In The Godfather II (1974), during the wedding scene, Frank Pentangeli asks the band to play some Italian music, to which they begin to play "Pop Goes the Weasel". A weasel is another way of saying "snitch", and it foreshadows later in the movie when Frank becomes an informant for the FBI. Archived post.
Betrayal. While in Havana, Michael learned that Fredo betrayed him when Fredo accidentally let it slip that he and Johnny Ola had been to a sex show in Havana. He confronted Fredo at a New Year's party in Havana, telling Fredo that he knew he was the traitor and giving him the "kiss of death".
To eliminate Michael as a competitor, Roth manipulates Frank Pentangeli into testifying against Michael by having the Rosato brothers, two small-time hoods, attempt to kill Pentangeli. He survives and, believing Michael ordered the attack, agrees to testify against the Corleone family at a Senate hearing.
A rift grows between Pentangeli and Michael, however, that eventually results in Pentangeli betraying the family. Pentangeli's character was created in The Godfather Part II by Coppola and Puzo due to actor Richard Castellano not reprising his role as Clemenza in the sequel.
The REAL Traitor in The Godfather 2... | The Secret Behind Rocco Lampone
Who ordered the hit on Michael in Godfather 2?
Who attempted to have Michael Corleone assassinated in his home in Lake Tahoe? Hyman Roth gave the order, Fredo Corleone opened the curtains, and Rocco Lampone let the hit men into the compound, either intentionally or by lack of proper security oversight.
Believing that Michael ordered the Rosato Brothers to kill him, he had been in the custody of the FBI along with Willie Cicci since the murder attempt. Facing charges of first-degree murder, bookmaking and possession of drug paraphernalia, Pentangeli agreed to testify against Michael.
So (because this is getting lengthy), I'll end it here: Why did Hyman Roth give the order to kill Frank Pentangeli? Because he needed a snitch to testify against Corleone. What advantage would that give him? Roth's intention was to put Corleone away for life (since he couldn't kill him).
Yes, he did, at least according to the unfortunate and ill-conceived sequel The Godfather Part III. In The Godfather Part 3, why does Michael Corleone break down and confess to ordering the death of Fredo when he hates Fredo and wanted him dead and said that he was nothing to him and not a brother anymore?
The third and final film in the Godfather saga, The Godfather: Part III, set in 1979, explains that Hagen had died a few years earlier. His son, Andrew, is ordained to the priesthood, and is assigned to the Vatican on Michael's recommendation. While talking with Andrew, Michael remembers Hagen fondly as a great lawyer.
As Fredo prays the Hail Mary (which he claimed brought him luck whilst fishing), Neri shoots him in the back of the head, not knowing that Anthony was watching from his bedroom window.
In The Godfather Part 2, did Michael Corleone ever suspect Tom Hagen of being the traitor at all especially since he cut him out of the action and told him little? No, Michael trusted Hagen as much as he trusted any human. He made Hagen acting Don when he went underground to uncover the traitor because he trusted him.
Vincent is the illegitimate son of Sonny Corleone and his mistress Lucy Mancini. He eventually succeeds his uncle Michael as head of the Corleone family.
Enraged, Sonny speeds towards Connie's apartment in Hell's Kitchen ahead of his bodyguards. At the Long Beach Causeway toll plaza, Barzini's men trap Sonny and shoot him to death. During a meeting with the other crime family dons to establish peace, Vito realizes that Barzini masterminded Sonny's murder.
Roth arrives at the airport and prepares to be taken into Federal Custody in the U.S. Minutes after getting off the plane, he is shot point-blank by Corleone caporegime Rocco Lampone, who was posing as a reporter. Rocco was then shot and killed by federal officers as he was running away.
Fredo was aware that Hyman was angry with Michael's aggressiveness in Las Vegas, and he simply allowed Hyman to attempt to kill Michael so that he could hopefully claim the title of Don Corleone. Of course, we all know how it eventually ended up going down.
Most noteworthy, the novel depicts Clemenza's fatal heart attack (mentioned in The Godfather Part II), and the many conspiracy theories that he had actually been murdered by the Rosato Brothers, former Corleone soldiers who had formed their own gang after a dispute over the future of the family.
In 1901, the local mafia chieftain, Don Ciccio, murders Vito's father Antonio when he refuses to pay him tribute. Paolo, Vito's older brother (presumably ret-conned as the one born in 1887), swears revenge, but Ciccio's men kill him too.
Remember, he's based on Meyer Lansky. Lansky was indeed a part of the Jewish Mafia, who worked closely with the Italian Mafias. He made his fortune in the Prohibition era, and he then branched out into other operations. Roth is portrayed a bit differently than the real-life Lansky.
Michael instead had Vincenzo flown in from Sicily. Vincenzo's presence at the hearing was to warn his brother against testifying and thus breaking the code of omertà.
Clemenza was scheduled to return in The Godfather Part II, but due to a disagreement between Castellano and Paramount, his character was killed off and was replaced by Frank Pentangeli.
Michael's Safety: Vito deeply cared for Michael and wanted to shield him from the dangers and violence of the criminal world. He recognized Michael's potential for leadership and, therefore, did not want Michael to be directly involved in acts of vengeance, which could put him in harm's way.
