The mob's long standing rule of "once you're in, there's no getting out", applies to it's made members, not it's associates.
As far as handing the operation over to Tessio/Clemenza, I've posed this question in yrs past, and always gotten the impression that this was not possible. Someone in the Corleone family would have to be in charge, probably as a matter etiquette.
Why is this a matter of etiquette ?
Don't get me wrong, Ice. It makes for a more grand, even Shakesperean storytelling, but in the mob, this hasn't always been the case.
Carlo Gambino's son Tommy made it all the way to capo, yet was passed over in favor of Paul Castellano, then had to eat shit from John Gotti, just to keep his stripes. Joe Bonanno's insistence on putting his son Bill in charge, fueled the Bonanno wars in the 60s, leading to the forced retirement of both father and son (once your in, you're never out ?). Now, the Bonanno's "retirement" was a very rare happening, but it still happened.
More recently, there's the case of the Gigante family. The sons were given good livings, but never inducted. As a matter of fact, Vincent Gigante expressed shock and disbelief when John Gotti told him that "Junior" had been made. His words, "geez, I'm sorry to hear that".
Now, there are gangsters who force the life on their sons, I'm hardly arguing that. It's just that it's always been a matter of choice, not a matter of etiquette.
