Крестный отец

           Michael,formidableashemightprovetobe,couldneverhopetoequaltheDonincunningandinfluenceforatleastanotherdecade.TheCorleoneFamilywasdefinitelyinadecline.

           Ithad,ofcourse,sufferedseriousmisfortunes.Freddiehadprovedtobenothingmorethananinnkeeperandladies’man,theidiomforladies’manuntranslatablebutconnotatingagreedyinfantalwaysatitsmother’snipple—inshort,unmanly.Sonny’sdeathtoo,hadbeenadisaster.Sonnyhadbeenamantobefeared,nottobetakenlightly.Ofcoursehehadmadeamistakeinsendinghisyoungerbrother,Michael,tokilltheTurkandthepolicecaptain.Thoughnecessaryinatacticalsense,asalong-termstrategyitprovedtobeaseriouserror.IthadforcedtheDon,eventually,torisefromhissickbed.IthaddeprivedMichaeloftwoyearsofvaluableexperienceandtrainingunderhisfather’stutelage.AndofcourseanIrishasaConsiglierehadbeentheonlyfoolishnesstheDonhadeverperpetrated.NoIrishmancouldhopetoequalaSicilianforcunning.SowenttheopinionofalltheFamiliesandtheywerenaturallymorerespectfultotheBarzini-TattagliaalliancethantotheCorleones.TheiropinionofMichaelwasthathewasnotequaltoSonnyinforcethoughmoreintelligentcertainly,butnotasintelligentashisfather.Amediocresuccessorandamannottobefearedtoogreatly.

           Also,thoughtheDonwasgenerallyadmiredforhisstatesmanshipinmakingthepeace,thefactthathehadnotavengedSonny’smurderlosttheFamilyagreatdealofrespect.