I only have literature to go by mulberry. I read "The Goodfella Tapes". According to that book, Merlino had the backing of the Genovese family in New York. Stanfa on the other hand had backing from the Gambino and Genovese families. Stanfa also had blood relatives that were made Gambinos. I had to dig up my old book to give a logical reply here. Basically, elements in the Gambino and Genovese families were playing chess with Philadelphia, and Stanfa and Merlino and their men were the chess pieces.

The book claims that government sources portrayed underworld alignments in that manner.