I don't know if this has been a topic yet or not....if so, then I am sorry.
My question to you all is......If you were a rival Don, who would you fear the most when they were in power? Michael, Don Vito, Vincent or Sonny??? and Why??? And I mean when they were in their prime.
I am really looking forward to your answers.
Thanks.

I think that I would fear Michael the most.

Vito was a tough and powerful Don, no question. But Vito would choose to make friends, not enemies, and if there was an outside chance for making peace and building an alliance with him, you might stand a chance.

Vincent, no fear of him.

Sonny, a tough bastard that don't give a damn how he has to take you out, as long s he takes you out. But obviously that is also his weakness.

Now the GFIII Connie, I may fear her the most!

But Michael was ruthless. cold, cunning and patient. Once you made an enemy of Michael, there was NO going back or making any real peace. The question would never be IF he is going to strike, but WHEN and how. You know that sooner or later he will get you. He's the one that I would fear the most.

Don Cardi

Great answer Don Cardi.....Connie was a chip off the old block....I think it is funny how Mike and Connie were different in the GF 1 & 2, then in 3 she was the one wanting to kill, and he was the one wanting to be out. Oh the times they are a changing. lol
Great post!!!!

I would definitely fear Mchael the most, and for the same reasons so greatly listed by Don Cardi.
He's like a crouching cat waiting patiently for his prey to come closer. It might seems he's "spleeping", but he's always ready to strike, especially when his pray doesn't expect it.

Funny, but that description of Michael happens to bring to mind a very young Vito (in his 'prime'), slithering deftly across the roofs of his neighborhood, preparing to corner and 'strike' a completely unsuspecting Don Fanucci.

With whom he had just met at the coffee shop.

To tell the truth...all of them, Vito/Sonny/Michael are to be feared equally. Each will strike when necessary...the only difference between Sonny & the other two were his temperament and style. He didn't bother to think things through...which of course is what made him such a bad Don.

I don't really care about Vincent, as he was a fabricated bastard Corleone anyway.

Apple

Yes, that's true!

And you are right, all the Corleone's men had the same attitude, but Michael was the most rutheless.

I agree about Vincent, poor thing.

michael if he could kill he's own blood it would be noting
to him to kill me if I step out of line

Although Sonny was famous for his bad temper, he could be a soft touch. He was the type that reacted, and then often felt bad for his reaction (witness how bad he felt after insulting Tom. Michael didn't care when he did so). And, as DC said, Vito would prefer to reason, and only used violence as a last resort. Michael, on the other hand, was far more ruthless. He waited patiently to regain his own brother's trust, and then had him murdered. If he could wait so patiently to take vengeance against his own brother, then killing a stranger would bother him no more than swatting a fly.

On occasion, I would fear AppleOnYa the most.

But, that aside, I swear on the souls of my grandchildren that I will not be the one to change his mind about who scares me the most - Michael!

Except the context of the question was who would you fear most if you were a 'rival Don'...an ENEMY of the Corleone Family...not if you were a family member & got into an argument with one of them.

I doubt that after striking back at an enemy of his Family, Sonny would tend to feel bad. That's indicated by the 'hit' on Bruno Tattaglia (at 4 in the morning) after Michael got his jaw busted.

And even if he did...little good it would to the now dead enemy!!

Apple

Good stuff, olivant...!!



AppleOnYa

Good topic!

It would really depend on what time of the story this question takes place. When Sonny was in his reign/search-and-destroy mission, everyone else seemed small. I would fear Sonny for his aggressive action and lack of war strategy. I would feel as if Sonny was going to take me out next for just being around, though not involved with the hit on the Godfather.

Near the end of the first film, when Michael had the cosa nostra pezzonovante rubbed out during the baptism sequence, that's when I would fear Michael most. Other than that, Vincent seemed like a guy I could get along with.

Don Vito was a character I would fear from the start. The way he worked his way up from an average schnook on the streets to the Godfather we knew him as in Part I. Of course, when his career ended, there would be new people to fear.

