Then why did so many of them end up dead?

Paul Vario cared about Paul Vario, his brothers, his sons, and the soldiers in his crew. It's on the soldiers to protect their associates. Period. Now do associates sometimes get protected by skippers who like them? Sure, but that's the exception, not the rule.

By your logic, every truck driver with a Teamster book back then was under the protection of a skipper.

Get off the American television, Simon. And by the way, welcome to the board .