal was still on, and that "Frank Pentangeli is a dead man--you don't object?" Roth fell for it, hook, line and sinker. Now Roth's greed for the $2 million blinded him to the obvious: Why would Michael ask Roth's permission to kill his own subordinate, Pentangeli?
Roth always made money for his partners, lived like our average neighbour, harmless old man, a retired investor living on a pension, in an unassuming house, eating tuna sandwiches and flying under the radar

Again, why would Roth take such an uncharacteristic risk, showing his hand interesting himself in an obscure beef against Michael's man, Pentangeli, when by all accounts Michael would be dead the night of Tahoe party

All Roth would have had to do is to sit back and let them fight each other then pick up the Corleone business after all the bloodshed

It seems to me, Roth took a very risky unnecessary gamble that Roth's “Havana deal” carrot would make Michael to go against his own people