Has anyone ever asked why young Vito took the decision of killing Fanicci so easily despite the urges of his more experienced partners Tessio and Clemenza, who wanted to pay the man?
He did not display a violent streak before that point, so why did it come up now, and not in a life or death situation, but in a money issue, where everyone accepted paying as a fact of life? In my opinion it is because Fanucci (A Bad Don), reminded him of Ciccio (another Bad Don).
Sicily was too small for Vito to have eluded Ciccio. Ciccio was right: when he grew, he would come for vengeance.
As for killing Fanucci: the novel makes it clear that Vito simply toted up the odds: Fanucci had no right to demand money from him that he had risked life and liberty for by being part of the dress robbery. His odds were 3:1--Vito, Clemenza and Tessio vs. Fanucci. And since two people didn't pay off Fanucci, and since Vito (in a deleted scene) had witnessed two young punks nearly kill Fanucci, Vito correctly calculated that Fanucci wasn't as formidable has he was made out to be.
But yes, Desertwolf, I do agree that Fanucci must have reminded him of Ciccio--and the danger of giving into "black handers."
