I believe that it's this contrast Virtue vs. Crime that makes the novel so attractive. In a way this had been mentioned before in a similar way in the Management consultant thread .

Anyway, here's what I think how Puzo created the Vito character. I'm pretty sure that Puzo had read Dale Carnegie's "How to win friends and influence people". Perhaps a similar "How to"-book, but I'm pretty sure it's this one.
Before he started writing the novel, Puzo must have thought: What kind of character could be the most unlikely person to lead a virtuous life like it's being described in "How to win friends". A gangster. Well, not some kind of gangster, it must be a gangster boss. The boss of the bosses. The Godfather.
How would a gangster boss behave if he observes these kind of rules. Never threaten anyone, alway reason. On the other hand: coldly deciding about life and death.
(Sometimes it sounds almost ridiculous how Puzo describes Vito: "one of his many virtues was punctuality".)
And of course, Puzo had the advantage of knowing the values of Italian immigrants. ("He was notoriously straitlaced in matters of sex.")
Some of Carnegie's principles that I find in Vito
- Become genuinely interested in other people.
- Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
- Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
- Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
- Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.
- Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say, "You're wrong."
- Begin in a friendly way.
- Get the other person saying "yes, yes" immediately.
- Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.
- Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.
- Appeal to the nobler motives.
- Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
- Let the other person save face.


Opinions?