Lawrence Ricci was making power plays for the top spot in New Jersey, was said to have been withholding serious cash from the family, and there is said to have been a beef between him, Lawrence Dentico, Tino Fiumara and an unidentified Gambino Capo. Fiumara was smarter and well connected to Manhattan and The Bronx. Not accepting the plea deal did not matter to the Genovese higher ups, as there were already a few qualified soldier to take the spot, even with Coppola in hiding. Everything points to it being an internal crew and crime family dispute.