Boss murders do not reliably indicate succession conflicts or discontinuities.

Evidence

Not all of them die in their beds, but this is not necessarily because of conflicts over succession. Antonino Mineo, the former boss of the town of Bagheria, was shot, despite the fact that he was in his nineties and long since retired (TC: 111). Conversely, even the murder of a boss before his successor has been named does not imply that his son will not eventually succeed him, as in the case of the Madonia family (TC: 16). — Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Business of…, 825

Categorization

• QUESTION: If assassination of a retired nonagenarian boss isn’t about succession, what functions does murder serve? Worth chasing — possibly signaling, vendetta, or eliminating witnesses.