Hi I found a photo from his early boxing days, do you think his large frame made him the perfect choice for Luca Brasi?

Great picture, thanks for sharing it. He was actually a wrestler
From IMDB:
"Professional wrestler (as Lenny 'Bull' Montana) in 1950s and 1960s.

Wrestled professionally under such colorful names as "The Zebra Kid" and "Chief Chickawicki" before turning to acting."

Here's a lot more than you need to know about Lenny Montana thanks to a google search of him and his son Lenny Montana Jr. Lenny Montana was born in Brooklyn in 1926 as Lenny Passofano. He was a pro wrestler using various names including Lenny Montant, Zebra Kid (was a bad guy who wore a hood) Bull Montana and Chief Chickiwicki. He also appeared in about a dozen movies including The Jerk with Steve Martin. His son, Lenny Jr. is trying to get him into the wrestling hall of fame. It appears that both Lenny Jr. and Lenny Sr. had ties to the mob of one kind or another.
Lenny Montana senior began to sleep with the fishes in 1992 after a fatal heart attack.

Here's another one:

One of my favorite Montana stories is contained in Harlan Lebo's "The Godfather Legacy":
Ever notice how, in the "I am honored and grateful" scene, Brando looks like he's barely able to keep from bursting out laughing? Montana, as a gag, pasted a note on which he'd written, "F*** YOU" on his tongue, and while they were filming that scene, he stuck his tongue out at Brando.
Lebo's book has photos of the crew setting up the hand-stabbing scene in which Montana, shirtless, is smoking a cigarette in an elegant cigarette holder.

He really was a powerful looking man, you can imagine him doing all the things, Brasi is supposed to have done in the book

TK

I always thought it was the opposite - Brando doing that f-you thing because Montana was so intimidated by being in the actor's presence. I thought that was in the commentary from the DVD but I must be remembering it the wrong way.

They are great Pics,was a scary guy

Lebo says it was Montana who stuck his tongue out. Brando also had his pranks--including putting a 400-lb weight in the bed that his attendants had to haul up the stairs when he returned from the hospital.

Lebo says it was Montana who stuck his tongue out. Brando also had his pranks--including putting a 400-lb weight in the bed that his attendants had to haul up the stairs when he returned from the hospital.

Well, if anyone would know without question, it would be you Turnbull. Thanks for the additional tidbit about Brando.

Thanks for clearing that up