I'm going to be a little devil and disagree with EVERYTHING you said there . First, I never understood what was so great about Robert DeNiro's performance (and I'm not just saying that to be disagreeable ). He did a good job; but I didn't see it as Oscar-worthy. Now Michael V. Gazzo as Frankie Pentangeli -- there was an Oscar-calibre performance. He breathed life blood into that character, and he had no previous blue-print to work from.

And Michael is the more attractive. Everyone knows that. What's the matter, you need glasses?

But seriously, we both have our opinions; and, of course, neither of us is right or wrong. I personally found Michael more interesting because I saw complexity in him. He follows quite an arc of development from the first GF -- from college boy to Don, from boyfriend to husband and father. We see the changes in his appearance, his way of speaking, his posture, his eye contact. And we see the contradictions as well: The outward calm in dangerous situations; the inward anxieties about losing his family. The longing to trust a confidant; the guardedness from knowing he can't afford to trust anyone.

Young Vito, on the other hand, is presented as a latter-day Robin Hood. I didn't see a lot of inner turmoil there.

My two cents. Keep the change...