Great topic and good answers.

No question I would fear Michael, but for sheer terror, I think if I have crossed Vito and I suddenly found myself face to face with Luca Brasi, I would probably need a set of Depends, if you get my drift.

Once Luca was given the order you were toast.

Good point....I guess one of the things that I would fear about Sonny, is that he didn't care if business suffered to win his war. The Godfather or even Michael were business men, so IF they were in a similar situation, they may let up or seek a truce to spare business.......I would not want to go to war with someone who didn't care if they had to suffer to get to me. I know, I know......your gonna say "Michael and Don Vito would never go at a war like Santino would." But maybe that is what makes Santino a bigger threat.
Just a thought.

In the novel, the killing of 5 dons was co-planned by vito. So there is every reason for an enemy to fear Vito as much as Michael. I would have been afraid of all these guys, including vincent. He, like Sonny was hot-headed and may not reason like Vito. Look what happened to Zasa. Being paranoid would be a good quality for a person in the crime business, I guess!

If I were confronted by Vito I would simply tell him that I hate sex. If it were Sonny, I would offer him my sister. If it were Fredo I would sedate him. If it were Luca, I would shake a fish in his face. If it were Sollozzo I would tell him that I consider $1 million simply finance. And if it were Mike I would make it quite clear that we are not related.

At the height of his power I would fear Vito. He built a powerful family from nothing, and had the protection of the politicians and the police to back him up, as well as the feared Luca and a very competent Clemenza. It would make sense to accomodate Don Vito if possible, and to his credit Don Vito knew how to do business with as little public bloodshed as possible. This does not take anything away from his ferocity, however. Don Vito took his revenges out himself-killing Don Ciccio and his guards in Sicily, and others.

Michael was to be feared because of his sociopathic tendency that developed in the first two films. (I haven't been able to finish the third so my comments on him may be flawed) His ability to order the murder of anyone remotely in his way or to humiliate or destroy anyone who remotely offended him. But we also see Michael's self-destruction as a human being. Whether his enemies could see this I can't comment on for part 3, because he had killed or dismissed pretty much everyone in his way at the end of part 2.

Point being, Vito remained strong while Michael went into a downward spiral, so I give it to Don Vito in a close contest.

Maybe all of you should fear me.... just kidding. Don't kill me.

Or Enzo, the baker. There is something suspicious about him.

I would have liked to see a little bit more on Tom being the don in GF2.....I think he would have made a good don his self.
I mean, he was for the Sollozzo deal, and he was for Michael shooting McClusky and Sollozzo......think about it, he was very polite, and respectful, but you could see that look in his eyes, he had a few cards up his sleeves......he was a dangerous man as well, he deserves a little recognition.....don'tcha think???

As far as simply fearing for your life, Santino was indeed the BIGGEST threat, at least while he was acting Don. With Vito and especially Michael - you knew you were risking your life if you messed with them, but you COULD do business it you kept one step ahead (which Barzini & Roth at least TRIED to do). That was the business you had chosen.

Sonny was all temper, all violence, little or no reason. He would have you whacked for looking at him the wrong way and that is why he could NEVER have been a successful Don.

But the nice thing about Sonny (besides feeling bad if he insulted you) is that camera he'd gladly pay you back if he broke your camera.

Apple

I'd fear Connie with a box of cannoli

I'd fear dontomasso's 'brilliance'.



Apple

Aw shucks,

Michael and Luca Brasi i think would be my choice

Don't fear the reaper!

I'd fear Sonny the most...
because...
you know! BAD TEMPER

I would fear Michael because he killed Fredo and Carlo Rizzi... Honestly, who would kill his Son's Godfather and his Brother and feel no remorse? (Even if it was Business)

Michael did feel remorse, maybe not for Carlo, but for Fredo.

I would kill my brother-in-law for beating up my sister alone. Carlo beat Connie AND set up Sonny to be killed. He deserved to die.

I would fear Michael, if he ordered his brother to be killed then who knows what he could do to me.