[4] Gravano was initially involved in petty crimes, as he almost always had been, such as larceny, hijacking, and armed robbery. 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 Tale. You need to be a member of Gangsters Inc. - www.gangstersinc.org to add comments! spiders. Ten months went by. * Carmine Dellacroce (Dec 2, 1905 - Jan 1969) Brother of Neil. 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. But he was part of Toddo Aurello and later Sammy the bulls crew and so was Paruta. After befriending Simone through a series of meetings, Gravano, with the assistance of Milito and DAngelo, abducted Simone from Yardley Golf Club in Yardley, Pennsylvania (in suburban Trenton, New Jersey) and drove him to a wooded area in Staten Island. When he saw Sammy drifting in the wrong direction, he tried all possible methods of discipline, including forcing him to attend Mass with him.[1]. However, at Gottis RICO trial, Diane Giacalone, the head prosecutor, revealed that Johnson had been an informant for the FBI for years. Sammy got permission and had him made on his death bed. [1] 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. Somewhere around that time Gambino soldier Alfred Santantonio became an informant but he was NY 3864-C-TE. Is this true??? Around this time, Gravano opened an afterhours club in Bensonhurst. He was 74. What do you think youre doing? Gravano growled. The Gambino Crime Family is one of the Five Families of organized crime in America. [8] Gotti, however, couldnt make the meeting and rescheduled for later that evening at the Ravenite Social Club in Manhattan. After he was read the riot act, Milito returned to Gravanos crew, only to badmouth his old friends choice of Vallario as captain after Gravanos promotion. ago. This just tore my fucking insides out. He opened a club of his own in Bensonhurst and started a loan sharking business soon after. John was humiliated. Gotti and Gravano arrived at the restaurant shortly before 5 oclock and, after circling the block, parked their car across the intersection and within view of the entrance. Gravanos 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 Jersey. 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. The FBI had bugged Ruggieros house and telephone, and Castellano decided he needed copies of the tapes to justify his impending move to Dellacroce and the familys other capos. Philip "Joey Cello" Bacino. After being acquitted of the shooting of union official John OConnor, Gotti received word from a mole that indictments were coming down for Gotti, Gravano, LoCascio, and captain Thomas Gambino. However, by the time he was 13, he had joined the Rampers, a prominent gang in the area. I know the Frank Piccolo murder didnt sit well with him and others and then the whole thing with the maid. After his involvement in the murder of Frank Hydell along with Thomas Carbonaro, he turned government witness. Gravano then instructed the infamous crew member Joseph Old Man Paruta to kill Mormando. After Gravano removed Simones shoes, Milito shot Simone in the back of the head, killing him. In September 1986 Gotti was in court fighting the feds and won, not because of his lawyer but because Gravano got to the jury pool and managed to bribe one of them. Roy fed these rumors. Michael Franzese and his wife, youngest daughter and son-in-law. The first person on Gravanos hit list after Castellanos murder was Nicholas Nicky Cowboy Mormando, a former member of his crew. spiders. Shortly after the failed hit, Sammy had a falling out with one of Shorty Speros family members. Through witness intimidation, he was acquitted. Albert Anastasia, a Calabrian and Mangano underboss, would rise to power and rule with an iron fist until his infamous execution in the barbers chair in 1957, at which timeCarlo Gambinocame to power. Joe Colucci was going to die. Salvatore Gravano was born in 1945 to Giorlando (Gerry) and Caterina (Kay) Gravano. Her mother had just gone inside to make us some lemonade when my new friend made a startling announcement. DeCicco's death left a position and Gotti appointed Gravano and Ruggiero as underbosses. Guys like Petey "Pumps" Ferrara, Jimmy "Brown" Failla and Salvatore "Toddo" Aurello ended up under Rizzo. Dellacroce, however, was rising star John Gottis mentor, and when word got back to him that Dellacroce had supported Gravano, Gotti was impressed.