Let's think about the scenario that Vito never becomes gay and Tony is killed. Vito definitely would have been considered as overall boss of the family. He was a great earner very valuable.

Thoughts?

I read this for a second thinking you were talking about the Godfather, and was like wtf are you talking about man. Anyway, since I commented, I would go out on a limb and say Christopher (at the time) would have been a contender for it. At that point in the show, Christopher had been getting groomed to take over after Tony. Obviously that plan fizzled out, but you gotta remember...Christopher was going to take this family into the 21st century.

"We're already in the 21st Century, T."

From a business standpoint, Vito was very level headed and knew how to make money. He didn't have enemies or cause tension among the families.

He would have made an excellent choice to take control of the family once Tony died if they never killed him for being gay. Christopher was better off running his own crew and thats it. I would have never promoted him higher than that and I think Tony Soprano would have agreed with that decision in the long run.

Makes sense Rush. Especially given that Phil became boss of a NY family. There was a tie via Vito’s wife that would have made a strong financial alliance

Vito as well as Christopher would never have the same aura as Tony Soprano.
Tony had all the skills to be the boss.

In real life Vito would have been. That is a tv show and fiction.

In real life Tony never becomes boss of the family. He would have been just like Frank Calabrese Sr. In the Chicago Outfit.