Well, as I pointed out, Amuso still carries a certain amount of clout as evidenced by the fact that he still gets his money and has influence with the guys running things on the street. And he was never really a puppet for Casso. He was just a somewhat hands off boss who was content to let Casso run things directly. But it was Amuso who ultimately stripped Casso of his rank towards the end.

Bosses in prison are able to pass messages via their lawyers or family members. Gotti did it through his brother Peter and his son. Gigante did it through his son.