[2]. They came to my house. Scarpa for maybe one of the few times was regretful, at least outwardly. Despite Gravanos rise in status to consigliere, Gotti continued to use Gravano for the task of murder. An older version of Toddo attended Carlo Gambino's funeral in 1976. So when John called Louie in for meetings to discuss their new partnership, DiBono didnt show up. Button Guys of The New York Mafia. Salvatore Gravano was born on March 12, 1945. Castellano was going to have Gene Gotti and Ruggiero killed if it turned out they had dealt heroin. He was prepared to kill Gallo right in front of the girlfriend and the doorman. 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. The shooters emptied the cash register and left DeBatt in the bar to make it look like a robbery. They discussed the incident with Sammy expressing that he didn't appreciate Scarpa damaging his business. He wanted more, and so he started his own ecstacy organization with some help of his son, wife and daughter and a local neo-nazi organization known as the Devil Dogs. Anthony Carubia was a little-known Gambino member who loved living life on the edge, especially when it came to gambling William (Willy the Creep) Conforte was a New Haven, Connecticut based hoodlum who was one of the State's most prolific Vincent (Jimmy the Blond) Corrao earned big money for the Gambino Family with his narcotics and gambling rackets. I knew I couldnt have missed, the gun was only inches from his head, but I felt like I was a million miles away, like this was all a dream." He would testify against Gotti and send him to prison for life. Sammy believed that he lacked a killers insticts and was unfit to become a Mafia soldier, so he utilized him as bodyguard and chauffeur. The Mafias control over the citys construction industry was so absolute that it had effective veto power over all major construction projects in the city. Currently, Gravano resides in Phoenix and is working on several media projects. I know Sammy was serving as Acting captain under Toddo Aurello; Sammy was big into construction rackets; Is this how he became close to Paul Castellano by being a liaison to Aurello and Castellano?? There was an elaborate security system with surveillance cameras monitoring the perimeter, which seemed to span an entire block. In his book Gravano details the hit: "As that Beatles song played, I became a killer. Link to Mikey Scars YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWgheRxK2j4aq_SrGPCZHOg/featuredRJ Roger sits with Michael DiLeonardo, known in The Lif. Against All Odds: Oscar Goodman and the Jimmy Chagra Murder Trial, Drug trafficker Peter Shue on coke vs. heroin, doing 21 years, Suge, Alpo, Keith Sweat, Madonna & Mike Tyson, Inside Italy's biggest Mafia trial in decades. K andrewstitt65 Da Boss With DeCicco dead, the Gambinos were left without an underboss. Days before the murder, Frankie told Sammy: Sammy, Ill tell you what. The order was given to Frank DeCicco, who was told not to inform Gravano. His head didnt seem to move. In the aftermath of the Fiala murder, Gravano continued to focus on his construction business, branching out into the lucrative concrete paving industry. Despite his fathers attempts to dissuade him, Sammy, like many of his Ramper colleagues, drifted into the Mafia. My teacher overheard me and went directly to my mother. They better not miss, because even if they get me, there will still be a lot of body bags going back to New York. 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. 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 Gravanos former crew members that Gravano had shot her husband Louie Milito twice in the back of the head and once under the chin, contradicting Gravanos former statements that he had simply been standing by the night Milito was shot. Read about Karen Gravano's interview with "20/20", Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. [citation needed], Upon leaving, Gravano called Garafola and set up an ambush outside the club, involving Garafola, Milito, DAngelo, Nicholas Mormando, and Michael DeBatt in the plan. Aurello was the son of the late Salvatore (Toddo) Aurello, a cagy Brooklyn capo who sponsored Gravano and his son to be made men. In April 1986 DiCicco is killed by a car bomb. Gotti was first known as the Dapper Don in the press for his Brioni suits and hand-painted ties as well as his well-combed hair and quick wit with reporters. John discussed how it should go, using me to bounce off ideas about the best way to do it. . After Ravas murder in late 1957, the crew split between Neil Dellacroce and Anthony Rizzo. Below is a listing of bios and snapshots on Gambino Family members and associates. Salvatore "Toddo" Aurello. While