# Godfather III: Just what was Don Altobello up to?  (open spoilers)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/godfather-iii-just-what-was-don-altobello-up-to-open-spoilers/357467>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 19, 2006, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/godfather-iii-just-what-was-don-altobello-up-to-open-spoilers/357467 "2006-05-19T22:53:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/godfather-iii-just-what-was-don-altobello-up-to-open-spoilers/357467/1 "2006-05-19T22:53:00Z")

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Loath as I am to remember or remind you of the abortion that was _Godfather III,_ one key plot point was never clear to me: The ancient hypocrite Don Altobello was the key villain of the story, who arranged the attack on the Dons’ meeting in NYC (which came just after he left the room) and the attempt on Michael Corleone’s life at the opera house in Palermo. But why? What was he trying to accomplish?

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**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/godfather-iii-just-what-was-don-altobello-up-to-open-spoilers/357467/2 "2006-05-20T00:27:16Z")

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Don Altobello wanted Michael and the rest of the Commission out of the way so he could be the Boss. Altobello was also working for/with Don Lucchesi to swindle Michael out of the $600 million Michael gave to the Roman Catholic Church in the Immobliare deal.

The Italian plot made sense, it was based very loosely on real life. But yet another aging rival boss in America trying to get rid of Michael made little sense.

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/godfather-iii-just-what-was-don-altobello-up-to-open-spoilers/357467/3 "2006-05-20T01:39:45Z")

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> [@5 time champ](#):
>
> The Italian plot made sense, it was based very loosely on real life.

Tell me more!

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**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\
**Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/godfather-iii-just-what-was-don-altobello-up-to-open-spoilers/357467/4 "2006-05-20T20:23:22Z")

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A lot of conspiricy theory aproaching tinfoil hat territory in the links but  
Roberto Calvi was found hanged from the Blackfriar’s Bridge in London. Calvi really was the chairman of Italy’s 2nd largest private bank. It appears Calvi ran with a bad crowd.

There were rumors that Pope John Paul I was poisoned. Although the banking scandal happened several years after the Pope’s death.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto\_Calvi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_Calvi)

[http://www.deepblacklies.co.uk/the\_money\_fountain\_pr.htm](http://www.deepblacklies.co.uk/the_money_fountain_pr.htm)