The best explanation of what went on with the Joe Colombo hit was in a book called "Joey, portrait of a Mafia Hit man" it was written in the mid 1970s. Joey knew both Colombo and Gallo and accordingly to his version, Carlo Gambino the puppet master got tired of Colombo ignoring his request to lay low and stop antagonizing the FBI and used Joey Gallo to take Joe Colombo out. Both of them were a pain the ass to Gambino. After Joe Colombo was shot and disabled, Don Carlo stepped away from Joey Gallo and looked the other way when the Colombo’s went gunning for him. A master chess move that neither one saw coming