Which of Puzo's three Mafia bosses was the most evil?
Which was the most realistic?
Which was your favorite?
In some respects are they all the same character? All are portrayed as uncommonly wise patriarchs who spoil their children. All are obsessed with becoming legitimate. Each of them pull strings on events to take place years in the future, in some cases after their own demise.

Comparisons

Don Vito Corleone
He initially refuses to get involved in drugs and gives the cover reason that it would hurt his business but the real reason as he tells Tom is that he thinks drugs are an infamia. Although he's described as extremely scary in certain situations Puzo also describes him as having charity and that a lack of ruthlessness is his only flaw as crime overlord. He refuses to be the one to murder his son-in-law to avenge his son's murder even though everyone knows that act is coming.

Don Domenico Clericuzio
I don't think this boss is particularly well written. He's something of a cipher. Maybe it's just been too long since I've read the book. In any event he is more ruthless than Vito Corleone, somewhat scarily so. When faced with the same exact situation as Corleone, (revenge requiring the murder of a son-in-law) Clericuzio does not hesitate to order the act. In fact he tells his nephew and sons that if need be Clericuzio's own daughter may be killed. That's beyond any other protagonist Puzo wrote, i think.

Don Raymonde Aprile
When we meet Aprile he is already retired and has kept his children away from the life. However he seems very much to be like Don Corleone in that he is both fascinated by his children, especially his daughter- and at the same time somewhat irritated by their naivete. However he also is more ruthless than Don Corleone, not hesitating to kill anyone who remotely threatens his interests. And his punishment extends to the families of those who offend him, not out of a bloodlust but out of complete and total pragmatism. He is described as lacking any sense of mercy whatsoever. He actually murders a journalist and the journalist's entire family because of what Aprile evidently saw as an intrusive or disrespectful story. That doesn't seem realistic at all for an American boss though it fits the character perfectly.

Thoughts?

Puzo was accused of misogyny quite often. Never more so than right here.

That a daughter's life is of a lesser value than Clericuzio's need for revenge is insane. As a matter of fact, that scene really put me off the whole book (and the Hollywood nonsense was ridiculous. Puzo apparently never got over being fleeced by Paramount, and the bitterness is pretty evident in the way he depicts author after author getting ripped off by the studios).

To answer your three questions, Lilo:

Clericuzio is the most evil, for the reason stated above.

Don Corleone is obviously my favorite. Both of the latter Dons are just inferior characters.

I don't think any of the three are all that realistic, though. But then, I'm not a romantic in that sense .

Thoughtful post, Lilo.

I agree with PB. I'd just add that, in the novel, the perception that Vito Corleone "lacked ruthlessness" (i.e., "was a parliamentary debater" during the war with Maranzano [sic]) was deliberate on his part to fool his enemies. The guy who ordered rival olive oil merchants killed, who set Luca Brasi to chop off the legs of Capone's gunsels, and who had a $600k racehorse decapitated, with the head placed in Woltz's bed, was not lacking in ruthlessness.

As has already been said,any Don that came after Don Corleone was fighting a losing battle from the start.....