How do you think the Colombos and the other Brooklyn borgatas liked Vincent Rotondo and Sam's other boys running Brooklyn regimes? Do you think the Brooklyn DeCavalcantes were sort of a non factor? Maybe they ran rackets that didn't conflict with the Five Families.

Another thought. Sam the Plumber is often thought of as a lackey for much bigger bosses, but perhaps he maneuvered very well given the hand he was dealt. Expanding heavily in to Connecticut, which was open territory, using the little leeway he had in New York to run a small operation there, and most significantly, he was said to have doubled the number of made men in his once small family. Perhaps he was a brilliant boss who did NOT have the benefit of a wide open geographic area. Pittsburgh could stretch its arms in to the Ohio border and in to West Virginia. Bufalino had a small fiefdom no one would impose on. The DeCavalcante family had giants to each side.

Any thoughts? Not my area of expertise.