Its quite possible. What you have to keep in mind is that Gotti was made in the late seventies, when law enforcement didn't really penetrate the upper echelons of the Mafia just yet (so Paul probably did conduct ceremonies himself). Second, a proposed member must be approved by all the members of the family (or at least the Capos and boss, can't remember exactly). If Paul didn't want to make John Gotti, he would have said no and that was that. So he probably had a positive regard for him at the time. And Dellacroce seemed too loyal to protest any potential veto by Paul, in my opinion.