One thing that you have to keep in perspective is that being in the American Mafia is not a job/career per se. In other words, its not a job that you can just quit if you find a better line of work or you hate your boss, etc. But that doesn't necessarily mean you can't leave though.

With that being said, were talking about men in a sub-culture that doesn't see the mob as a job in itself. The Mafia is a business, sure, but its seen as a way of life. Many of these guys never (or rarely worked) a legitimate job in their life, and to go work 9-5 in some company just doesn't click for them. Lots of guys in the Mafia never went to college or even finished high school. They're used to life on the streets, making fast money, hanging out in clubs, and hustling/scamming for cash. And many of them, on the contrary, aren't filthy rich, but rather live day by day with the scratch they make. What else are they going to do if they quit (unless they cooperate and go to the witness protection program, but there are exceptions, like Sammy Gravano. Some do retire, like Matt Iannielo, but he was heavily invested in legitimate businesses so he probably had enough to retire comfortably. But he was in his early 90's when he died, so they probably let him go in peace).

I have a co-worker, who claims that her Uncle was an associate for one of the NY families many years ago. When the Uncle had his children, he began to have second thoughts about the life. He told the solider who he was working for and said he was calling it quits. The guy told him if he wanted to take care of the children first that was ok with him, and wished him the best of luck. My co-worker isn't Italian (so there's a good chance the Uncle isn't either), so I suppose he had no intention of being made. Maybe that is why it was easier for him to quit.