Apple.....I am sure they all thought the same thing about Michael before joined the family.....Nice college boy, didn't want to get mixed up in the family business. No one thought Mikey would be any good in the family.....and look what he did. This is what I mean Apple......you can't say that Tom would look for a solution......Michael didn't, and he was more straight laced than Tom.
This is just all opinion though......the way I look at it, Tom probably would have joined up with Neri, Rocco, and Clemenza.....maybe even Fredo.....and I think with Tom's smarts they could have stayed alive......Tom knew more about the business than anyone....except Vito don't forget.