How stupid was he? When he was talking to Vito during the wedding it seemed like he had trouble reading the note he wrote. And during Sollozos metting he seemed a little bit more smarter. What was he?

He was far from stupid, that's for sure.

Actually Luca Brasi was the only person who made Don Vito feel uneasy. It was not that the Don was afraid of him, but Don Vito knew that the only time that he actually meet in private with Luca was for serious family business. The Don knew what Luca Brasi was capable of doing. Luca was the Don's most valued asset because of his treachery and loyalty to Vito, and the Don knew this. If you also remember, Luca was very nervous before meeting the Don, he is seen in the yard practicing what he would be saying when he did go in to see Vito. He was so nervous that when he did finally meet Vito in the office, he screws up his greeting to Vito. Luca and Vito needed each other and respected each other, but both knew how treacherous the other could be and that is why they were a bit uneasy when speaking of things other than business. The Book explains exactly what you are asking much better.

And to quote Turnbull : "Luca was the only man around him that the Don couldn't completely control. The novel says that Luca is "like a natural force--like lightning." Later, Michael asks why the Don chose to be associated with Luca, and the Don replies at length, in effect saying that a completely crazy person can be put to good use if a way is found to harness his crazyness." - as explained by Turnbull in a post from last year.


Don Cardi

Thanks, DC.
I'd add: The Don thought Luca was smart enough to deceive Sollozzo and the Tattaglias: "Go to the Tattaglias, make them think you're not too happy with our family...find out what he's got under his fingernails." The fact that the Don was shot, and Luca killed, didn't reflect on Luca's intelligence--it reflected on the Don's judgment in underestimating Sollozzo.

I read in the Gf Legacy Book,that Luca was so nervous being filmed with Brando that he was actully stutering when doing his lines,FFC decided to keep it in anyway

I also read that Lennie Montana, who played Luca, taped a note saying, "F*** YOU" to his tongue, and stuck it out at Brando during that key scene in the study.

They became good friends after that also

Luca may not be stupid, but if you've read the book you'll agree he's a mean bastard. I guess he was just really nervous when he was in Vitos office at the wedding.

I think that, perhaps, Luca was lacking in any formal education, but had street smarts. If you've read the book, Vito tells Michael that there are people in this world that not only don't fear death, but that court it. They go through life begging people to kill them, by being angry and antagonistic to their fellow man. He said that the only way to garner the loyalty of such men, is to make them afraid that YOU will be the one to kill them. That was Vito's relationship with Luca.

Tom Hagen tells the Don that Luca wants a word, and the Don asks "Is this really necessary?" and Tom replies that he didnt expect to get invited and he wanted to thank the Don personally. I suspect Luca didnt stick around to dance or listen to Johnny Fontaine sing. He just slipped the Don some money for the bridal purse and headed home. Luca was not that articulate, and he was rehearsing his speech to the Don -- Kay Adams first noticed him when he was doing that -- and when he met with the Don, Luca was further unnerved because a bunch of kids came running into the room.

The Don overestimated Luca's intelligence by thinking Luca could trick Solozzo. Just before Luca is killed, Bruno Tataglia offers to shake hands with Luca, and Luca, being honorable, refuses, and instead reaches for a cigarette. This is proof enough to Tattaglia and Sollozo that the whole thing was a trick.

I don't think that his refusal to shake hands with Tattaglia was an honorable gesture. I think it is further demonstration of Luca's feral manner. He refuses to shake hands because he wants to avoid contact, literally so that they couldn't get their hands on him. I think he probably always avoided human contact, just like some wary animals will.