Was it not immediately very obvious that Carlo was responsible for Sonny's death?

That Sonny was intercepted on his way to his sister's apartment and a trap had been laid at a toll plaza showed that someone must have known the exact timing of his sister's phone call. Pretty much only Carlo could have known this -- it was clear to the audience that Carlo had deliberately started a fight with Connie to get Sonny to drive over.

So I think it was puzzling that after the Sonny's murder and until Michael confronted Carlo, Carlo and Connie not only remained together but had a son. Carlo did not seem concerned at all that Vito or anyone else in the family would figure out something that Carlo knew he had caused.

In a normal marriage, even if Sonny had merely gotten into a legitimate car accident and been simply injured, let alone killed, Connie would have likely been extremely angry with her husband for inadvertently causing Sonny to be injured.

How could Carlo have hoped not to be blamed for leading Sonny into a trap? The only possible explanation for Carlo not being involved was that there was a phone tap, constantly monitored by Barzini's men and when they heard he was coming, they hurriedly arranged the set up at the toll plaza -- this hardly seems likely.

What probably happened is the trap was laid first, hours before Sonny arrived and then Carlo was told somehow to escalate the fight (caused by a female voice on a call to Connie) to the point where Carlo knew Sonny was coming. Or I guess alternatively, Barzini's men would wait all day for Sonny's arrival (seems pretty hard to do this at a toll plaza) and if Sonny did not come, they would try something else -- it actually does not make a lot of sense as a plan to kill him.

But no matter how you look at it, at a minimum the timing of the fight between Connie and Carlo and Sonny being ambushed was extremely suspicious in a situation where suspicion alone might well get one killed.

So, again, why did it appear that life continue as normal for Connie and Carlo rather than Carlo, for example, immediately going into hiding?

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Best Answer

Leaving suspension of disbelief aside it seems that Connie was not informed of the specifics of how Sonny died.

The novel has a conversation between Tom Hagen and Carlo just after the assassination..

Hagen gave it to him straight. “They killed Sonny tonight. Don’t say anything. Connie called him while you were asleep and he was on his way over there, but I don’t want her to know that, even if she guesses it, I don’t want her to know it for sure. She’ll start thinking it’s all her fault. Now I want you to stay with her tonight and not tell her anything. I want you to make up with her. I want you to be the perfect loving husband. And I want you to stay that way until she has her baby at least. Tomorrow morning somebody, maybe you, maybe the Don, maybe her mother, will tell Connie that her brother got killed. And I want you by her side. Do me this favor and I’ll take care of you in the times to come. You got that?

Certainly it's clear that Carlo was immediately suspected by the Corleone crime family but that did not include Connie.

Carlo could not have gone into hiding as this would have confirmed his guilt to everyone. The best he can do is obey Tom's instructions, keep his head down and hope for the best.

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Why did Sonny beat up Carlo?

Sonny had recently inflicted a particularly vicious public beating on Carlo, after finding out that Carlo was abusing his wife Connie, Sonny's little sister.

Did Carlo have Sonny killed?

As he is about to be driven to the airport, Peter Clemenza, Michael's caporegime and Sonny's godfather, garrotes him to death. Connie is angry with Michael for having Rizzi killed, despite Rizzi's abuse and his role in Sonny's death, and resents her brother for many years afterward.

The Godfather - Michael Settles All Family Business 10/10 (HD)

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Images: Ty, Ono Kosuki, RODNAE Productions, Yan Krukov