And everyone can laugh at what I am about to say, but I really think Henry Hill's Sicilian heritage from his mother helped him with Paul Vario. Paul Vario was Sicilian.
edit: Who knows. Maybe the mafia lusted after you if you were Sicilian because certain members knew that you could potentially help produce and move "H" from the old country into the USA. Big Money $$$
Alfa, apples and oranges man. With Vario it was a little more personal... Henry grew up around him, knew him since he was a kid. Henry's mother and the Varios were originally from the same town in Sicily, that's a big deal.
The Sicilian thing was true but I think it stopped being a factor after the 50s, maybe except for the Bonannos. A lot of great bosses were originally Napolitano or Calabrese. Later on, maybe the French and Pizza connection had something to do with it since it was always good to have connections back in Sicily, but it was all relative to the drug business.
