Some people believe the model for Lucca Brasi was Willie Moretti, a feared NJ mob boss who was, in Joe Bonanno's words, "Frank Costello's strength." Moretti was alleged to have gotten Frank Sinatra out of a contract with the bandleader Jimmy Dorsey by threatening his life, just as, in "The Godfather," Lucca got Johnny Fontaine out of a contract with a bandleader by holding a gun to his head.
Moretti had tertiary syphillis. After an embarrassing appearance before the Kefaufer Committee in 1951, the Commission ordered his death.
Like much of the events/characters from the Godfather, Luca Brasi was inspired by the Gallo-Profaci War.
Brasi was based on Joe Jelly, Larry Gallo's feared and loyal enforcer. A few days before Larry's attempted assassination (later immortalized in GFII) Jelly went deep sea fishing. He was never seen again. A few hours after the attempted killing of Larry Gallo, a fish wrapped in a piece of Joe Jelly's shirt was thrown out of a car in front of the Gallo headquarters on President St. Hence the "Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes".
