Why Did Roth Really Want Michaels $2 Million ?

[@PeterT-i1w]

"Your father worked with Hyman Roth, your father respected Hyman Roth, but you father never trusted him, nor his Sicilian errand boy, Junior Soprano"

[@Realenuff2win]

@@PeterT-i1w LOL!!!

[@TJ_CrayonBeltFeeder]

Slander you ask me. Tony though, never had the makings of a varsity athlete

[@odeleon24]

Junior Sopranos going down to Boca, doesn’t go down enough

[@andrewcampbell3314]

Junior soprano never had the makings of a sicilian messenger boy....... 😂

[@eljefemaximo5420]

Cazata Melanga!

[@tonym2784]

This story parallels Vito’s feud with Don Cicco. Just as Roth uses Money to misdirect Michael from his plan to kill him, Vito uses misdirection on Don Cicco by asking for his “Blessing” to use the olives of Corleone for his Olive oil business.

[@mikeo2524]

$2 million back then is about $20M today inflation adjusted. It was a good chuck of money back then.

[@TJ_CrayonBeltFeeder]

This is the business they chose!

[@TJ_CrayonBeltFeeder]

Michael is just trying to deceive Roth. He was acting difficult and skeptical to get Roth from suspicion that he knows Roth plans are to have Michael killed in Cuba, and on the other side he has a pre-emptive strike to Roth. In the first Godfather movie Clemenza does something similar, acting a bit irritated when he sets out with Paulie Gatto on what will be his last ride. Clemenza acts irritated, knowing that Paulie will be suspicious if he’s too friendly. In the novel Clemenza plans how he will act to put Paulie off his guard.

[@youngtrainingdaywestphilly203]

Hyman Roth always makes money for his partners. One by one, our old friends are gone. Death, natural or not, prison, deported. Hyman Roth is the only one left because he always made money for his partners. 🤔

[@reggieclarke2036]

I think it's much simpler than that. Roth wanted Michael eliminated, hence the end of the Corleone family. Once the assassination attempt failed, Roth tried bankrupting him. Roth knew the days of the controlling Party in Cuba were limited. Michael saw in a few hours what was going on in Cuba. Roth has been there for much longer, he knew. Pulling in Michael to invest in a knowingly failed venture would have severely weakened Michael if not end him entirely. $2M was a lot in the 50s. It would also allow Roth to recoup some of the costs of the impending end of his Cuban investments.

[@Jim-Tuner]

The money exchange and the meeting was about luring Michael to Cuba. It was enough money that Michael would have to be there in person. He was being brought into a prepared trap on what was in effect Roth's home ground.

[@JohnMoog-ug6bk]

I’m not convinced Roth could’ve financed the Havana deal out of his own pocket. He says we’re bigger than US Steel, not I’m bigger than US Steel. His talent as financial wizard is in leveraging others’ money, and Michael’s $2M is key to getting the other families to pony up. What becomes clearer in Godfather III is that that’s precisely the role Michael wants to play - investing mafia funds in legal enterprises. Hence the deadly rivalry.

[@ppuh6tfrz646]

Roth could definitely have financed it himself. Michael was going to make an investment of $2 million. Roth was worth $300 million

[@moviesgalore9947]

@@ppuh6tfrz646 Hyman Roth was a fictional version of Meyer Lansky and he was very wealthy nobody knows how rich he was at his peak.

[@ppuh6tfrz646]

@@moviesgalore9947 I know Roth is based on Lansky. But I'm talking about the film and Roth can certainly afford to go ahead with the deal without MIchael's involvement. Which suggests Roth has another motive for the Cuban deal.

[@bandit7519]

aint it always better in business to use someone else money instead of yours

[@CG_VON]

Yes, I don't think Hyman Roth planned to be business partners with Micheal. This business deal seems real but only a scheme to reign Micheal only to have him killed. It was a good place in Cuba because they had a lot of power in Cuba at the time, and an investigation would be limited. Roth seems to be very ambitious and determined to see his will be done. We know how his plans turned out.

[@SonofSamClemens]

Thank you for making this. Ive loved this movie for so long and never fully gotten all this until now.

[@nightrider12soul]

Michael killed all legendary bosses except himself. Easy to see who was who in real life.

[@moviesgalore9947]

Lee Strasberg played Hyman Roth perfectly and Lee was an acting teacher very famous for his students he taught and this was the only movie he ever appeared in which is crazy he was so good. Or maybe he was in other films but this was his most famous role he nailed it.

[@brozors]

@@moviesgalore9947 I felt Strasberg had the best performance of the movie. His eyes had so much anger, and he looked menacing for an unhealthy old man.

