Bussetta vs Luca Brasi

Vito Corleone's personal assassin vs Michael's personal assassin? Who do you reckon would've topped who?

In a straight-up fistfight, Luca. Straight-up gunfight, probably Luca. Anything that required less brute force and more nuance, Bussetta.

Wow, a question on this board that hasn't been asked before. Good one, too.
Both were products of their times, and Dons. Luca's physical bulk and reputation (the novel tells us, "he can do a job of murder all by himself") were what Vito needed when he was on his way up, and to be a deterrent after he was established as NYC's top Don.

Michael wasn't a traditional Don in Nevada. Buscetta was, by all appearances, a bodyguard--a hired gun for the specific pur. pose of guarding Michael during his trips to NYC, Miami and Havana. His specific purpose, in addition to bodyguarding Michael, was to kill Roth and Ola in Havana. But, I also think he had another purpose: to send a message to Roth that Michael hadn't ruled out Rocco or Neri in the Tahoe shooting, which was why he brought Buscetta, and not them, on his trip. He wanted Roth "relaxed," believing that Michael still hadn't figured out who was behind the Tahoe shooting.

As for personal characteristics: I'm sure they could both shoot straight. Luca looked like he had more muscle, but Buscetta had an air of quiet deadliness.

TB, the only problem with your reasoning about Michael's message to Roth is that Michael's trip to Florida to see Roth had been arranged before the attempted assassination and, thus, Michael's use of Buscetta was prearranged also.

If it came to witty verbal jousting, it would be Buscetta all the way. Guy was a Sicilian Oscar Wilde.

Couldn't shut him up.

Oli, I don't believe Michael's trip to see Roth in Florida was pre-arranged. I think he arranged it after the Tahoe shooting as a way to make Roth believe he thought Pentangeli was behind the shooting, not Roth. Almost as soon as he comes inside Roth's home, he says: "I came here because there is gonna be more blood shed. I want you to know about it before it happens so that there's no danger of starting another war." Then he tells Roth,"Frank Pentangeli came to my home and he asked my permission to get rid of the Rosato brothers. When I refused, he tried to have me killed. He was stupid, I was lucky; I'll visit him soon. The important thing is that nothing interferes with our plans for the future. Yours and mine."

I believe he called in Buscetta after the shooting.

TB, my original post was in response to your contention that Buscetta was used by Michael to illustrate to Roth that Michael didn't trust Rocco or Neri. My 2nd post was to illustrate that Michael's use of Buscetta was arranged before the shooting.

Unless I'm misinterpreting the script, after the shooting, Michael tells Anthony that he has to leave early in the morning. Michael is quite capable, but arranging a train trip to Miami and also having Ola there to guide them to Roth is quite a feat apparently arranged within no more than probably an hour of the shooting. So, I conclude that Michael's trip was arranged at least a couple of days before the Communion party and his use of Buscetta was simply FFC's inspiration and was not critically material to the script.

On the other hand, Rocco and Neri were critically material to the script. So, they couldn't be killed in Cuba. Voila! FFC creates a new character (Buscetta) who is expendable.

Even a young Bussetta wouldn't have a chance against Luca in anything rough. I once read a comment from a co-worker of Lenny Montana's (Luca), that Lenny had "fists like whole hams" and was incredibly strong.

He was a professional wrestler. But not without a sense of humor:

According to Harlan Lebo, in "The Godfather Legacy," he taped a note to his tongue, and when they were filming the scene in Vito's study when he pledges his undying loyalty, he stuck out his tongue at Brando. The note said, "F__k You!"