Totally agree, Researcher. This view is also supported by the episode in season 2 where Pussy is murdered. Tony had obviously called up Paulie and Silvio and set up the whole boat thing before he actually found the wire in Pussy's cigar box. He set up a hit on the basis of a talking fish in his fever-induced sleep.

One gets the feeling that ever since the hit, Tony and co try to justify it in their own minds. That whole thing about Pussy being wired up in his Santa suit is just more of it.