In "The Mob and the City" by C. Alexander Hortis the author found a psychological profile a prison psychiatrist gave Luciano. After reading it I couldn't help but be reminded of my impression of what Joey Merlino is like.

Gotti and Merlino do seem quite similar. Both seem to have a loyal following. Gotti by his own admission wasn't a big money maker. I don't think Merlino was either.

I don't think Luciano belongs in the same category though. He did have his own rackets and was a money maker. He was a major bootlegger along with drugs and gambling. I know Meyer Lansky, Arnold Rothstein and others were involved in those ventures with him, but they were business partners. It's not like they were just giving him tribute. Joe Bonanno comments in his book that Luciano was very business-minded. I get the impression that he was more of an "honest" gangster, while Merlino sounds shady and was ripping people off. Gotti and Merlino both seem charismatic, but not necessarily good bosses, while Luciano was.