TB, I think Neri's words were partly a function of hubris. Like Michael's confronting Carlo, he was a shark circling his prey and feeling unassailable, and master of his domain.

As Johnny Ola told Michael, if you move Klingman out, our friend in Miami will go along. It was Michael's play with Neri chosen to execute it. Providing Neri with a piece of the Tropigala is something I might expect since Michael was in a position to grant it. However, as the novel states, Neri was paid a salary and did not have his own revenue-generating operation. Maybe that changed, but revenue from the Tropigala could be viewed as passive income.