Did Michael send Tom to visit him and deliver an ultimatum or did he rot away in prison because he couldn't identify the "Buffas" in the Corleone family?
shareMichael wouldn't want anybody connected to him to have any contact Willie Cicci, which would eliminate the "Buffas" between them. Willie was not a threat to Michael, since he never got a direct order from him. The only people he could have testified against would have been Sonny (Dead), Clemenza (Dead), Frankie (already in custody, soon to be dead), and possibly other guys in Frankie's crew, but the Senate wasn't after those guys because they also couldn't get Michael, who was the one they wanted. Most likely they left Willie in prison.
Frankie was a different case because everyone knew he did have direct contact with Michael, and he could have given evidence against him. The FBI probably told Frankie that Tom Hagen was there to see him, and Frankie, knowing that Tom wasn't the muscle of the family, approved it. Plus they did search Tom before he entered.
He was intended to take the place of the Joey Zaza charter in the third film but unfortunately Joe Spinnel died in 89. I’m guessing he just faded into oblivion or Michael had him killed off screen
shareActually now that I think about it I think Michael definitely had him killed offscreen, the Michael Corleone I know would never allow a traitor to the family to go unpunished.
shareI agree.
shareThat's what I figured as well but perhaps Paramount and Coppola figured it wasn't necessary to shoot another scene like they did in The Godfather 1 where Michael finds out where Fabrizio is hiding in Buffalo NY and has him killed afterall.
shareHe moved to Philadelphia and started up his own smaller scale operation...
shareHe altered his last name and became a successful businessman, running a chain of inexpensive pizza buffets.
shareHe changed his name to Frank Zito, killed some women and used their scalps to dress his mannequins.
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