If you look at the two best Dons in the Trilogy I think they are Vito Corleone and Don Tomassino. This is because both men are very powerful but they never forget where they came from, and they have not only all the Sicilian cunning, and toughness, but they also create loyalty because they are loved as well as feared. When Vito is hit and when DonTomassino is assassinated, the people who work for them are genuinely despondent.
Its interesting that you bring up two Mustache Petes as the best dons. I think the idea that times had changed (when Mike was in control) plays into this.... its almost like comparing a modern ballplayer to Joe DiMaggio (
) .
True, Mike didn't have the personal "charisma" that his father and Tomassino had but that didn't make him a bad don. I don't think any of the modern bosses could be seen as benevolent dons. Mike successfully defended his Family against all enemies and made a ton of money in the process. Doesn't that make him a good don?
