Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano (born March 12, 1945) was a high ranking member of the
Gambino crime familyThe Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families", or borgata, that control organized crime activity in New York City. It is part a United States-wide criminal network known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
. He is well-known as the man who helped bring down family boss
John GottiJohn Joseph Gotti, Jr. was the boss of the Gambino crime family after the murder of the previous boss Paul Castellano. John Gotti was the most powerful crime boss during his era...
by becoming a
Federal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency. The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI)
informantAn informant is someone who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency, usually law enforcement, without the consent of that person or organization....
.
Originally a mobster for the
Colombo crime familyThe Colombo crime family is one of the "Five Families" that controls organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia...
, and later for the
BrooklynBrooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located southwest of Queens on the western tip of Long Island. An independent city until its consolidation with New York in 1898, Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough, with 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area...
faction of the Gambinos, he was part of a conspiracy within the family to murder Gambino boss
Paul CastellanoPaul "Big Paul" Castellano , also known as "The Howard Hughes of the Mob" and "Big Pauly" , was a Mafia boss in New York City. He succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the Gambino crime family, then one of New York's largest Mafia families...
. Gravano played a key role in planning and executing Castellano's murder; other conspirators included John Gotti,
Angelo RuggieroAngelo Salvatore Ruggiero Sr. pronounced was a caporegime of the Gambino crime family and close friend of John Gotti.-Mob family roots:...
,
Frank DeCiccoFrank DeCicco pronounced was a New York mobster and labor racketeer belonging to the Gambino crime family who eventually plotted the murder of boss Paul Castellano...
and
Joseph ArmoneJoseph "Piney" Armone was a gangster who served as the Underboss of the Gambino crime family from 1986 to 1990.-Biography:...
. The conspiracy would elevate Gravano's position in the family to
underbossCapo Bastone or "Sotto Capo", known as the "Underboss" is second in command to the Capo Crimini. It is a rank in the American and Italian Mafia. The Underboss is sometimes a family member, such as a son, that will take over the family if the don is sick, killed, or sent to prison...
under Gotti, a position he held at the time he turned informer. At the time, he was the highest-ranking member of
organized crimeOrganized crime or criminal organizations can be defined as a transnational grouping of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for the purpose of generating a monetary profit...
ever to turn informer. His testimony drew a wave of
La Cosa NostraThis article is about American Mafia. For other uses, see Mafia .The American Mafia This article is about American Mafia. For other uses, see Mafia (disambiguation).The American Mafia This article is about American Mafia. For other uses, see Mafia (disambiguation).The American Mafia (usually called...
members to become informants.
Childhood and early life
Salvatore Gravano was born in 1945 to Giorlando (Gerry) and Caterina (Kay) Gravano. He was the youngest of three children, and the only boy. They lived in Bensonhurst, a largely Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn. Early on, one of his relatives remarked that he looked like an uncle Sammy. From that point on, he was always called "Sammy," and never "Salvatore" or "Sal."
Gravano did poorly in school due to an undiagnosed case of
dyslexiaDyslexia is a learning disorder that manifests itself primarily as a difficulty with reading and spelling. It is separate and distinct from reading difficulties resulting from other causes, such as a non-neurological deficiency with vision or hearing, or from poor or inadequate reading instruction....
. During his childhood, the condition was not well understood by the medical community of the time, and his problems in school were dismissed as "being a slow learner." He was held back on two occasions. At first, this made him a target of jokes at school, but they ended after assaulting several of his tormentors. He continued to assert his physical presence through violence as he grew up, and his parents were forced to sign him out of school when he was 16 years old.
He began stealing when he was only 7 or 8 and would take two cupcakes from a corner store, in Bensonhurst every day on his way to school. Sammy sobbed when he was caught stealing from his corner shop at the age of 8 and was let off with a firm warning by the shopkeeper. However, by the time he was 13, he had joined the Rampers, a prominent gang in the area.
His father ran a small dress factory and could sustain a good standard of living for the family. When he saw Sammy drifting in the wrong direction, he tried all possible methods of discipline, even forcing him to attend Mass with him.
Gravano was drafted into the
United States ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
in 1964. While an enlisted soldier, he mainly worked as a mess hall cook. He rose to the rank of corporal and was granted an honorable discharge after two years. Gravano was not deployed to the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
.
Gravano married Debra Scibetta in 1971; they had two children. Later in his mob career, he was ordered to help arrange the murder of his brother-in-law,
Nicholas ScibettaNicholas Scibetta pronounced , also known as "Little Nicky" , was a Sicilian-American mobster who was the nephew of Joseph Zicarelli and is the brother-in-law of Sammy Gravano and uncle of mafioso Gerard Gravano who was a Gambino crime family mob associate who was later marked as a stool pigeon by...
. He is also the brother-in-law of Gambino crime family
capoA caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
Edward Garafola and Mario Garafola. He was a childhood friend of
Colombo crime familyThe Colombo crime family is one of the "Five Families" that controls organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia...
capo
Gerard PappaGerard Pappa , also known as "Gerry" and "Papa Bear" , was a former Colombo crime family associate and eventually a Genovese crime family soldier and known hitman, who was widely feared for his violent tendencies, which directly attributed to his own murder in 1980.-Biography:It is unknown how...
.
Colombo associate
The Mafia had always been omnipresent in Bensonhurst; several
"wiseguys"A made man, also known as a wiseguy, made guy, man of honor, or Mafioso is someone who has been officially inducted into the Mafia .-Overview:...
hung around a
barA bar is an establishment that serves drinks, especially alcoholic beverages such as beer, liquor, and cocktails, for consumption on the premises....
that Sammy and his father frequently walked by. On one occasion, they helped Sammy recover a stolen bike, and one of them was so enamored by his fighting ability that he nicknamed him "the Bull." The nickname stuck.
Despite his father's attempts to dissuade him, Sammy, like many of his Ramper colleagues, drifted into the Mafia. He first became associated with the "Honored Society" in 1968 through Tommy Spero, whose uncle, Shorty, was an associate of the
Colombo crime familyThe Colombo crime family is one of the "Five Families" that controls organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia...
under its future boss,
Carmine "the Snake" PersicoCarmine John Persico, Jr. also known as "Junior", "The Snake" and "Immortal", has been the Boss of the Colombo crime family since the beginning of the 1970s...
. Gravano was initially involved in petty crimes, as he almost always had been, such as
larcenyLarceny is a form of theft. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of England into their own law. It has been abolished in England and Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland...
, hijacking, and armed robbery. He quickly moved up the ranks and into racketeering, running a loansharking business and a lucrative poker game in the back room of an after-hours club of which he was part-owner.
Gravano became a particular favorite of family boss
Joe ColomboJoe Colombo may refer to:* Joseph Colombo , leader of the Colombo crime family* Joe Cesare Colombo , Italian industrial designer...
, who used Gravano to picket the FBI as part of his
Italian-American Civil Rights LeagueThe Italian-American Civil Rights League was formed as a political group in and around New York City in the early 1970s. Its stated goal was to combat pejorative stereotypes about Italian-Americans....
initiative. Gravano's rise was so precipitous that it was generally understood that he would be among the first to
become madeA made man, also known as a wiseguy, made guy, man of honor, or Mafioso is someone who has been officially inducted into the Mafia .-Overview:...
when the Mafia's membership books were reopened (they had been closed since 1957).