an enlisted soldier, he mainly worked as a mess hall cook. [7] 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. His underlings had mixed feelings about their boss, he was smart and ran the Family in a good way but he wasn't a gangster and he didn't show any respect for his soldiers who did the work. He brought people in to begin remodeling the place and he hired his own bouncers. The high publicity generated by the incident triggered an IRS investigation into Gravano and Fialas deal for the sale of the Plaza Suite and Gravano was subsequently charged with tax evasion. Even then, I knew not to ask any questions. })(); Known by most as Sammy The Bull, Salvatore Gravano was born on March 12th, 1945 in Bensonhurst, a Brooklyn neighborhood with a predominantly Italian-American population to Gerry and Kay Gravano. All rights reserved. I'd have to wait to learn this angle of the business. Colucci reportedly was planning to kill Gravano and both Speros in response. On February 9, 1990 Gotti was acquitted. Frank Frankie Fap Fappiano was the second cousin of Frankie DeCicco and one of Sammys top hitmen. Gotti was heard on tapes questioning why everyone who went partners with Gravano kept winding up dead, with Gravano always having an excuse why they needed to be killed. You must be logged in to reply to this topic. 180. Between November 30, 1989 and January 24, 1990 Gotti would spill enough of the familys secrets to finally bring the walls crashing down. But the feds had one more case up their sleeve. Paul Castellano was also wary of DeMeo and didnt think that he would stand up under the legal pressure. The Rampers was a gang that did burglaries and stole cars. Despite the long history of business and friendship between Louie and Sammy, they had a falling out in the mid 1980s. But when Gotti was trying to let Gravano take the fall by claiming Gravano had run wild and started whacking people on his own accord Gravano decided to break Omerta and flip. One of the more active Gambino hoodlums to operate in New Yorks Little Italy area was Tony West DeLutro who Robert DiBernardo was a major player in the pornography industry who was set up for the "kill" by Sammy Gravano. Gravano pleaded guilty to a superseding racketeering charge. If you wanted to be succesful in crime you needed to be with a different group: the Mafia. My father had this "coolness" about him. Gravano quickly acquired tremendous clout in the construction and trucking industries. Also Paul used Sammy to eliminate Johnny Keys Simone in 1980. Gravano went into the construction business and did pretty good until he was indicted for murder. On May 25, 2001, two weeks before his federal drug trafficking trial was set to begin, Gravano and the Baby Bull pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges that carry about 20 years in prison for Salvatore Gravano, according to federal sentencing guidelines. [4] 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 Side. Witness to the Mob is a made-for-TV film which premiered on Sunday, May 10, and concluded on Monday, May 11, 1998. Anthony (Tony . The Commission summoned Caponigro to New York, where it sentenced him to death for his transgression. "My mother and father say a big gangster lives in that house," she said, pointing across the street to the Castellano estate. It's how he addressed everyone, even me. I dont. -- In "Mob Daughter," Karen Gravano remembers her childhood as the daughter of infamous mobster Sammy "The Bull" Gravano. He became very unpredictable. They also have had many outposts in Connecticut,Baltimore, South Florida, California, and Sicily. Ordering the pair to sit down, the brazen, yet foolish, Fiala stated, You fucking grease-balls, you do things my way. The second Gravano realized he was not going to be shot he began to plot Fialas demise. [2] Around this time, Gravano took a construction job and claims to have considered going legit. He's doing good but he too sees that all is not well in the Gambino Family. Gotti was supposed to be killed as well but didn't attend the meeting and so only DeCicco was blown up. Copyright 2019-2023, Button Guys of The New York Mafia. } 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 Gravano acquiesced to the murder. As told to the FBI by "NY T-7," Tommy Rava (Neil Dellacroce's mentor) was murdered by Toddo Aurello (Sammy Gravano's mentor) shortly after Carlo Gambino took over the family . Gravano claims he stood up for Milito and stopped the murder from happening. Gravano decided he couldnt take a chance because