So I’ve never understood this one- who killed the hooker that Senator Geary wakes up next to? The suspects:
Geary himself- a long-shot, but he does imply they were practicing some form of weird sex that they’d had before, so perhaps it really was an accident and the Corleones just got a peculiarly lucky break.
Fredo- it was his whorehouse, but Fredo seemed too incompetent to find his butt with both hands.
Tom Hagan- it would be ironic to learn that the man Michael didn’t trust to be wartime consiglieri was the bloodiest of the lot, but it’s possible. However, how did he manage the hit? Somebody had to get in, slaughter the hooker without Geary waking up (if he was drugged it’s another question- who gave him the mickey? I don’t think the hooker would be that compliant), and then call Tom.
Did Tom have a standing order that “if Geary ever comes back, this is what we’ll do?”
I always thought that the dead hooker scene was the most disturbing in any of the movies, incidentally. (Well, it’s the most disturbing if you don’t count Sofia Coppola’s acting, about which I say for the 493rd time, WTF? WTF-WTF? Paternal pride is one thing, but surely Coppola HAD to have seen that his little girl had less talent that Melanie Griffith on valium.)
The fellow who’s doing something mysterious in the bathroom, and passes a rather ominous look towards Hagen during the conversation. This character was always just background in the movies and never had much to say or do, but he is supposed to be Mike Corelone’s personal hit man as well as a high-ranking “caporegime” in the Family. In early drafts of the original “Godfather”, Vito Corelone refers to Neri as being on a level with Luca Brasi, hence, a coldblooded killer completely loyal to the Family.
Alex B, ""…Coppola certainly seems to think it was Neri…"
Seems to think?!?!
I’d hope that he’d know, consdering he was the director/executive producer and he co-wrote the damn screen play.
Sheesh.
That being said, I think it’s fairly obvious that Senator Geary killed the hooker. Hagen may well have provided the hooker and the room and possibly have ordered that something be slipped into Geary’s drink, but geary did the actual killing. As Geary said in the movie, he was no stranger to visiting prostitutes/whores, and Michael figured out that whores were geary’s weakness. Geary was pretty corruptable as a politician, recall his demand for a cut of the profits from the Corleone controlled casinos in exchange for some political clout.
Once Michael knew about Geary’s weak point he simply used it as a means to bring Geary into his sphere of influence and once the hooker was killed, Geary was now for all intents and purposes owned by the Corleone family.
It’s pretty much the exact opposite of the scene from the beginning of The Godfather when the undertaker goes to Don Corleone asking for vengance for his daughter. In return for said vengance, the undertaker owes Don Corleone a favor, which may or may not ever be asked for. Of course, it is, after Sonny is gunned down.
The difference is that while the undertakers favor was just a one time thing, Michael Corleone had geary under his thumb for as long as he wanted, simply because if Geary protested, Michael would release the story about what happened vis-a-vie the hooker.
I’ll admit the first time I saw the movie, I assumed like BogieBlanca that Geary killed the hooker. But seeing the film subsequent times, it’s obviously way too coincidental for her death to have happened without the Corleones having arranged it. I assumed Tom dug up the information, Michael came up with the idea, Fredo set it up, and Neri did the actual killing.
GFII’s been coming on HBO lately. I remember, having watched the movie about seven or so years ago, assuming some random Corleone mob dude killed her. Watching it recently, though, I came away thinking it was probably Neri.
I do know at no point did I ever think Geary did it.
It was such an obvious set up, Geary couldn’t have possibly done it. Likely Freido owned many of these places without it being obvious.
I assume that the Corleone’s knew Geary’s passtime hobbies well in advance of their inital meeting. (How many times do we see Michael or one of his people, namely Tom Hagen have all the information on someone they are meeting?) and when he didn’t co operate they used it against him.
I vote Neri, it’s been a while since I’ve seen it but he is the logical choice to slaughter someone just to set someone else up.
Now could someone tell me who killed the two Hitmen at Michael’s compound?
No. Al Neri killed her. Geary was drugged. Remember, when Hagan is in the bedroom talking to Geary and Neri’s in the bathroom cleaning up? Hagan is upset that Neri’s visible to Geary and nods his head for Neri to get lost.
There’s no question about this. It’s been years since I read the original Mario Puzo book but the book discuses this in detail, as I recall.