The popular story is that he borrowed money from Carlo Gambino for a drug deal and got busted. He refused to pay Gambino back and got whacked. I find that hard to believe that the boss or acting boss of the Genovese could be whacked with no repercussions, even by Carlo Gambino. Although many people believe that Gambino was boss of bosses and had the most powerful family back then, the Genovese were still a powerhouse with guys like Lombardo, Salerno, Catena, and Miranda among others. I can't see the Genovese losing face by allowing their acting boss to be whacked by another family and not doing anything about it.