To be honest I don't see what's so hard to believe about upper-echelon criminals having a relationship with the authorities. These guys aren't mythical heroes, and you gotta grease palms to get shit done. I absolutely can see these guys dropping dimes on their competition. Not in the traditional snitching sense where a guy takes the stand, but passing along info here and there in exchange for leniency or other favors. The world is not as black and white as some of you seem to think it is. Look at the well-known cases of guys who sort of "ratted their way to the top". Whitey Bulger/Stevie Flemmi and Greg Scarpa are the most well-known but I'd bet both balls there are plenty more who never had any paperwork to go with the info they gave up.