In 1970, he committed his first murder—that of Joseph Colucci, a fellow Spero associate with whom's wife Tommy Spero was having an affair. Colucci reportedly was planning to kill Gravano and both Speros in response. Gravano described the experience thusly:
As that Beatles song played, I became a killer. Joe Colucci was going to die. I was going to kill him because he was plotting to kill me. I felt the rage inside me.... Everything went in slow motion. I could almost feel the bullet leaving the gun and entering his skull. It was strange. I didn't hear the first shot. I didn't see any blood. His head didn't seem to move.... I felt like I was a million miles away, like this was all a dream.
Gravano's murder of Colucci won him the respect and approval of Persico.
Made man
Sometime in the early 1970s, Ralph Spero, brother of Shorty, became jealous of Gravano's status as a rising star in the family, fearing he would be made before his own son, Tommy. Shorty Spero thus granted Gravano his official release from the Colombos after confirming the
Gambino crime familyThe Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families", or borgata, that control organized crime activity in New York City. It is part a United States-wide criminal network known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
would take him in.
With the Gambinos, Gravano became an associate of longtime capo Salvatore "Toddo" Aurello. Aurello quickly took a liking to Sammy, who already had an education in mob life through Persico, and became his mob mentor. Around this time, Gravano took a construction job and claims to have considered going legit. A former associate, however, falsely claimed to the
New York District Attorney's OfficeThe New York County District Attorney is the elected district attorney for New York County , New York. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws. .Robert M. Morgenthau has been the district attorney since 1975...
that Gravano and another associate were responsible for a double murder from 1969. Indictments were issued and Gravano, in need of money to pay his legal bills, quit his construction job and went on a self-described "robbing rampage" for a year and a half. One week into the trial, the prosecution moved to dismiss the charges, but Gravano considered the experience to be formative, sealing his future in a life of crime:
That pinch changed my whole life. I never, ever stopped a second from there on in. I was like a madman. Never stopped stealing. Never stopped robbing. I was obsessed.
Gravano's robbery spree impressed Aurello, who proposed him for membership in the Gambino family. In 1976, the Mafia's membership books were finally reopened and Gravano was one of the first to be sworn in.
Family loyalty put to the test
Gravano's loyalty to his dueling families was put to the test in 1978, when the erratic behavior of his brother-in-law,
Nicholas ScibettaNicholas Scibetta pronounced , also known as "Little Nicky" , was a Sicilian-American mobster who was the nephew of Joseph Zicarelli and is the brother-in-law of Sammy Gravano and uncle of mafioso Gerard Gravano who was a Gambino crime family mob associate who was later marked as a stool pigeon by...
, attracted the attention of Gambino leadership. Scibetta, the brother of Gravano's wife, had developed an alcohol problem and soon started using
cocaineCocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant...
. A series of altercations with mob associates followed, one of which ended with Scibetta having his adversary arrested, earning him a reputation as a
stool pigeonAn informant is someone who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency, usually law enforcement, without the consent of that person or organization....
. Scibetta sealed his fate when he insulted the daughter of Georgie DeCicco, uncle of Gambino member
Frank DeCiccoFrank DeCicco pronounced was a New York mobster and labor racketeer belonging to the Gambino crime family who eventually plotted the murder of boss Paul Castellano...
. Hearing the news, Gravano gave his brother-in-law a beating in an attempt to forestall worse punishment. The elder DeCicco, however, was incensed and took the matter to boss
Paul CastellanoPaul "Big Paul" Castellano , also known as "The Howard Hughes of the Mob" and "Big Pauly" , was a Mafia boss in New York City. He succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the Gambino crime family, then one of New York's largest Mafia families...
, who ordered
a hitContract killing is a form of assassination in which one entity hires another entity to kill a target individual or group of people. It involves an illegal agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to kill the target in exchange for some kind of remuneration, monetary or otherwise...
on Scibetta.
The order was given to Frank DeCicco, who was told not to inform Gravano. DeCicco gave the contract to Loborio "Louie" Milito and Josephy "Stymie" D'Angelo, Sr., two associates on Gravano's crew. After consultation, the three agreed it was wrong not to tell Gravano. DeCicco went to Castellano and persuaded him to give permission to inform Gravano, but Castellano also authorized DeCicco to kill Gravano if he opposed the murder. According to Gravano, he was initially livid at the news and threatened to kill Castellano, but DeCicco eventually convinced him opposition would be futile and he acquiesced to the murder.
The only part of Scibetta's body ever recovered was one of his hands, and he was declared
legally deadIn law, death in absentia is the status of a person who has been declared legally dead when the person disappears but no identifiable remains can be located or recovered.-Facts, circumstances, and the "balance of probabilities":...
in 1985. How Scibetta was killed, as well as the exact extent of Gravano's involvement, remains unknown.
Around this time, Gravano opened an afterhours club in Bensonhurst. The bar was the scene of a violent altercation one night involving a rowdy biker gang intent on ransacking the establishment, which may have served as inspiration for a similar scene in the 1993 film
A Bronx TaleA Bronx Tale is a 1993 film set in The Bronx during the turbulent era of the 1960s. It was the directorial debut of Robert De Niro, and follows a young man as his path in life is guided by two father figures, played by De Niro and Chazz Palminteri. It also includes a brief appearance by Joe Pesci...
. A melee ensued in which Gravano broke his ankle and the bikers were chased off. Gravano then went to Castellano and received permission to murder the leader of the gang. Along with Milito, Gravano hunted down the leader, wounding him and killing another member of the gang. Castellano was flabbergasted when he learned the crutch-ridden Gravano personally took part in the hit.
Construction magnate
Like his predecessor
Carlo GambinoCarlo "Don Carlo" Gambino, was a mafioso who became boss of the Gambino crime family, that still bears his name today. He was one of several national bosses gathering at the 1957 Apalachin Convention. Gambino was known for being low-key and secretive...
, Castellano favored emphasizing more sophisticated schemes involving construction, trucking, and garbage disposal over traditional street-level activities such as loansharking,
gamblingGambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods. Typically, the outcome of the wager is evident within a short period....
, and hijackings. Castellano had a particular interest in the construction business. Gravano began to change his boss' cowboy image of him when he entered into the plumbing and
drywallDrywall is the term used for a common method of constructing interior walls and ceilings using panels made of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper, then kiln dried. Drywall construction is used globally for the finish construction of interior walls and ceilings...
business with his brother-in-law, Edward Garafola. As Gravano's involvement in construction increased, he became closer and closer to Castellano, eventually penetrating Castellano's inner circle and becoming a regular at his
Todt HillTodt Hill [elevation 410 ft ] is a small mountain ridge on Staten Island, New York. It is the highest natural point in the five boroughs of New York City, and Staten Islanders say it is the on the eastern seaboard of the United States south of Maine...
,
Staten IslandStaten Island is a borough of New York City in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
mansion.
Gravano quickly acquired tremendous clout in the construction and trucking industries. The Aurello crew supervised the Gambino family's control over
TeamstersThe International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
Local 282, which had jurisdiction over building materials to all construction sites in the city. The Mafia's control over the city's construction industry was so absolute that it had effective veto power over all major construction projects in the city. For all practical purposes, no concrete could be poured for any project worth more than $2 million without Mafia approval.
