The first gambling club in Queens the Rudaj organization took over was a Greek club that was paying tribute to the Lucchese family. The Luccheses had been severely weakened in that area by prosecutions so Rudaj saw an opening. As did the Gambinos, who also opened their own club, which the Rudaj crew forcibly shut down. That's what led to the meeting at the gas station in Jersey.

I'm not sure why the media always made it sound like the Gambinos "backed down." They likely thought the Rudaj guys just may be crazy to shoot a gas pump and blow everybody up, including themselves, but it was a stalemate at best. And, as I've said previously, it didn't take long for Rudaj and his guys to be taken down; due in no small part to their cowboy ways.