Daniel:

The problem is, many recreational mobwatchers -- including me -- sometimes make the mistake of thinking that someone like Vito Rizzuto, who has lost a son, a father, and a brother-in-law, will not only avenge these murders but also assume the throne again, thereby making Italian mafia history or rewriting the history books on the Italian mafia.

But what happens to Vito when he is released generally boils down to two scenarios that have been played out a number of times in the history of this thing: death or exile.

Either of these scenarios isn't exactly a choice he will make on his own; even exile could be forcibly imposed on him. (I guess you could say that he might choose death by willing to die while recklessly seeking revenge.)

He may be able to avoid death if he goes along with the decision to being exiled. But I strongly suspect there are individuals and groups who won't give him the option of being exiled because they will want him dead as soon as possible.

I do understand Vito's desire to avenge the murders. He may even be successful in having one or two people killed shortly after he gets out. But I think he will be killed within a month of his release.