In many ways Mooney was bigger than life. Gotti, casso, basciano, all those guys were trying to replicate Mooney. He embodied the American mafioso. He just wasn't on board with where the Outfit was going so They killed him because they knew it would only be a matter of time before he assembled a small army & waged war on their operation. Can You imagine someone like Sam giancana taking orders from a miserable troll like Jackie cerone? No way no how.