...Santino had a job to do, and that job was to win, goddamn it!
True...but take the 'Pop had Genco, look what I got..." argument, where Tom pointed out the Family couldn't do any business. Sonny's response was, 'Neither can they...!" Which indicates there was a bit more than merely winning on his mind.
Like what? Sounds to me like Sonny was being a strategist - sort of a stalemate with the 'neither can they,' and Sonny was playing the odds that if we can't do business, and
they can't do business, then business will have to suffer. And why? Because it was
always personal with Sonny.
...Sure Santino beat up Carlo! Who wouldn't? The guy was a skeezer, a scumbag...
[Sure, and frankly Carlo deserved the beating. But considering the circumstances...a more rational 'acting Don' might've not been so public and severe about it. Sonny was not just any protective older brother.
Sonny was emotional, and he was impulsive BECAUSE he had a big heart. Maybe Vito and Michael would have done it different, but that's what made Sonny special. He wore his heart on his sleve, and the public display of beating up Carlo said much in that regard.
