In 1958, during his son's
First Communion party at
Lake Tahoe,
Michael Corleone has a series of meetings in his role as the
Don of his crime family. Corleone
caporegime Frank Pentangeli is dismayed that Michael will not help him defend his Brooklyn territory against the Rosato brothers, who work for Michael's business partner
Hyman Roth. That night, Michael leaves Nevada after surviving an assassination attempt at his home.
Michael suspects Roth of planning the assassination, but meets with him in Miami and feigns ignorance. In New York, Pentangeli attempts to maintain Michael's façade by making peace with the Rosato family but they attempt to kill him.
Roth, Michael, and several of their partners travel to
Havana to discuss their future Cuban business prospects under the cooperative government of
Fulgencio Batista; Michael becomes reluctant after reconsidering the viability of the ongoing
Cuban Revolution. On New Year's Eve, he tries to have Roth and Roth's right-hand man Johnny Ola killed, but Roth survives when Michael's bodyguard is discovered and shot by police. Michael accuses his brother
Fredo of betrayal after Fredo inadvertently reveals that he'd met with Ola previously. Batista abruptly abdicates due to
rebel advances; during the ensuing chaos, Michael, Fredo, and Roth separately escape to the United States. Back home, Michael learns that his wife
Kay has miscarried.
In Washington, D.C., a
Senate committee on organized crime is investigating the Corleone family. Having survived the earlier attempt on his life, Pentangeli agrees to testify against Michael, who he believes had double-crossed him, and is placed under witness protection.
Fredo is returned to Nevada, where he privately explains himself to Michael: resentful at being passed over to head the family, he helped Roth in expectation of something in return—unaware, he claims, of the plot on Michael's life. Michael responds by disowning Fredo.
Unable to get to the heavily-guarded Pentangeli, Michael instead brings Pentangeli's Sicilian brother to the hearing. On seeing his brother, Pentangeli denies his previous statements, and the hearing dissolves in an uproar. Afterwards, Kay reveals to Michael that her miscarriage was actually an abortion, and that she intends to take their children away from Michael's criminal life. Outraged, Michael takes custody of the children and banishes Kay from the family.
Carmela Corleone dies. At the funeral, Michael appears to forgive Fredo but later orders caporegime
Al Neri to assassinate him out on the lake.
Roth is refused
asylum and even
entry to Israel and is forced to return to the United States. Over the dissent of
consigliere Tom Hagen, Michael sends caporegime
Rocco Lampone to intercept and shoot Roth on arrival. Rocco, however, is shot dead by federal agents after completing his mission.
At the
witness protection compound, Hagen reminds Pentangeli that failed plotters against the Roman Emperor often committed suicide and assures him that his family will be cared for. Pentangeli later slits his wrists in his bathtub.
Michael sits alone by the lake at the family compound.
