I remember reading it, and seeing it as a metaphor for killing off an aspect of yourself, like being a drunk, no matter how long or hard the process is, and hoping that it will never come back to haunt you.
The names are quite similar and I was trying to sober up at the time; I wasn't going to admit to the grade 9 class the latter.
Montresor = Mon trésor is "my treasure"
Fortunato = the root word is "fortune"