Luca Brasi is a fictional character in Mario Puzo’s 1969 novel The Godfather, as well as its 1972 film adaptation. In the film, he was portrayed by Lenny Montana, an ex-wrestler and former bodyguard and enforcer for the real Colombo crime family, a New York-based organized crime syndicate.
The filming of The Godfather faced strong opposition from the Italian-American Civil Rights League, with disputes headed by Joe Colombo and Frank Sinatra threatening its whole production. The producer, Al Ruddy, eventually made a deal with the league and Colombo to cut the word Mafia (which was only used once in the script) and the League backed the production of the film. This meant mobsters were present on the set of The Godfather. In 1971, when Montana was acting as a bodyguard for a senior Colombo family member, he met Francis Ford Coppola and Al Ruddy. After being introduced to the 6’6” 320-pound Montana, they quickly cast him in the role of Luca Brasi.