Yeah, that's correct. DeMatteis wanted to use the character, so in the Spider-Man books they did say the cult was based in a figure that "was said to exist" to allow him to use the actual Scrier. The actual Scrier also interacted with Spider-Man in an annual years down the road, written by DeMatteis.
I'd think most people would also say Norman wouldn't have told Gargan about Peter's ID, either - and there's the metacontext to consider, where, even if Norman was routinely making Peter's life hell at this point, such as putting Flash Thompson in a coma, brainwashing Peter with evil toothpaste, and occasionally retroactively boning Gwen Stacy and having superpowered, fast aged twins in Europe with her, it was pretty much taboo to go near one of his biggest wins on his sworn enemy (as well as a litany of other Clone Saga stuff anyway). That just feels like someone putting it in text what actually transpired (much as I wish that wasn't it), given how much time had elapsed and absolutely none of the powers that be ever wanted to go near that particular point again.