Remember that Barzini is a very shrewd and crafty don; he's able to turn Carlo against the family he married into and betray Sonny. Barzini likely had dozens of his own men doing spy-like work to monitor Sonny's habits: when he would leave the Corleone compound, where he'd go, who he would meet with.
In a fit of pique, Carlo sought revenge by making a deal with the Corleones' rival Emilio Barzini to kill Sonny, which would break the stalemate of the Five Families War and possibly allow the other crime families to negotiate a deal to sell narcotics in Corleone territory.
At the Long Beach Causeway toll plaza, Barzini's men trap Sonny and shoot him multiple to death. During a meeting with the other crime family dons to establish peace, Vito realizes that Barzini masterminded Sonny's murder.
Michael even agrees to be godfather to their second child. However, Vito and Michael had figured out early on that Rizzi set Sonny up, and they brought him deeper within the family fold solely as a ploy to make him complacent.
De Niro auditioned for the character of Sonny Corleone in the first The Goodfather film in 1972 and after a difficult decision, Francis Ford Coppola preferred Caan, who died Thursday at the age of 82. Caan took the character to another level and is still remembered for his performance 50 years later.
According to Russo, Caan actually fought him during filming, causing some injuries. Caan, on the other hand, has denied this, but did admit to improvising one part of the fight scene. Read on to see what both actors have had to say about the dustup.
Fredo later betrays Michael after being approached by Johnny Ola (Dominic Chianese), an associate of rival crime boss Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg). Ola and Roth tell Fredo that Michael is being particularly difficult in business negotiations between Roth's organization and the Corleone family.
Connie (who was unaware of her husband's role in Sonny's murder), hysterical after Carlo's death, blames Michael, denouncing him in front of his wife, Kay.
On the plane, the captain reveals his true identity: Penelope. She admits that it was her who framed Sonny and called Ryan to report the news.
Because a group of men threatened Michael's father, Vito Corleone, and the well-being of the Corleone Family. As much as Michael had always dreamed of a life outside the underworld, he was loyal to his father and his family.
She was the maid of honor at Connie's wedding to Carlo Rizzi in 1945. Lucy had sex with Sonny at the wedding, beginning a years long extramarital affair with him. This affair eventually resulted in the birth of Vincent Mancini, who would later become the Don of the Corleone Family.
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.
According to The Godfather Part III, Hagen has already died before the time frame of the film, which is 1979–1980. There is no specific indication in the film as to when or how he died, except that it was prior to his son, Andrew (John Savage), being ordained a Roman Catholic priest.
Michael and Vito might have placed some of the blame for Sonny's assassination on Tom. Though it turns out that Carlo Rizzi plotted with Barzini to set Sonny up, Michael and Vito probably believed that Tom didn't do enough to stop Sonny from leaving the safety of the family compound that day to find Carlo.
Paulie has seemingly betrayed Vito—and thus the family—by selling him out. In The Godfather, this kind of betrayal is the worst of all sins. We see the matter discussed, in the Corleone family office, just before the viewer spends time in front of Clemenza's cozy abode.
She married him at a lavish old-style Sicilian ceremony in 1945. Carlo and Connie agreed to the ceremony due to her father's displeasure in her choice of groom (he was not only a hoodlum, but half-northern Italian). They moved into an apartment in Hell's Kitchen.
After one year of being at So Random, Sonny is framed for plagiarism, theft and betrayal and she needs to prove her innocence. After one year of being at So Random, Sonny is framed for plagiarism, theft and betrayal and she needs to prove her innocence.
The Godfather (1972) Scene: "You've had your drink"/Sonny's Dead.
In the late summer of 1948, Sonny Corleone was lured into a trap and was killed at the Jones Beach Causeway by Barzini family hitmen in order to avenge Carlo. The hit was engineered by Emilio Barzini after Carlo, angered at the loss of his income and at the fact that Sonny had beaten him, helped set it up.
Sonny (James Caan) introduces Carlo Rizzi (Gianni Russo), Connie's future husband and betrayer of Sonny, to his family.
Later, Connie's wail is heard in the distance where Father Odd and several other cultists murder her by drowning her in water.
Shortly afterwards, on July 29, 1955, Vito dies of a heart attack in his garden while playing with his grandson, Michael's son Anthony. In the novel, his last words are, "Life is so beautiful."
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.
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 that he broke Michael's heart.
Originally Answered: Why did Michael kill Fredo? Fredo was part of a plot to assassinate Michael. Arguably Fredo could have been forgiven as his character was known now and he could be controlled, but putting things in the perspective of "Corleone Family" the act of betrayal by Fredo deserves special treatment.