Gravano's construction and other business interests soon earned him a reputation as a "good earner" within the Gambino organization and made him a multi-millionaire, enabling him to build a large estate for his family in rural
Ocean County, New JerseyOcean County is a county located along the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its county seat is Toms River, which, like the county itself, has been one of the fastest growing areas of the state since the 1990s. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population was 510,916...
. Flush with cash, he also invested in trotters to race at the
Meadowlands RacetrackThe Meadowlands Racetrack is a horse racing track at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States.The track hosts both thoroughbred racing and harness racing...
and started operating a popular
discothequeA discothèque, , is an entertainment venue or club with recorded music played by Disc jockeys through a PA system, rather than an on-stage band.Prior to the discothèque, most bars and nightclubs used live bands as entertainment.- Etymology :...
,
The Plaza SuiteThe Plaza Suite was a discothèque owned by Gambino crime family underboss Sammy Gravano in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York City.-Building history:...
, in the
GravesendGravesend is a neighborhood in the south-central section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA....
section of
BrooklynBrooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located southwest of Queens on the western tip of Long Island. An independent city until its consolidation with New York in 1898, Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough, with 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area...
. Gravano reportedly made $4,000-a-week from the Plaza Suite alone. Gravano also used the club as his construction headquarters.
Gravano further ingratiated himself to Castellano when he interceded in a civil war that had erupted within the
Philadelphia crime familyThe Philadelphia crime family also know as the Scarfo crime family is an Italian American criminal organization based in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is one of the most powerful Cosa Nostra families after the Five Families of New York and the Chicago Outfit...
. In March 1980, longtime Philadelphia boss
Angelo BrunoAngelo "The Gentle Don" Bruno was an Italian-American mobster who ran the Philadelphia crime family for two decades. Bruno gained his nickname and reputation due to his preference for conciliation over violence.-Early years:Born in Villalba, Sicily, Bruno emigrated to the United States in his...
was assassinated by his
consigliereConsigliere is a position in the American Mafia. The word was popularized by Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather , and its film adaptation. In the novel, a consigliere is an adviser or counselor to a mafia boss, with the additional responsibility of representing the don in important meetings both...
,
Antonio CaponigroAntonio Rocco Caponigro, also known as "Tony Bananas" , was the consigliere of Angelo Bruno in the Philadelphia crime family....
, without authorization from
The CommissionThe Commission is a governing body of the Mafia in the United States. Although its makeup has changed several times since its 1931 creation, the bosses of the New York Five Families still provide the core membership of The Commission...
. The Commission summoned Caponigro to New York, where it sentenced him to death for his transgression; after Caponigro was tortured and killed,
Philip TestaPhilip "Chicken Man" Testa was an American Mafia figure known for his brief leadership of Philadelphia crime family. Testa's nickname came from his involvement in a poultry business.-Mob leader:...
was installed as boss and
Nicky ScarfoNicodemo Domenico Scarfo, also known as "Little Nicky" , is an imprisoned Italian American mafioso who eventually became the Boss of the Philadelphia crime family after the death of Phil Testa...
as consigliere. The Commission subsequently
placed contractsContract killing is a form of assassination in which one entity hires another entity to kill a target individual or group of people. It involves an illegal agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to kill the target in exchange for some kind of remuneration, monetary or otherwise...
on Caponigro's co-conspirators, including John "Johnny Keys" Simone, who also happened to be Bruno's cousin. The Simone contract was given to Gravano.
After befriending Simone through a series of meetings, Gravano, with the assistance of Milito and D'Angelo, abducted Simone from a
Trenton, New JerseyTrenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated that the City of Trenton had a population of 82,804....
country clubA country club is a private club and it may have a closed membership. Most offer a variety of recreational sports facilities and are located in city outskirts or rural areas.. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or traditional polo...
and drove him to a wooded area in
Staten IslandStaten Island is a borough of New York City in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
. Gravano then granted Simone's requests to die with his shoes off, in fulfillment of a promise he had made to his wife, and at the hands of a
made manA made man, also known as a wiseguy, made guy, man of honor, or Mafioso is someone who has been officially inducted into the Mafia .-Overview:...
. After Gravano removed Simone's shoes, Milito shot Simone in the back of the head, killing him. Gravano would later express admiration for Simone as a "man's man," remarking favorably on the calmness with which he accepted his fate. Gravano earned praise from Castellano for the killing.
Frank Fiala murder
By the early 1980s, the Plaza Suite was a thriving establishment. Patrons often had to wait in line for up to an hour before being admitted and the club featured high-profile live acts such as
Chubby CheckerChubby Checker is an American singer-songwriter best known for popularizing the The Twist with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard's R&B hit "The Twist"...
and the
Four TopsThe Four Tops are an American vocal quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, and showtunes. Founded in Detroit, Michigan...
.
In 1982, Frank Fiala, a wealthy businessman and drug trafficker, paid Gravano $40,000 to rent the Plaza Suite for a birthday party he was throwing himself. Two days after the party, Gravano accepted a $1,000,000 offer from Fiala to buy the establishment, which Gravano had only valued at $200,000. The deal was structured to include $100,000 cash as a down payment, $650,000 in gold bullion under the table, and a $250,000 payment at the closing.
Fiala started to behave strangely and, before the transaction was completed, moved into Gravano's office and started to remodel the establishment. Gravano, enraged, stormed into the office to confront Fiala, whom he found sitting at his desk, flanked by two Doberman Pinschers. Fiala pulled out an Uzi from behind the desk, called Gravano a "greaseball," and demanded that Gravano do things his way. For a moment, Gravano thought he was about to be killed, but Fiala didn't shoot.
Upon leaving, Gravano called Garafola and set up an ambush outside the club, involving Garafola, Milito, D'Angelo,
Nicholas MormandoNicholas Mormando, also known as "Nicky Cowboy" was a Gambino crime family mob associate who was involved in the murder of Frank Fiala and member of Sammy Gravano's Bensonhurst, Brooklyn crew.-Biography:Nicholas Mormando was the son of Italian-American emigrants from Morimondo in Milan, Italy...
, and
Michael DeBattMichael "Mickey" DeBatt was a reputed Gambino crime family mob associate who was involved in the gangland slaying of drug trafficker Frank Fiala.-Biography:...
in the plan. Later that night, Gravano confronted Fiala on the street as he exited the Plaza Suite amongst a group of people, asking, "Hey, Frank, how you doing?" As Fiala turned around, surprised to see Gravano, Milito came up behind him and shot him in the head. Milito stood over the body and fired a shot into each of Fiala's eyes as Fiala's entourage and the crowd of people on the street dispersed, screaming. Gravano then walked up to Fiala's corpse and spit on it.
Although Gravano believed the entire neighborhood knew he was responsible for the murder, he was never charged for the crime: Gravano had made a $5,000 payoff to the lead homicide detective,
Louis EppolitoLouis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa are two former New York Police Department police detectives who worked on behalf of the New York Mafia while they committed various illegal activities...
, to ensure the investigation yielded no leads.
While Gravano was able to evade criminal charges, he had incurred Castellano's wrath over the unsanctioned killing. Gravano attempted to lay low for nearly three weeks afterwards, during which time he called his crew together and made the decision to kill the boss if necessary. Gravano and Milito were then summoned to a meeting with Castellano at a Manhattan restaurant. Castellano had been given the details of what Fiala had done, but he was still livid that Gravano had not come to him for permission to kill Fiala first. Gravano, however, was spared execution when he convinced Castellano that the reason he had kept him in the dark was to protect the boss in case something went wrong with the hit.
