OK I watched Godfather II last night which I really dig but I realized I have some questions. So any experts out there if you please...

1.Was Frank Pantagelese responsible at all for the shooting attempt on Michael? And if not (which I assume) why did the attempted killer say, 'Michael Corleone says hello...'

2. Who shot the shooters and how did Michael know they'd already be dead?

3. Did Fredo open the drapes?

more questions in a bit...

1. Hymen Roth was behind the shooting attempt on Michael. He was behind everything. Pentagelese was just another pawn in his game. In the beginning of the movie the premise for Pentagelese is that hes in the middle of a beef with the Rizado Brothers who work for Roth. Roth probably knew Pentagelese would go to Michael for help and that Michael would refuse it. So Roth has Michael shot at shortly following that refusal to make it look like it was Pentagelese who got pissed off and ordered a hit on Michael(Roth even sends Johnny Ohla, his "Sicilian messenger boy" to have a smooth chat with Michael that same afternoon before the shooting so as to put Michael at ease about their business relationship, friendship, etc. with the intent of thus relieving himself from any suspicion later on).

When the Rizado Brothers try to strangle Pentagelese and say "Michael Corleone says hello" Roth ordered them to do and say that. Remember that prior to this scene Michael has a conversation with Roth in his home explaining that he was going to kill Pentagelese; he did this to see what reaction he would get from Roth. Roth just shrugs and says "hes small potatoes". Roth wanted Pentagelese to think that Michael ordered the hit on him so that (understanding Pentagelese's rash and not too clever personality) Pentagelese would get pissed at Michael again and hand him over to the FBI after he is arrested. Roth's pl courtan after the failed assassination attempt on Michael was to have Michael indicted by the senate through the testimony of Pentagelese(one of the senators on the committee, we find out later on, actually "belonged to Roth").

2. Michael knew the shooters would be dead because if they were ever found alive they could spill the beans on who was behind everything as well as finger the inside man(Fredo). So it was logical that whoever hired the shooters would have them disposed of rather quickly.

3. Fredo wasnt in on the hit I dont think so I doubt he moved the curtains. Remember how surprised he is when he gets the phone call in the middle of the night from Johnny Ohla telling him about the failed shooting attempt. Fredo replies: "you guys lied to me".

awesome summary totally

much appreciated

Not for nothin', but when someone gets promoted to a job over someone who has more seniority and should have gotten it, we refer to it as "gettin Fredo-ed" (Sicilian inflection added when spoken).