Hmmmm, no, he most certainly was THAT powerful. His crew had just either died out or were all locked up. If Johnny DiFronzo's insulation died out/went away, he'd get disregarded as well. Respect/seniority is overrated within the Life.

The same thing could've happened to anyone. It's just the way things go in the Mafia. If the Jeep Daddino/Rainone fiasco didn't go down, Sarno & the Ferriola/Infelise people would still probably be playing second fiddle in Cicero.