Some of the movies of the 40's - like the detective-type movies, were peppered with smoking and drinking. If there was a card playing scene, they were all smoking. The lighting of the woman's cigarette was always poignant moment and the leading man with his exaggerated drag on the cig just before an important line. I wonder if they had smoking coaches for those movies?

Luca's cigarette lighting gave that scene a little extra drama. He was showing the Tattaglia's and Sollozzo that he was his own man. He wasn't sucking up. Go Luca! Thump-Choke.