Fiala's murder posed one final problem for Gravano in the form of the
Internal Revenue ServiceThe Internal Revenue Service is the United States federal government agency that collects taxes and enforces the internal revenue laws. It is an agency within the U.S. Department of the Treasury and is responsible for interpretation and application of Federal tax law. The official U.S...
(IRS). The high publicity generated by the incident triggered an IRS investigation into Gravano and Fiala's deal for the sale of the Plaza Suite and Gravano was subsequently charged with tax evasion. Gravano was represented by
Gerald ShargelGerald Shargel is a high-profile defense attorney based in New York City who has been a member of the New York Bar since 1969. He has garnered attention as both a trial and appellate lawyer, representing white-collar clients and ordinary criminal defendants, but is most famous for, along with...
and acquitted at trial.
Gravano's relief at being acquitted was tempered by news close friend D'Angelo had been killed by a
Colombo familyThe Colombo crime family is one of the "Five Families" that controls organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia...
associate celebrating that he was being proposed for membership. The killer was then murdered himself on orders from the Colombo family.
Aligning with Gotti
In the aftermath of the Fiala murder, Gravano continued to focus on his construction business, branching out into the lucrative concrete paving industry. New York City's cement industry was controlled by four of the
Five FamiliesThe Five Families are the five major Italian-American Mafia crime families which have dominated organized crime in New York City since the 1930s. Prior to this was the Maranzano Family and the Masseria Family which ultimately ended up with the two families fighting each other during a period known...
, which made millions of dollars by manipulating bids and steering contracts.
Gravano eventually became embroiled in a dispute with business partner Louie DiBono, who was also a member of another Gambino crew. A sit-down with Castellano was held, at which an irate Gravano accused DiBono of withholding $200,000 in payments for subcontracts and threatened to kill him right then and there. Gambino
underbossCapo Bastone or "Sotto Capo", known as the "Underboss" is second in command to the Capo Crimini. It is a rank in the American and Italian Mafia. The Underboss is sometimes a family member, such as a son, that will take over the family if the don is sick, killed, or sent to prison...
Neil DellacroceAniello John "Mr. Niel" Dellacroce, also known as "Father O'Neil", "The Archangel of Darkness", "The Tall Guy", and "The Polack" was an Italian immigrant gangster, and underboss of the Gambino crime family.-Early years:...
intervened on Gravano's behalf and Castellano decreed that the matter would be settled by the two men ending their business partnership, though Gravano's standing with the boss slipped as a result of the incident. Dellacroce, however, was rising star
John GottiJohn Joseph Gotti, Jr. was the boss of the Gambino crime family after the murder of the previous boss Paul Castellano. John Gotti was the most powerful crime boss during his era...
's mentor, and when word got back to him that Dellacroce had supported Gravano, he was impressed.
During this time, the FBI had intensified its efforts against the Gambino family, and in August 1983, three members of Gotti's crew —
Angelo RuggieroAngelo Salvatore Ruggiero Sr. pronounced was a caporegime of the Gambino crime family and close friend of John Gotti.-Mob family roots:...
,
John CarnegliaJohn 'Johnny Carnegs' Carneglia is a New York criminal associated with the Gambino crime family and who was convicted of running a heroin distribution ring. Carneglia was indicted on charges of narcotics trafficking, obstruction of justice, racketeering, and operating a continuing criminal...
, and
Gene GottiGene Gotti is a New York mobster who belongs to the Gambino crime family who was a major drug trafficker in New York. Born to John and Fannie Gotti, Gene has four brothers: John, Peter, Richard, and Vincent Gotti. Gene became a Gambino associate around 1966, a made man in 1976, Capo in 1985, and...
— were indicted for heroin trafficking. Castellano was aware crews had been dealing narcotics and received
tributeA tribute is wealth one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance...
from the proceeds, but he had an intense dislike for Gotti and intended to use the incident to demote him to soldier status and disband his crew. The FBI had
buggedA covert listening device, more commonly known as a bug or a wire, is usually a combination of a miniature radio transmitter with a microphone...
Ruggiero's house and phone and Castellano decided he needed copies of the tapes to justify his impending move to Dellacroce and the family's other capos. Castellano demanded that Dellacroce obtain them from Ruggiero (whose attorney had obtained them through normal court procedures), but Dellacroce stalled.
When Castellano was indicted for both his connection to
Roy DeMeoRoy Albert DeMeo was a ranking member of the Gambino crime family, one of the largest and most feared crime families in New York City....
's stolen car ring and as part of the
Mafia Commission TrialThe Mafia Commission Trial was a criminal trial in New York City, USA. Using evidence obtained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, eleven organized crime figures, including the heads of New York's so-called "Five Families," were indicted by United States Attorney Rudolph Giuliani under the...
, he learned his own house had been bugged on the basis of evidence from the Ruggiero tapes and he became livid. In June of 1985, he again demanded that Dellacroce get him the tapes. Both Dellacroce and Gotti tried to convince Ruggiero to comply if Castellano explained beforehand how he intended to use the tapes, but Ruggiero refused, fearing he would endanger good friends.
Three months later, Gravano was approached by
Robert DiBernardoRobert DiBernardo, also known as "DiB", was a caporegime in the Gambino crime family who ran the crime family's pornography racket and at the time of his death claimed to be the biggest pornographer in the United States...
, a fellow Gambino member acting as an intermediary for Gotti. DiBernardo informed him that Gotti and Ruggiero wanted to meet with him in Queens. Gravano arrived to find only Ruggiero was present. Ruggiero informed Gravano that he and Gotti were planning to murder Castellano and asked for Gravano's support. Gravano was initially noncommittal, wanting to confer first with
Frank DeCiccoFrank DeCicco pronounced was a New York mobster and labor racketeer belonging to the Gambino crime family who eventually plotted the murder of boss Paul Castellano...
. In conversation with DeCicco, both men voiced concern that Castellano would designate his nephew,
Thomas GambinoThomas "Tommy" Gambino is a New York mobster and a longtime Caporegime of the Gambino crime family. He is the son of founder Carlo Gambino, the nephew of Paul Castellano and the son-in-law to former Lucchese crime family boss Thomas Lucchese....
, acting boss and his driver,
Thomas BilottiTommaso "Thomas" C. Bilotti was a New York mobster who served as a driver and then Underboss for the reputed Boss of the Gambino crime family, Paul Castellano...
, underboss in the event he was convicted and sent to prison. Neither man appealed to Gravano or DeCicco as leadership material, and they ultimately decided to support the hit on Castellano.
Whacking the boss
Gravano's first choice to become boss after Castellano's murder was
Frank DeCiccoFrank DeCicco pronounced was a New York mobster and labor racketeer belonging to the Gambino crime family who eventually plotted the murder of boss Paul Castellano...
, but DeCicco felt John Gotti's ego was too big to take a subservient role. DeCicco argued that Gotti's boldness, intelligence, and charisma made him well-suited to be "a good boss" and he convinced Gravano to give Gotti a chance. DeCicco and Gravano, however, also made a secret pact to kill Gotti and take over the family as boss and underboss, respectively, if they were unhappy with Gotti's leadership after one year.
