Like Moe Greene later on down the line, there would be the inevitable interference from another family. Conflict would have been inevitable, with the enormous revenue potential of narcotics.

If you think about it, from a strategic standpoint the shooting of Vito worked out better in the long run. Sonny overplayed his hand and was dealt with, and Michael was pulled from the outside into the eventual head of the family. Had that not happened, an older but still rash and impulsive Sonny would have assumed control in the mid-1950s and the family likely would have collapsed on itself.