I think Jackie Jnr bought it personally, the way he says "shit" after Tony tells him how much it "hurt everybody".

But yeah it wasn't a believable cover story at all, same for Big Pussy who entered the "program".

But especially not believable in Richies case considering he's just done what 10 years in the can having not flipped or given anybody up.

No indictments, no trials from these guys flipping, nobody getting any sort of visible heat. Even Adriana fell for it, thinking her Uncle Richie was in the program.