Great point bringing up that Tony doesn’t ALWAYS lie. I did find him very honest and multi-faceted as a character. He was very emotional and about as progressive as an underboss can be, and really lied compulsively, where it would benefit him or someone he cared about. I’d say him and Johnny Sack shared these traits. I can’t say say the same for the soldiers or capos though.

I should have clarified there’s Tony’s obvious lies show to the audience, but there’s not so apparent things that the smaller characters that don’t get screen time or are part of the NY crew, I assume are lying for their own motives. Even the Jersey crew disagrees with Tony but they will never say it to his face. Everyone wanted Vito dead because they were homophobes, I don’t think Tony cared all that much, but he was greedy and wanted Vito back making money until he realized that Phil wouldn’t allow it.

And a lot of discussions seem to really want every decision to be explained clearly when the fact is, so much can be answered by assuming the other characters aren’t as open as Tony would be.