"Michael, why are the drapes open?"

Above: Mike almost gets it himself

By the time of The Godfather Part II (1958 to 1959), Michael has moved to shake off his family's Mafia roots. Frank Pentangeli, a longtime associate of his father's, has taken over the family's operations in New York.

His efforts at going legitimate prove unsuccessful, however, as his enemies keep him involved in the underworld. He begins to work out a deal with business partner and rival Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg) over control of casino operations, but Roth manipulates Michael's brother Fredo (John Cazale) into unwittingly providing him with information used to arrange an attempt on Michael's life.