Phil stole his uncles money which he had stashed with the help of the feds who raided Nicky's properties after he was rounded up in that last indictment in the 80's, and Phil flipped letting them know about it. That's why he's a success story, he had the ability to take from a large stash of illicit funds, and in turn use that to aide his new life and get into whatever business he desired, which again, was concrete and construction. Most turncoats don't have the priviledge of wealthy uncles who are incarcerated which they can steal from.