[@jaelge]

Brilliant analysis.

[@MasterJunior93]

"now I'm going to my room to take a nap... And when I wake up in 2 hours, if the money is on that table, I'll know that I have a partner. If it's not... I'll know that I don't." - Hyman Roth.

[@STONESGAM]

Roth was an interesting character because he wasn't Italian but had financial partnerships going with the other families to give him his power. He would likely need backing from other key heads of family to go toe to toe with the Corleone Family in any kind of war. He was primarily a businessman like Meyer Lansky but also had enough power and financial clout and connections to weigh in on mob killings as well.

[@daveb2280]

Yep. The Jewish Mafia back then had enormous clout and understood the business aspect of it.

[@jasonpalacios2705]

Michael won because he brought Frank's brother from Sicily to break Frank P by not ratting out on Michael but at the same time Hyman Roth destroyed Mike by destroying his family completely.

[@TJ_CrayonBeltFeeder]

Wrong. At the end of GF1 you see that Michael doesn’t care about anybody but himself. Even his children are second to him. Only the idea of hurting his children only upsets Michael because it disrespects him. He never cries, smiles or laughs genuinely post Sollozo and McCluskey business. One time Fredo makes the daiquiri comment and he smirks quickly. Michael realizes in 3 that he is only in the end. There are similarities to James dean character in Giant and there was a mirror in Daniel day Lewis in there will be blood. Al Pacino will later circle back to this in Scarface.

[@jasonpalacios2705]

@@TJ_CrayonBeltFeeder Yeah but it was Hyman Roth who did the assassination attempt on Michael is the way how Hyman Roth damaged Michael too.

[@lizd2943]

@@TJ_CrayonBeltFeeder It's not after the Sollozzo business, it's after Apolonia gets blown up.

[@mikedeck8381]

I always thought Roth knew that the casinos in Cuba were lost and his main goal was to take Mike out and take over the casinos in Vegas. That was his endgame.

[@markusphenix8343]

I dont understand how 2 mil was a difficult amount for micheal i remember some dude explaining the vito on his peak had earned around 650 million.

[@strategicsage7694]

It's not a difficult amount in and of itself.

[@darthkek1953]

It's about $25m in today's money. A lot or anyone.

[@ppuh6tfrz646]

@@darthkek1953 Not if you're head of the most powerful Mafia family in the world.

[@darthkek1953]

@@ppuh6tfrz646 Lansky was small fry. Rothschild is the Emperor of the World.

[@lizd2943]

Because he realized that the rebels were the more committed side so his investment would be seized by the new communist regime.

[@arynrowland862]

Because he’a greedy criminal? Lol, great video, I love these movies.

[@KneelB4Bacon]

Roth was also preparing Moe Greene to replace him. Moe was he protege. That's what Roth's story to Michael was all about. And Michael had him killed. So Roth was lying when he said, "no one knows who gave the order." He knows Michael did it and you can see how angry he is when he says it. Roth was taking this VERY personally.

[@MartinWoad]

Yes, but at the same time it is deeper than that. It was a double misdirection. He said that nobody knows who gave the order and indeed implied that he very well knows who gave the order and that it was Michael. But at the same time it was an attempt at showing that he values business above personal revenge and that from now on he is willing to make things go if they seal the deal. Which of course he wasn't, he still wanted to eliminate Michael no matter what. This is the purpose of saying "nobody knows" - if we cooperate then it will be as if nobody knew and nobody cared. His outburst of anger was both genuine and calculated at the same time.

[@gardtexas603]

What I don't understand: Hyman Roth is an old man Michael is young. You always fear and respect the old men in a profession where men die young!!!!

[@danielmclaughlin5546]

Like how Roth was supposedly so rich, but lives in a small ranch house in Miami and has no guards or servants.

[@nosuchthing8]

Yeah, Roth was upset with Moe's death.

[@CG_VON]

He also had personal reasons. If his plan was successful, he would be able to say he was able to take out Micheal. It seems power and revenge fuel Hyman Roth.

[@WillWilsonII]

If didn't want it I'll take it

[@redMaple_QC]

The art of repeating the same thing over and over

[@the200movingaverage]

All Roth wanted was to avenge Moe Green’s death, the business deal and fatherly figure was just a ploy to get close to Michael

[@daveb2280]

@the200movingaverage: I agree. But Roth also was taken aback at how Michael took out the heads of the other families. Roth was older and "did his time." Michael was a nobody when Vito passed and Roth resented that.

