I don't remember reading about a commission vote on killing Anastasia. Commission acceptance afterward isn't in the rules. If that's what happened then Gambino wasn't legit and his appointment of Castellano would not be legit.
I don't think there was ever a vote either. But I think it was discussed. Whoever did it had support in more than one family.
Now to hit someone and then explain afterwards, I'm not sure if that went against the rules. I don't think it did. Anastasia used that ruse to keep himself from being whacked right after Mangano disappeared. He made specious arguments...after the fact. Bill Bonanno also spoke about a soldier who was wronged and asked for permission to whack the ones who wronged him. Supposedly Joe Bonanno told him that he should have killed the perpetrators first, then come before the administration to explain. Since he did not do so, it was too late for revenge. So explanations after the fact do have their place when a person is seen as important enough to be given a chance to explain.
"For us, rubbin'out a Mustache was just like makin' way for a new building, like we was in the construction business."
