What were Tessio's intentions when he is surrounded by bodyguards?
In The Godfather, when Tessio learns his fate, he says :
Tell Mike it was only business... I always liked him.
Then a bodyguard reaches his jacket pocket to take Tessio's gun.
It looks like Tessio was considering reaching his gun at this very moment. Was he seriously considering taking out all the goons and escaping? He seem to have accepted his fate, then he had this slight arm movement that bothers me.
Details from the book are welcome.
Best Answer
I think it doubtful that he was reaching for a gun.
It looked as though he might have just been reaching towards Tom Hagen (perhaps for a handshake goodbye?)
However, the only indication from the novel is...
At that moment three more bodyguards materialized around them. Hagen said gently, “I can’t go with you either, Tessio.”
The ferret-faced caporegime understood everything in a flash of a second. And accepted it. There was a moment of physical weakness, and then he recovered. He said to Hagen, “Tell Mike it was business, I always liked him.
The Godfather - Mario Puzo
The bodyguard removing the gun is not in the novel.
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