The Godfather's Vito Corleone is the gold standard by which other fictional mob bosses are measured. Thanks to a tough face that never accommodated a smile and an iconic improvised voice that was all due to Marlon Brando's brilliance, Vito Corleone's status as one of the most memorable movie characters of all time remains secure.
As he morphed from a young man (portrayed by Robert DeNiro) to the older version (portrayed by Marlon Brando), Vito's personality never changed much. He remained an honorable Cosa Nostra heavyweight while adapting to the events around him. Vito always had tough decisions to make throughout The Godfather films, and through them, his best traits became evident.
He's Generous And Kind
During the Great Depression, many people suffered from a lack of work but Don Corleone always made sure to pay all his employees handsomely. Dishing out favors was no problem for him either. Early in the first installment, he helped in delivering street justice to men who had been set free after assaulting Bonasera's daughter.
By helping those he felt were oppressed, Vito differentiated himself from other mob bosses. It was clear that he wasn't the sadistic psychopath type of criminal, like Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo. He was a criminal because this was the life he was born into. His generosity meant that more people were willing to work for him, hence he had greater armies of street soldiers as well as greater connections inside the law enforcement and justice systems.
He's Iron-Willed
Vito never allowed himself to be intimidated, and neither was he easily convinced to change his mind. When he was approached to invest in a heroin operation that would have been worth hundreds of millions of dollars, he refused. And even after he was almost killed for his refusal, he still maintained his stance.
Turning down business alliances with powerful people painted the Don as stubborn and unwise at first. Saying yes would have saved him plenty of headaches and tragedy, however, future events proved him right. Those that had been too willing to dive into the drug businesses ended up in jail or dead while Vito grew old and died of natural causes. His family remained stable, right until his son Michael made it legitimate by renaming it the "Corleone Group."
He Can Be Peaceful
Even when Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo and Captain McCluskey attempted to whack him twice, Vito was still unwilling to go the vengeance route. Upon learning that his son Michael had killed the two men, he was greatly disappointed. Vito also spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a Peace Summit shortly after one of the most tragic deaths in the trilogy, the assassination of Sonny.
Vito knew that conducting business in a peaceful environment was much better than being on the lookout all the time. Much good also came out of the peace treaty he proposed. Michael was allowed to come back home and was able to ascend to power without being targeted by rival bosses. Vito also lived out the rest of his life without being subjected to any more assassination attempts. Not dying too soon meant he got acting as a consigliere to Michael and offer him much-needed advice.
He Is Soft-Spoken
One of the many interesting behind-the-scenes facts about The Godfather involved Marlon Brando stuffing his cheeks with cotton wool to look and speak a certain way. As a result, Don Vito Corleone's demeanor was very calm and soft-spoken.
As expected, Vito's soft-spoken nature made some of his rivals underestimate him, but that was to their own disadvantage, rather than his. Those who dared cross him paid dearly. This trait also helped him maintain a low profile and most importantly, Vito could make friends and associates rather easily, as he didn't seem capable of malice.
He Is Calculating
Like a chess grandmaster, Vito was able to see the bigger picture better than the rest. By forming The Commission, he knew that his family would benefit the most. And by intervening in Luca Brasi's case, he was able to recruit the feared mob enforcer.
Vito's foresight was beneficial in a lot of ways. It's through him laying a foundation in Vegas that Michael was able to move there when he became boss and set up high-profile businesses. Michael's memorable plan to whack all the bosses of the five families wouldn't have been possible either if Vito hadn't called for a peace treaty years prior and made everyone feel safe.
He Is A Good Father
The parental love that Vito had for his sons was unrivaled. He poured all the money he could to ensure Michael got the best education. He also took extra care of Sonny, tolerated Fredo's weaknesses, and adopted Tm Hagen, raising him as his own. His grief after learning the news of Sonny's death is also regarded as one of the saddest ever scenes in the trilogy.
As a good father, the Don was aware of what was right for each child. His reluctance to have Michael join the family business was understandable since Michael was the brightest. Sonny was tough and ruthless, hence he would have been the perfect choice to take over as boss. And even though things didn't work out in his favor, he deserved the credit for trying.
He Is Resilient
Vito got hit by enough setbacks to crush anyone forever, but he kept going. Sicilian mob boss Don Ciccio murdered his father, and the same end befell his brother, mother (and later son). And fate wasn't done there. After finding himself in America, he almost died of smallpox and lost two jobs.
It takes a special kind of person to emerge from all these setbacks. Quickly rising from an unemployed illegal immigrant to one of the biggest mob bosses in the country was a feat so rare it deserved a round of applause. Every setback Vito had hurt him a lot, but he never wallowed in despair and cursed the world. He never knew peace, but his resilience earned him great success and stability.
He Has Great Business Acumen
Vito became his neighborhood's "Man Of Respect" after Fanucci's death. By protecting businesses, he earned $100 a week, a tidy sum in the early 1900s. He then ventured into the olive oil business with Genco Abbandando, becoming the biggest importer in the country. During the Prohibition Era, he would also use his olive trucks to smuggle alcohol.
Vito's strides into the world of business were all risky moves, hence the reason his accomplishments are more laudable. All of Vito's early business ventures are what secured his future and made him the wealthy Don that viewers were introduced to in the first installment of the trilogy.
He Is Patient
Vito was the master of biding his time. He waited 21 years before exacting revenge on Don Ciccio for murdering his family. He also refrained from going after the brutish Barzini, knowing it would be more ideal if his son did son when he was long gone.
Don Corleone's patience always paid off since it caused his enemies to let their guard down, thinking that the coast was clear. Barzini was an ideal example of how important it was to give foes a false sense of security. Vito's patience also enabled him to use enemies first before disposing of them in a manner that he so wished.
He Has A Sense Of Morality
Vito was clear about his hatred for out-of-wedlock relations. Santino and Sonny's philandering ways greatly angered him and so did the proposal for his family to get into Philip Tattaglia's sex work and drug businesses.
Having been born in Sicily where Catholic tradition was held in high regard, Vito never understood the need for people to have other partners. In the context of the movie, he was right to feel this way, since Santino and Sonny's adultery had caused great harm to those around them. He also was concerned about the potential for the exploitation of women in sex work, which made him more admirable in viewers' eyes and with a stronger moral compass than other mob bosses.