I read somewhere (I think it was in Jerry Capeci's book) that Gotti actually offered the Donship to Frank Decicco before they whacked Big Paul. Frank turned it down--allegedly because he knew Gotti wanted to be Don and would have whacked him eventually. This story doesn't have the ring of logic to it.

The flashier the mobster is, the bigger the target he is for law enforcement--they don't like mob guys who flaunt their wealth and have a high profile because it communicates that they're getting away with crimes that law enforcement should be preventing or shutting down. Gotti and Colombo were the worst offenders in modern times, but even Charlie Luciano incurred Dewey's wrath in part because he lived high and liked to be photographed at nightclubs with beautiful women on his arm. By contrast, Carlo Gambino lived like a little old man on a pension; the most that law enforcement had on him was an immigration rap and a feeble conspiracy complaint that was never brought to trial.