The conspirators' first order of business was meeting with other Gambino members, most of whom were disaffected under Castellano, and gaining their support for the hit. Gotti and Ruggiero then sought and obtained the approval of the Colombo and
BonannoThe Bonanno crime family is one of the "Five Families" that controls organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia .-The formation of the family:...
families, while DeCicco secured the backing of the
LucchesesThe Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that controls organized crime activities in New York City, U.S., within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia...
. The conspirators decided not to approach the
Genovese familyThe Genovese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that controls organized crime activities in New York City, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The Genovese crime family has been nicknamed the "Ivy League" and "Rolls Royce" of organized crime...
due to boss
Vincent "The Chin" GiganteVincent "The Chin" Gigante was a New York mobster who headed the Genovese crime family. Gigante was one of five brothers: himself, Mario, Pasquale and Ralph all became mobsters in the Genovese family. Only one brother, Louis, did not become a Genovese mobster and instead became a priest...
's long-standing friendship with Castellano. With
Neil DellacroceAniello John "Mr. Niel" Dellacroce, also known as "Father O'Neil", "The Archangel of Darkness", "The Tall Guy", and "The Polack" was an Italian immigrant gangster, and underboss of the Gambino crime family.-Early years:...
's death on December 2, the final constraint on a move by Gotti or Castellano against the other was removed. Gotti, enraged that Castellano chose not to attend his mentor's wake, wasted little time in striking.
Unsuspecting the plot against him, Castellano invited DeCicco to a meeting on December 16, 1985 with fellow capos
Thomas GambinoThomas "Tommy" Gambino is a New York mobster and a longtime Caporegime of the Gambino crime family. He is the son of founder Carlo Gambino, the nephew of Paul Castellano and the son-in-law to former Lucchese crime family boss Thomas Lucchese....
,
James FaillaJames "Jimmy Brown" Failla was a senior caporegime of the Gambino crime family who was a major power in the garbage hauling industry in New York City....
, and
Danny MarinoDaniel "Danny" Joseph Marino is a longtime high-ranking member of the Gambino crime family, reputedly holds the rank of Caporegime or Captain with illegal activities in Queens, New York.- Made and Caporegime :...
at
Sparks Steak HouseThe Sparks Steak House is located at 210 East 46th Street between Second & Third Avenues in Midtown Manhattan. The restaurant opened in 1966 and moved to its current location in 1977...
in Manhattan. The conspirators considered the restaurant a prime location for the hit because the area would be packed with bustling crowds of holiday shoppers, making it easier for the assassins to blend in and escape. The plans for the assassination were finalized on December 15, and the next afternoon, the conspirators met for a final time on the
Lower East SideThe Lower East Side is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, E. Houston, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street...
. At Gotti's suggestion, the shooters wore long white trench coats and black fur Russian hats, which Gravano considered a "brilliant" idea.
Gotti and Gravano arrived at the restaurant shortly before 5 o'clock and, after circling the block, parked their car across the intersection and within view of the entrance. Around 5:30, Gravano spotted Castellano's
Lincoln Town CarThe Lincoln Town Car is a full-size, rear-wheel drive luxury sedan sold by Ford's upscale Lincoln brand. The Town Car features a V8 engine and large exterior and interior dimensions....
stopped at a nearby intersection and, via walkie talkie, alerted the team of
hitmenA hitman usually is an assassin who is hired to assassinate a target via contract killing.- Hitmen in organized crime :Hitmen are largely linked to the world of organized crime. Hitmen are hired people, usually males who kill people for money. For notable examples see Murder, Inc...
stationed outside the restaurant of Castellano's approach. Castellano's driver, Thomas Bilotti, pulled the car up directly in front of the entrance. As Castellano and Bilotti exited the Lincoln, the roughly half dozen shooters moved in and opened fire, killing both men in a barrage of bullets. As the hat-and-trench coat adorned men slipped away into the night, Gotti calmly drove the car past the front of the restaurant to get a look at the scene. Looking down at Bilotti's body from the passenger window, Gravano remarked, "He's gone."
The new regime
After Castellano's death, a meeting of the Gambino family's capos was held, at which Frank DeCicco nominated Gotti to be the new boss. Gotti's nomination met with no opposition and he was installed as
donA crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has unquestioned command over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the criminal...
. Gotti, in turn, selected DeCicco as his underboss and elevated Gravano to capo after Toddo Aurello announced his desire to step down.
Gotti was recognized as the Gambino family's boss and a member of
The CommissionThe Commission is a governing body of the Mafia in the United States. Although its makeup has changed several times since its 1931 creation, the bosses of the New York Five Families still provide the core membership of The Commission...
by each of the other Five Families, including the
Genovese familyThe Genovese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that controls organized crime activities in New York City, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The Genovese crime family has been nicknamed the "Ivy League" and "Rolls Royce" of organized crime...
, whose approval for the hit on Castellano had been deliberately bypassed by Gotti and his co-conspirators. The Genovese family, however, was still upset that Gotti had proceeded without the full sanctioning of The Commission and cryptically announced that a Mafia rule had been broken, for which somebody would have to pay if and when The Commission, which was in disarray at the time due to the Mafia Commission Trial, met again. Gravano and DeCicco had been hiding out in
safe housesIn law enforcement agencies jargon and intelligence jargon a safe house is a secure location, suitable for hiding witnesses, agents or other persons perceived as being in danger...
, but they took the other families' full recognition of Gotti as an indication that it was safe to resurface.
The Genoveses made good on their veiled threat in April of 1986 when DeCicco was killed by a car bomb outside Castellano's former social club in Bensonhurst, then operated by Gambino capo
James FaillaJames "Jimmy Brown" Failla was a senior caporegime of the Gambino crime family who was a major power in the garbage hauling industry in New York City....
. Gravano was at the club at the time and was blown off his feet by the blast. Gravano attempted to pull DeCicco from the wreckage but realized it was no use when he saw various body parts scattered about.
The attack was orchestrated by Genovese boss Vincent Gigante, with the backing of Lucchese leaders
Vittorio "Vic" AmusoVittorio "Little Vic" Amuso is a New York mobster and, as of 2009, the reputed Boss of the Lucchese crime family. Amuso is currently serving life sentence at the United States Penitentiary #2 FCC, Coleman in Coleman, Florida on murder and racketeering charges...
and
Anthony "Gaspipe" CassoAnthony "Gaspipe" Casso was a New York money machine mobster and the former powerful Underboss of the Lucchese crime family. Later he became a government informant.-Early life:...
. The bomb was intended to kill both DeCicco and Gotti, who was supposed to be at the club for a meeting with Gravano and DeCicco. Gotti, however, couldn't make the meeting and rescheduled for later that evening at the
Ravenite Social ClubThe Ravenite Social Club was a club in New York City that was frequented and at some point used as headquarters of the Gambino crime family. It was located at 247 Mulberry St. in the Little Italy section of Manhattan. It is now a shoe store....
in Manhattan. Failla and fellow capo
Daniel MarinoDaniel "Danny" Joseph Marino is a longtime high-ranking member of the Gambino crime family, reputedly holds the rank of Caporegime or Captain with illegal activities in Queens, New York.- Made and Caporegime :...
were two of Castellano's closest associates before his death and both men were in on Gigante's plot. In exchange for a promise to be designated co-leaders of the Gambino family after the assassinations, Failla and Marino provided intelligence and tipped off the plotters to the planned meeting in Bensonhurst. The plotters reportedly used a car bomb for the attack in order to divert suspicion. The method had its intended effect, as Gotti and Gravano considered and dismissed the possibility that Gigante was behind the plot, reasoning, "[H]e wouldn't use... bombs."