[@TeeWreh]

I think this video has a few things wrong. 1. Roth was not wealthy at the time of the Cuban deal. Especially not enough to fund a project like the one in Cuba. He was sick and old but what he did have was connections. 2. Michael's money wasn't just necessary but his business was equally important. What was Michael getting for his money? These type of deals involve investors buying their way into another country. Look at the collection of players Roth brought to Cuba, including Michael.. All of these guys came on a mission to expand their respective businesses to Cuba. The money they paid was too be used by the incumbent leader to stave off the resistance and retain power. This is why the suicide on the streets was so important to the story. Michael questioned the entire thing after seeing that. He figured the resistance could not be defeated if they're willing to die. Michael was right. Roth was pissed when Michael brought this up at the gathering in front of the other investors. He didn't want anyone to pull out of the deal. 3. I think Roth sent Johnny Ola to destabilize Michael. It wasn't an assassination attempt but rather to stoke fear into Michael. That's why he used guys that he didn't mind getting killed. If Michael goes fully legit and get too comfortable, he might not do the deal. The guys obviously almost killed Michael and Kay but it wouldn't make sense to kill Michael when Roth needed him in Cuba. I'm not sure of the exact message but I think it was to send a message. That's why they went through Fredo. If they wanted to kill Michael they wouldn't do it at his house which is his most secure location. Also, why did Johnny Ola call Fredo after the shooting?! They offered Fredo something (a deal for himself) is he helped them (unknowingly) get Michael to do the Cuba deal.

[@ppuh6tfrz646]

1:55 Did Michael have political ambitions? That's the first I've heard of it.

[@Jim-Tuner]

His father had political ambitions for Michael in the first film.

[@ppuh6tfrz646]

@@Jim-Tuner Yes, I know. But Vito isn't Michael, is he?

[@PerfectoKiss]

Still confused about the partnership.

[@CG_VON]

The partnership was a hoax to reign in Micheal, with Hyman Roth having no real intentions to go into business with Micheal. This plot was used to get revenge for the murder of Moe Green. It was also appropriate to mention that if successful, he could say he was able to take out Micheal. Human Roth was highly ambitious.

[@m2nal]

It was a trap

[@aisle_of_view]

Johnny Ola is Uncle Junior

[@timverba4830]

Question??? Did Michael actually make the investment?

[@thehonesttruth8808]

No

[@lizd2943]

He had Fredo bring the money to Cuba but held it back after he realized Castro's rebels might well win.

[@Kenzo8110]

Damn bro you study the godfather at Harvard

[@ienjoyapples]

Also $2M was a lot of fucking money in the 50s.

[@nightrider12soul]

Godfather is pure fiction but they used the real characters and is easy to figure out their identity.

[@darthkek1953]

Hymen Roth is OJ Simpson.

[@scotttracy9333]

@@darthkek1953 I think Hyman Roth is based on Meyer Lansky

[@darthkek1953]

@@scotttracy9333 I think OJ Simpson is a more likely fit.

[@TJ_CrayonBeltFeeder]

Correct and now moe green was suppose to be based in seagal who was good friends with lansky in the 20s-50s. the book is way better

[@TJ_CrayonBeltFeeder]

Stupid joke. Not even funny correlations.

[@adrianwebster6923]

Was Roth really that wealthy at this time or was he a paper tiger making a desparate gamble in Cuba to reclaim past glory and wealth that had passed him by? If he was as powerful as he presents himself to be I am not so sure he would have gotten busted so easily.

[@moviesgalore9947]

Godfather 3 should have been Michael runs for President and he wins but then he gets assassinated before he can take office that would have been the best third movie and Roth hints at it when he says "with the right man we can run the country" he wants Michael to think about running for president some day.

[@codrinpantea8327]

How to say a lot wihtout saying anything in 4 mins masterclass

[@roobear78]

sorry but all that is just a deep dive that glosses over the real reason,roth didnt have 2 million dollars! For the corleones it was a massive amount of cash on hand and they were a massive family,roth was rich but not that much which is why he needed partners! Nowdays yeah sure mobsters have rooms full of cash,back then it was all laundered away or invested into other things.remeber this was all before uber massive drug trade and more modern types of crime we think about! The first movie basically sets it out that there makeing money from rackets,protection and gambling

[@ascendant95]

Paused at 0:01. I always wondered this too. Hyman Roth was worth oveer $300 million in the late 1950's right? The not fiction character he is portraying is Meyer Lansky..................and Meyer Lansky was broke living on a fixed income in a Jewish ghetto in Miami for the last 30 years of his life. Perhaps Hyman Roth wanted the $2 million to know Michael had skin in the game. Or because he was going to try another attempt on his life soon and he could just keep it. Meyer Lansky must have loved watching this movie in his 450 square foot apartment.