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?

Well, Danito, I looked up Dale Carnegie's Nine Principles. Here's how I think Vito stacked up:

1. Don't criticize, condemn, or complain. I don't think Sonny would agree that Vito followed that principle.
2. Give honest, sincere appreciation. Telling Tom, after Sonny's murder, that he'd been a good son, was sincere. Thanking Barzini for helping to set up the Don's convention may not have been all that sincere.
3. Arouse in the other person an eager want. I believe he went overboard in arousing Sollozzo's want of his police/political contacts.
4. Become genuinely interested in other people. Johnny Fontaine was definitely a beneficiary.
5. Smile. Michael should have followed that one.
6. Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language. Right: "Nazorine, my friend, what can I do for you?"
7. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves. Puzo (in the Don's convention scene) said all the Dons shared that attribute.
8. Talk in terms of the other person's interests. I'd go so far as to say Carnegie might have written that after hearing Vito say, "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse."
9. Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely. Luca definitely would have agreed.

Yes, this is a good comparison. What made Vito "special" was his ability and honest desire to work out "win-win" situations and settle things without violence.

I think in the book that Vito is described as having a reputation of more a parliamentary debator than a true Mafioso when he proposed a merger with Maranzano.

Of course Maranzano discovered too late that there was also another side to Vito.

But Vito's abilities to inspire and command personal loyalties through the tactics discussed was to me preferable than the extortion of such loyalties shown by Michael in the second movie.

"He always made sure the other fellow got his share of profit".

This is why I think Vito prospered as both a criminal lord and a political fixer/overseer. Within certain guidelines, he was fair. People responded to that.

So do you guys believe that Puzo had read Carnegie?