With DeCicco dead, the Gambinos were left without an underboss. Gotti chose to fill the vacancy by naming
Angelo RuggieroAngelo Salvatore Ruggiero Sr. pronounced was a caporegime of the Gambino crime family and close friend of John Gotti.-Mob family roots:...
and Gravano co-underbosses.
"Nicky Cowboy" murder
The first person on Gravano's hit list after Castellano's murder was
Nicholas "Nicky Cowboy" MormandoNicholas Mormando, also known as "Nicky Cowboy" was a Gambino crime family mob associate who was involved in the murder of Frank Fiala and member of Sammy Gravano's Bensonhurst, Brooklyn crew.-Biography:Nicholas Mormando was the son of Italian-American emigrants from Morimondo in Milan, Italy...
, a former member of his crew. Mormando had become addicted to
crack cocaineCrack cocaine, crack or rock is a solid, smokable form of cocaine. It is a freebase form of cocaine that can be made using baking soda or sodium hydroxide, in a process to convert cocaine hydrochloride into methylbenzoylecgonine .-Appearance and characteristics:Crack cocaine as sold on the...
and was suspected by Gravano of getting friend and fellow crew member
Michael DeBattMichael "Mickey" DeBatt was a reputed Gambino crime family mob associate who was involved in the gangland slaying of drug trafficker Frank Fiala.-Biography:...
addicted to the narcotic. According to Gravano, Mormando started to act "like a renegade... beserk." The final straw came when Mormando announced he no longer wanted to be in the crew and planned to start his own gang. Gravano decided he "couldn't take a chance" because Mormando "knew too much" and he got permission from Gotti to kill Mormando.
Gravano arranged to have Mormando murdered on his way to a meeting at Gravano's Bensonhurst restaurant, Tali's. After assuring Mormando of his safety, Gravano told him to pick up
Joseph ParutaJoseph Paruta, also known as "Old Man" and "Sammy Gravano's Personal Luca Brasi" was a mobster in the Gambino crime family and considered a "key member" of Sammy Gravano's Bensonhurst, Brooklyn crew. He is the only known mobster who asked for a mercy killing after becoming terminally ill with lung...
on his way. Paruta got in the backseat of the car and shot Mormando twice in the back of the head. Mormando's corpse was then disposed of in a vacant lot, where it was discovered the next day.
Consigliere
Gotti was imprisoned in May 1986 at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York while awaiting trial on
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations ActThe Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. RICO was enacted by section 901 of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970...
(RICO) charges. He was forced to rely heavily on Gravano,
Angelo RuggieroAngelo Salvatore Ruggiero Sr. pronounced was a caporegime of the Gambino crime family and close friend of John Gotti.-Mob family roots:...
, and
Joseph "Piney" ArmoneJoseph "Piney" Armone was a gangster who served as the Underboss of the Gambino crime family from 1986 to 1990.-Biography:...
to manage the
familyThe Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families", or borgata, that control organized crime activity in New York City. It is part a United States-wide criminal network known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
's day-to-day affairs while he called the major shots from his jail cell.
In June, Gravano was approached by Ruggiero and, supposedly at Gotti's behest, given orders to murder capo
Robert DiBernardoRobert DiBernardo, also known as "DiB", was a caporegime in the Gambino crime family who ran the crime family's pornography racket and at the time of his death claimed to be the biggest pornographer in the United States...
for making negative remarks about Gotti's leadership. Gravano was friendly with DiBernardo and tried to get the murder called off until he had a chance to speak with Gotti after his trial. Ruggiero claimed to have met again with Gotti and told Gravano that the boss wanted DiBernardo killed right away. Gravano arranged a meeting with DiBernardo where Joe Paruta, a member of Gravano's crew, shot DiBernardo twice in the back of the head as the underboss watched. Gravano later learned that Ruggiero was $250,000 in debt to DiBernardo and realized Ruggiero may have fabricated the orders from Gotti or simply lied to Gotti about what DiBernardo was accused of saying in order to erase the debt and improve his own standing in the family. In any event, DiBernardo's death proved profitable for Gravano, as he took over the deceased man's control of
TeamstersThe International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
Local 282.
Gotti's trial ultimately ended in a mistrial due to a
hung juryA hung jury is a jury that cannot agree upon a verdict after an extended period of deliberation and is unable to change its votes due to severe differences of opinion.-United States :...
and the boss was freed from jail. Gravano's specific position within the family varied during 1986 and 1987. He started out as co-underboss with Ruggiero and later was shifted to co-consigliere with Armone. When
Joseph N. GalloJoseph N. Gallo was a New York mobster who allegedly became consigliere of the Gambino crime family during the reigns of Carlo Gambino, Paul Castellano and for a short time, John Gotti. Joseph N. Gallo should not be confused with "Crazy Joey" Gallo from the Colombo crime family. He is the father...
and Armone were convicted on racketeering charges in 1987, Gotti turned to Gravano to help fill the void, promoting him to official consigliere and making
Frank LocascioFrank "Frankie Loc" LoCascio is a New York mobster who became the Consigliere to the Gambino crime family, under Boss John Gotti. LoCascio is the father of Salvatore LoCascio, a ranked caporegime in the same crime family...
acting underboss. By this time, Gravano was regarded as a "rising force" in the construction industry and often mingled with executives from major construction firms and union officials at his popular Bensonhurst restaurant, Tali's.
Gravano's success was not without a downside. First, his quick rise up the Gambino hierarchy attracted the attention of the FBI, and he was soon placed under surveillance. Second, he started to sense some jealousy from Gotti over the profitability of his legitimate business interests. Nevertheless, Gravano claimed to be kicking up over $2 million each year to Gotti out of his union activities alone.
More murders
Michael DeBatt, the son of a late friend of Gravano's had also become addicted to crack cocaine. DeBatt's wife came to Gravano pleading for help. She told Gravano DeBatt stayed up at night with a gun claiming "they were coming to get him." Gravano had taken DeBatt under his wing after the elder DeBatt's death, as he had done with Joey D' Angelo. Gravano responded to DeBatt's wife's cries for help by having DeBatt shot to death at Tally's, Gravano's bar. The shooters emptied the cash register and left DeBatt in the bar to make it look like a robbery.
Not long after this, Gravano became the family's
consigliereConsigliere is a position in the American Mafia. The word was popularized by Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather , and its film adaptation. In the novel, a consigliere is an adviser or counselor to a mafia boss, with the additional responsibility of representing the don in important meetings both...
and his old crew was taken over by
Louis "Big Lou" VallarioLouis Vallario, also known as "Big Louie" and "Big Lou" , is a member of the Gambino crime family who was a top aide to boss John Gotti and Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano in the late 1980s.-Criminal history:...
