I never believed that the Commission put a half-million-dollar pricetag on Pistone's head. The Commission doesn't have a standing army on call to punish transgressors. The only thing Dons have in common is greed, and distrust of each other. I can't imagine that any Don would contribute a dime to help the Bonannos deal with a mistake they made through their own stupidity. The Bonannos didn't have a seat on the Commission at that time.

Pistone has appeared in public plenty of times. He's been at signings for his books--very public, well publicized in advance. He probably keeps his actual home secret because he doesn't want to be besieged by autograph-seekers and Mob-followers--not because he's afraid of getting whacked.