IMO, after being 'outed' as a rat, he even tried damage control by having a few friendly feds go along with the program and say that Michael was so smart, he really didn't give up anything of value, and hasn't paid his heavy fine. To try and show what a shrewd stand up guy he was in the eyes of other street guys to deflect suspicion from him. But eventually the cat was out of the bag.

But the reality was much, much different. He paid them ALL the millions in fines and restitution he had owed them. And by providing extensive info and paying extensive monies he was able to buy his freedom. Off the backs of others I might add.

After so many decades (4 to be exact), most everybody involved, or with true knowledge on him, is either dead or retired like Carmine Persico and others. And it allows him (and other rats like him such as Gravano, DiLeonardo, etc., etc) to try and rewrite their history so as to paint them in a better light.