@Gangstereport: you're misunderstanding what I'm saying.
I'm comparing Merlino with Chin in longevity only. Whilst that is in itself a skill, combined with luck, I was not comparing his skill set as a leader with Gigante. And nor did I say so.

Blackjack raises another good point. There was legitimate contention over who the actually Philly boss was throughout Ligambis tenure and it was only the Skins tapes which settled the issue. That is quite the feat for that duration in this day.