Godfather 01 The Godfather pdfdrive com

regime. The Corleone Family, in effect, had now only two fighting divisions

---

with less personnel than formerly. Clemenza and Tessio considered this suicidal,
especially with the Barzini-Tattaglia encroachments on their empires. So now
they were hopeful these errors might be corrected at this extraordinary meeting
convened by the Don.
Michael started off by telling them about his trip to Vegas and Moe
Greene’s refusing the offer to buy him out. “But we’ll make him an offer he
can’t refuse,” Michael said. “You already know the Corleone Family plans to
move its operations West. We’ll have four of the hotel casinos on the Strip. But
it can’t be right away. We need time to get things straightened out.” He spoke
directly to Clemenza. “Pete, you and Tessio, I want you to go along with me for
a year without questioning and without reservations. At the end of that year, both
of you can split off from the Corleone Family and be your own bosses, have
your own Families. Of course it goes without saying we’d maintain our
friendship, I wouldn’t insult you and your respect for my father by thinking
otherwise for a minute. But up until that time I want you just to follow my lead
and don’t worry. There are negotiations going on that will solve problems that
you think are not solvable. So just be a little patient.”
Tessio spoke up. “If Moe Greene wanted to talk to your father, why
not let him? The Don could always persuade anybody, there was never anyone
who could stand up to his reasonableness.”
The Don answered this directly. “I’ve retired. Michael would lose
respect if I interfered. And besides that’s a man I’d rather not talk to.”
Tessio remembered the stories he’d heard about Moe Greene slapping
Freddie Corleone around one night in the Vegas hotel. He began to smell a rat.
He leaned back. Moe Greene was a dead man, he thought. The Corleone Family
did not wish to persuade him.
Carlo Rizzi spoke up. “Is the Corleone Family going to stop operating
in New York altogether?”
Michael nodded. “We’re selling the olive oil business. Everything we
can, we turn over to Tessio and Clemenza. But, Carlo, I don’t want you to worry
about your job. You grew up in Nevada, you know the state, you know the
people. I’m counting on you being my right-hand man when we make our move
out there.”
Carlo leaned back, his face flushed with gratification. His time was
coming, he would move in the constellations of power.
Michael went on. “Tom Hagen is no longer the Consigliere. He’s
going to be our lawyer in Vegas. In about two months he’ll move out there

---

permanently with his family. Strictly as a lawyer. Nobody goes to him with any
other business as of now, this minute. He’s a lawyer and that’s all. No reflection
on Tom. That’s the way I want it. Besides, if I ever need any advice, who’s a
better counselor than my father?” They all laughed. But they had gotten the
message despite the joke. Tom Hagen was out; he no longer held any power.
They all took their fleeting glances to check Hagen’s reaction but his face was
impassive.
Clemenza spoke up in his fat man’s wheeze. “Then in a year’s time
we’re on our own, is that it?”
“Maybe less,” Michael said courteously. “Of course you can always
remain part of the Family, that’s your choice. But most of our strength will be
out West and maybe you’d do better organized on your own.”
Tessio said quietly, “In that case I think you should give us permission
to recruit new men for our regimes. Those Barzini bastards keep chiseling in on
my territory. I think maybe it would be wise to teach them a little lesson in
manners.”
Michael shook his head. “No. No good. Just stay still. All that stuff
will be negotiated, everything will be straightened out before we leave.”
Tessio was not to be so easily satisfied. He spoke to the Don directly,
taking a chance on incurring Michael’s ill will. “Forgive me, Godfather, let our
years of friendship be my excuse. But I think you and your son are all wrong
with this Nevada business. How can you hope for success there without your
strength here to back you up? The two go hand in hand. And with you gone from
here the Barzini and the Tattaglia will be too strong for us. Me and Pete will
have trouble, we’ll come under their thumb sooner or later. And Barzini is a man
not to my taste. I say the Corleone Family has to make its move from strength,
not from weakness. We should build up our regimes and take back our lost
territories in Staten Island at least.”
The Don shook his head. “I made the peace, remember, I can’t go back
on my word.”
Tessio refused to be silenced. “Everybody knows Barzini gave you
provocation since then. And besides, if Michael is the new chief of the Corleone
Family, what’s to stop him from taking any action he sees fit? Your word
doesn’t strictly bind him.”
Michael broke in sharply. He said to Tessio, very much the chief now,
“There are things being negotiated which will answer your questions and resolve
your doubts. If my word isn’t enough for you, ask your Don.”

---

But Tessio understood he had finally gone too far. If he dared to
question the Don he would make Michael his enemy. So he shrugged and said,
“I spoke for the good of the Family, not for myself. I can take care of myself.”
Michael gave him a friendly smile. “Tessio, I never doubt you in any
way. I never did. But trust in me. Of course I’m. not equal to you and Pete in
these things, but after all I’ve my father to guide me. I won’t do too badly, we’ll
all come out fine.”
The meeting was over. The big news was that Clemenza and Tessio
would be permitted to form their own Families from their regimes. Tessio would
have his gambling and docks in Brooklyn, Clemenza the gambling in Manhattan
and the Family contacts in the racing tracks of Long Island.
The two caporegimes left not quite satisfied, still a little uneasy. Carlo
Rizzi lingered hoping that the time had come when he finally would be treated as
one of the family, but he quickly saw that Michael was not of that mind. He left
the Don, Tom Hagen and Michael alone in the corner library room. Albert Neri
ushered him out of the house and Carlo noticed that Neri stood in the doorway
watching him walk across the floodlit mall.
In the library the three men had relaxed as only people can who have
lived years together in the same house, in the same family. Michael served some
anisette to the Don and scotch to Tom Hagen. He took a drink for. himself,
which he rarely did.
Tom Hagen spoke up first. “Mike, why are you cutting me out of the
action?”
Michael seemed surprised. “You’ll be my number one man in Vegas.
We’ll be legitimate all the way and you’re the legal man. What can be more
important than that?”
Hagen smiled a little sadly. “I’m not talking about that. I’m talking
about Rocco Lampone building a secret regime without my knowledge. I’m
talking about you dealing direct with Neri rather than through me or a