. Louie Milito, Gravano's old buddy from his childhood days with the Rampers, was not pleased with this decision. Milito made the mistake of telling other crew members that it was he who should have been given the top spot in Gravano's crew after Gravano's promotion, and not Vallario. Gravano claimed in his book
Underboss that before the Castellano hit, Milito had become much closer to Castellano and Bilotti. Castellano had informed Milito that Gravano should have been killed after the unsanctioned murder of Frank Fiala as well as after Gravano threatened fellow made man Louie DiBono. With John Gotti and the Bergin crew in hot water with the indictment of Angelo Ruggerio on heroin distribution charges, Milito feared Gravano and his crew could be in danger of being killed along with Gotti, once Neil Dellacroce died. Milito, according to Gravano, severed business ties with Gravano and started a loanshark operation with Tommy Bilotti. When Castellano and Bilotti were murdered, Milito was in prison. Upon his release, Gravano claims Gotti wanted Milito killed. Gravano claims he stood up for Milito and stopped the murder from happening. After he was read the riot act, Milito returned to Gravano's crew, only to badmouth his old friend's choice of Vallario as captain after Gravano's promotion. Milito was called to a meeting to discuss the murder of a Gambino associate. Gene Gotti, John Carneglia, Louie Valario and Arnold Squitieri were present at the meeting, as was Gravano. While Milito was drinking some espresso, Carneglia shot him to death. Milito's body has never been found. Milito's wife Linda claims in her book
Mafia Wife that when Louie Milito did not come home or call, she went to see Gravano at his home. Linda said Gravano gave her $5,000 and cut all ties to her. Linda also wrote that a friend saw Gravano driving Louie Milito's Lincoln and was able to identify it by damage done to the car before Louie Milito went missing. Linda Milito would cry foul in her book after Gravano testified he had not been the shooter in Louie Milito's murder; she said that a Gambino family member later informed her Gravano had shot and killed Louie Milito, contrary to what Gravano had told the FBI. Gravano, however, claims in his book
Underboss that after Milito was killed, he finished the construction work Milito was having done on his home and continued to support Linda Milito and her family.
Despite Gravano's rise in status to consigliere, Gotti continued to use Gravano for the task of murder. In May 1988, Gravano and Robert Bisaccia, a New Jersey crime family soldier, murdered Francessco Oliverri for beating a Gambino family crew member to death. Bisaccia shot Oliverri to death while Gravano waited in a stolen get-away car. After Oliverri, John Gotti had finally got around to taking care of Wilfred "Willie Boy" Johnson. Johnson had been a childhood friend of Gotti's and a longtime crew member while Gotti was captain of the Bergin crew. However, at Gotti's RICO trial, Diane Giacalone, the head prosector, revealed the Johnson had been an informant for the FBI for years. Johnson refused to testify for the prosecution. In
Underboss Gravano claims that Gotti met with Johnson during the trial and informed Johnson that as long as he never testified against Gotti, he and his family would not be harmed. Johnson would never be allowed to participate in mob matters again, however. Johnson asked Gotti to swear on his dead son, Frank Gotti, who had been killed in a tragic accident years ago. Gotti swore. Now Gotti was having second thoughts. "John discussed how it should go, using me to bounce off ideas about the best way to do it. That was my only involvement," Gravano explained. Johnson was shot while walking to his car to go to work in front of his house in May 1988. In 1990, Gravano was involved in two murders, the first of which was Eddie Garofalo, a demolition contractor who made the mistake of running afoul of the Gambinos. On August 9, 1990, Garofalo was shot to death in front of his home as arranged by Gravano.
The last murder to involve Gravano was the murder of Louie DiBono, the made man Gravano had threatened to kill. Gravano described the reasons for the murder in
Underboss:
"He was still robbing the family and I asked for permission to take him out. But John had a meeting with DiBono, and DiBono told John that he had a billion dollars of drywall work that was coming out of the World Trade Center. John bit, hook, line and sinker, and refused my request. John said he would handle DiBono personally and become his partner. But DiBono was up to his old tricks double-dealing. He had obviously been bullshitting John. So when John called Louie in for meetings to discuss their new partnership, DiBono didn't show up. John was humiliated. This meant an automatic death penalty. John gave the contract to DiBono's captain, Pat Conte. Conte botched an ideal opportunity to kill DiBono. Then, as Gotti grew increasingly impatient, Conte explained that the problem now was trying to corner DiBono again. Whenever a meeting with him was arranged, DiBono never appeared. It was a joke, what was going on. I couldn't help laughing to myself. I told John why didn't Pat simplify everything. Just call Louie up and tell him to hang himself. Ten months went by. John looks like an asshole. He was too embarrassed even to ask me for help."
A construction associate of Gravano's unknowingly informed Gravano of DiBono's activities. Gravano informed Gotti and DiBono's body was found in his car in the parking lot of the World Trade Center in October 1990. Gravano's intentions for this murder would be called into question as it was suspected Gravano might have had different reasons for wanting DiBono dead due to his jealousy over DiBono's drywall business.
With Gotti's permission, Gravano set up the murders of longtime friend and made man Liborio Milito, capo Robert DiBernardo, Tommy Spero, and several other Gambino associates. Eventually, Gotti would name Gravano his underboss, and move LoCascio to consigliere.
When Gotti was tried for racketeering and assault charges in the winter of 1986-87, Gravano paid a juror to vote not guilty regardless of the evidence. It was this trial that allowed Gotti to make his reputation as "the Teflon Don."
Turning informer
Eventually, Gravano and several other members of the Gambino family became disenchanted with Gotti's lust for the media and high profile antics, feeling they brought too much heat. Several members of the family informed Gravano that Gotti's high profile and large gatherings of mob members at the Ravenite Social club were constant targets for the FBI and that the media attention put a large spotlight on the Gambinos. Many members of the family, according to Gravano, complained to him about Gotti's use of Gravano in murders despite Gravano's position as underboss of the family. Gotti had been going in and out of the courtroom like it was a revolving door. He was first tried for assaulting a refrigerator repair man over a parking space. Through witness intimidation, he was acquitted. Gravano had paid a juror in Gotti's second trial to vote in favor of an acquittal allowing Gotti to beat the RICO charges lodged against him. Gotti's third trial on state assault charges ended the same way. Gotti's ego began to bother Gravano as well as several other members of the family. Gotti was first known as the "Dapper Don" in the press for his
BrioniFor the Adriatic islands of Brioni, see Brijuni. For the Italian towns, see Brione.Brioni is an Italian fashion house founded in 1945. It specialises in the sale of hand-made suits.-History:...
suits and hand painted ties as well as his well combed hair and quick wit with reporters. Gotti required Gravano and Gambino consigliere Frank LoCascio to be at the Ravenite social club five days a week and all of his captains to make an appearance once a week. When Gravano warned Gotti about the negative attention from reporters as well as the constant surveillance from the FBI, Gotti instructed Gravano not to worry about it as Gotti knew what he was doing.
After being acquitted of the shooting of union official John O'Connor, Gotti received word from a mole that indictments were coming down for Gotti, Gravano, Gambino consigliere Frank LoCascio, and captain Thomas Gambino. Gotti ordered Gravano to go on the lam to avoid arrest so that if Gotti was arrested, Gravano could run the family while on the run himself. Gravano hid out in various places on the east coast for two weeks before being ordered to return for a meeting at the Ravenite Social club in
Little ItalyLittle Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood.-Canada:*Little Italy, Calgary, in Alberta*Little Italy, Edmonton, in Alberta...
. On the night of the meeting, Gotti, Gravano, and LoCascio were arrested by the FBI. In court proceedings Gravano heard FBI tapes of conversations in which Gotti disparaged him for being too greedy and "creating a family within a family." Gotti also discussed several murders in which Gravano was involved and worded it to sound like Gravano was a greedy "mad dog" killer. When confronted about his comments, Gotti, according to Gravano, told Gravano it was his fault and Gravano shouldn't have been so greedy. Gotti's behavior became increasingly strange while locked up with Gravano in the
Metropolitan Correctional CenterMetropolitan Correctional Center is the name of several federal prisons in the United States:*Metropolitan Correctional Center, Chicago*Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York*Metropolitan Correctional Center, San Diego...
