I think Skinny was saying Merlino was getting kickbacks from cocaine dealers. The "Whatever Happened to the South Philly Mob?" article talked about the mob lending money to drug dealers for a one-time kickback, as well. Kickbacks...tribute...it may be largely semantics. And Philadelphia has basically been a street operation for over 20 years now; ever since they lost control of HERE Local 54. Ligambi and others have legit interests but the family is mostly the standard blue collar rackets.