All the capos loved Gotti so much that Jimmy Brown and a few other capos were plotting with Amuso and Gigante to kill John Gotti.
Nino Gaggi would not have gotten the top spot do to the legal troubles he was already in. Some of the top contenders who had support were James Failla, Olympio Garafalo died in 1986, Tony Scotto who was feared by John Gotti that John demoted him in 1986 cause he was afraid if he ordered his murder that his crew would come after John or other crews would and the Gambino family would have had a civil war, Ettore Zappi had been a capo since the 1950s but he died in 1986, and Joe Arcuri. Joe Butch has been mentioned but it is doubtful he could have garnered enough support to take over. Frank DeCicco was well liked, but a few years as capo would not give him that experience he needed. Pat Conte and Joe Zingaro also who get mentioned, but they had their own issues.
Now that's a guy who could have been a very capable Boss - although certainly more in the vein of a Castellano mould. He had enormous influence, almost to the point he would have been like an echo back to the Costello days of highly connected, influential Bosses capable of hobnobbing with "respectable" people. He had more smarts than most, and moreso probably more connections than any other of that era.
He might have been too smart to accept the position.