; for instance, he ordered Gravano and LoCascio to cheer for
IraqIraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , also known as Mesopotamia, is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.Iraq shares borders with Jordan to the west, Syria...
while they were watching coverage of the
Gulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , known also as the Gulf War, the First Gulf War,or often as the Second Gulf War and by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as The Mother of all Battles, or commonly as Desert Storm, for the military response...
.
Gravano began to see the writing on the wall when Gotti informed Gravano he would not be allowed to converse with his lawyers unless Gotti was present. Gravano suspected Gotti's defense to consist of Gotti's lawyers portraying Gotti as a peace-loving boss falling all over himself to restrain the kill-crazy Gravano, resulting in a conviction for Gravano and an acquittal for Gotti.
In 1991 Gravano famously turned
state's evidenceState's Evidence is an independent film created in 2004 and released in 2006, directed by Benjamin Louis and starring Douglas Smith, Alexa Vega, Majandra Delfino, Kris Lemche, Cody McMains, and Drew Tyler Bell.-Plot summary:...
and testified against Gotti in exchange for a reduced sentence. John Gotti received a sentence of life imprisonment. Gravano, who confessed to taking part in nineteen murders, was convicted of a token racketeering charge and sentenced to 20 years. As part of Gravano's cooperation agreement, he would never be forced to testify against his former crew, which included
Louis VallarioLouis Vallario, also known as "Big Louie" and "Big Lou" , is a member of the Gambino crime family who was a top aide to boss John Gotti and Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano in the late 1980s.-Criminal history:...
,
Michael DiLeonardoMichael "Mikey Scars" DiLeonardo is a New York mobster who formerly belonged to the Gambino crime family and is now a government informant.-Early life:...
, Frank Fappiano, Edward Garafola, Thomas Carbonaro, Joseph DeAngelo and many other career criminals and wiseguys.
Later life
Gravano was released early and then entered the U.S. federal Witness Protection Program, but he left it in 1995 and relocated to
ArizonaThe State of Arizona is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix. The second largest city is Tucson, followed in size by the four Phoenix metropolitan area cities of Mesa, Glendale, Chandler, and Scottsdale.Arizona was the 48th and...
. Gravano began living very openly in
ScottsdaleScottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. As of 2007 the population of the city was 240,410. Scottsdale is regarded as an upscale tourist and shopping destination and as a representation of western American style...
, giving interviews to magazines and appearing in an interview with
Diane SawyerLila Diane Sawyer is an American television journalist for the ABC News division of the ABC network and a co-anchor of its morning news program, Good Morning America. In 2001 she was named one of the thirty most-powerful women in America by the Ladies' Home Journal. In 2007 she ranked 62nd on the...
. He appeared on live TV after having had plastic surgery to hide his appearance from the mob. In one interview with Howard Blum, Gravano boasted:
- "They send a hit team down, I'll kill them. They better not miss, because even if they get me, there will still be a lot of body bags going back to New York. I'm not afraid. I don't have it in me. I'm too detached maybe. If it happens, fuck it. A bullet in the head is pretty quick. You go like that! It's better than cancer. I'm not meeting you in Montana on some fuckin' farm. I'm not sitting here like some jerk-off with a phony beard. I'll tell you something else: I'm a fuckin' pro. If someone comes to my house, I got a few little surprises for them. Even if they win, there might be surprises."
Gravano wrote a book called
Underboss with author
Peter MaasPeter Maas was an American journalist and author. He was born in New York City and attended Duke University. Maas had Dutch and Irish heritage....
, which became the target of the families of his victims, who filed a $25 million dollar lawsuit against him for damages. Gravano even hired a publicist, despite the fact Gravano complained often about the publicity-seeking Gotti. During an interview Gravano gave to the Arizona Republic, Gravano claimed federal agents he had met after turning state's evidence had become his personal friends and stopped by his home when on vacation. By 1998, however he had resumed his life of crime and partnered with a local white supremacist youth gang known as the "Devil Dogs" after his son became friends with the gang's 23-year-old leader Micheal Papa. Gravano and the Devil Dogs started a major ecstasy trafficking organization, selling over 25,000 tablets a week.
But by February 2000, the law caught up with him and he was convicted in October 2002. He is currently serving a 19-year sentence in an Arizona state prison. His son was also imprisoned for 9 years for his role in the drug ring. His wife and daughter were also charged but were not imprisoned. Ironically, Gravano's downfall was due to informers among his own associates.
On February 24, 2003, New Jersey state prosecutors announced they would pursue murder charges against Gravano for allegedly ordering the hit on decorated NYPD detective Peter Calabro on the night of March 14, 1980.. The charges were later dropped, however, when the star witness, imprisoned hit man
Richard KuklinskiRichard "The Iceman" Kuklinski was a convicted murderer and notorious contract killer who was of Polish and Irish ancestry. He worked for several Italian-American crime families, and claimed to have murdered over 200 men over a career that lasted 30 years; he killed his first victim at age 13...
, died of unknown causes before he could testify. Kuklinski's claims have been highly questioned as Gravano himself was an accomplished hitman and would therefore have no reason to hire Kuklinski to kill someone his crew was perfectly capable of killing. On top of this Kuklinski has also claimed responsibility for over 300 murders including Paul Castellano, Carmine Galante, Roy DeMeo, and Jimmy Hoffa, making his claims highly unbelievable. Federal inmates who served time with Gravano, however, say the mob turncoat privately admitted to his role in the 1980 killing of a New York cop. Inmates claimed Gravano bragged about killing many more than 19 people. Linda Milito claimed in her book
Mafia Wife she had heard Gravano had smothered an elderly woman to death during a robbery gone wrong and that she was informed by Gravano's former crew members that Gravano had shot her husband Louie Milito twice in the back of the head and once under the chin, contradicting Gravano's former statements that he had simply been standing by the night Milito was shot. John Gotti's lawyers brought accusations that Gravano had been involved in the murders of two other individuals not disclosed to the FBI. However, these accusations were never proven. If proved that Gravano lied about how many people he killed, appeals by people he helped put in prison could follow.
Since Gravano's imprisonment on drug charges he has contracted
Graves' DiseaseGraves' disease is an autoimmune disease. It most commonly affects the thyroid, frequently causing it to enlarge to twice its size or more , become overactive, with related hyperthyroid symptoms such as increased heartbeat, muscle weakness, disturbed sleep, and irritability. It can also affect the...
, a
thyroidThe thyroid is one of the largest endocrine glands in the body. This gland is found in the neck inferior to the thyroid cartilage and at approximately the same level as the cricoid cartilage...
disorder which causes fatigue, weight loss with increased appetite, and hair loss. Gravano appeared at his drug trial missing hair on his head and eyebrows and appeared to have lost a good amount of weight. In Phillip Carlo's book
Confessions of a Mafia Boss, based on the life of Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso, Casso, who is housed in the same Colorado Supermax facility as Gravano, claims that Gravano only ventures out of his cell to get food and that Casso has only seen him in the mess hall a couple of times. According to Casso, Gravano looks like "a dying AIDS patient" and shakes uncontrollably.
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