Mormando knew too much and he got permission from Gotti to kill Mormando. It was a beautiful day, and we were outside on her front lawn. It was a joke, what was going on. My father was obsessed with construction and remodeling. Gambino underboss Neil Dellacroce intervened on Gravanos behalf and Castellano decreed that the matter would be settled by the two mens ending their business partnership, though Gravanos standing with the boss slipped as a result of the incident. He requested a mercy killing; however, he died of lung cancer before this could happen. He was a good man, Mike, until this. Salvatore DAquila was the first recognized boss of what is now called the Gambino Family, leading a large Palermitani faction in New York City as they emigrated. I think Gravano said, in "Underboss," that Aurello was his first mentor. It was Sunday and Dad had us all packed into the car for an afternoon of house hunting. Never stopped stealing. We were on one of our Sunday expeditions when Dad pointed it out to us. Mormando earned his keep many times in the crew. I knew that Paul was Dad's friend. . Gravano began living very openly in Scottsdale, giving interviews to magazines and appearing in an interview with Diane Sawyer. He first became associated with the Honored Society in 1968 through Tommy Spero, whose uncle, Shorty, was an associate of the Colombo crime family under its future boss, Carmine the Snake Persico. Kooky-Worldliness980 6 mo. Paul Castellano, Carlo's cousin and brother-in-law, would be chosen to lead. His wife and daughter (Karen Gravano) were also charged but were not imprisoned. The average age of an Aurello family member is 79. SignUp for Newsletter I put two and two together and decided if Paul Castellano was a gangster, my father must be one, too. Life was great for Gravano, he got away with 19 murders, he got away from Gotti's hitmen and he had his own drug organization which was raking in 100.000s of dollars. [1] A former associate, however, falsely claimed to the New York District Attorneys Office that Gravano and another associate were responsible for a double murder from 1969. He loved driving around different neighborhoods, pointing out houses he liked and sharing his renovation ideas. On September 7, 2002, he was sentenced in New York to 20 years on the federal charges. . John Gotti received a sentence of life imprisonment. * Guido Mario "Dolls" DeCurtis (1914 - March . Sammy was already an established hitman and Colombo Family associate. I knew my father had served in the army during the Vietnam War because I'd seen his dog tags. Since Gravanos imprisonment on drug charges he has been diagnosed with Graves disease,[12] a thyroid disorder which causes fatigue, weight loss with increased appetite, and hair loss. He just told me not to talk about it anymore. My compliments. 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. They are generally listed in alphabetical order. After 11 months alongside Gotti in prison and a total of 23 years in the mob, he decided to cooperate, formally agreeing to testify on November 13th, 1991. Rumors spread all over the family that DeMeo was killing people at his bar and then dismembering the bodies in an adjacent apartment. Life was good for a drugselling rat, but then the bubble burst. Gotti's underboss and Gravano's friend Frank DeCicco was killed by a carbomb. At the age of 14 he joined the Rampers, a prominent street gang in Bensonhurst. Well give [Gotti] a shot. I remembered thinking how glad I was that my father worked in the same business as Paul, so that maybe one day we could get a mansion like that. Here are some of the most interesting and revealing stories hes told thus far: Gravano has discussed his childhood friend and then crew member Louie Milito many times. [2] Gravano was initially noncommittal, wanting to confer first with Frank DeCicco. He was one of three former Gambino henchmen who cooperated with the government case against John (Junior) Gotti. New and updated bios will be highlighted under the Gambino Family Spotlight tab in thesidebar column. Eventually, Gravano and several other members of the Gambino family became disenchanted with Gottis lust for the media and high profile antics, feeling they brought too much heat. Sammy got permission and had him made on his death bed. He is currently serving a 19-year sentence from Arizona courts at ADX Florence, an out-of-state prison. James "Jimmy the Duke" Basile. That is from the FBI vault. And so did Dori LaForte. 470. Also, Nicky had assembled his own little team of drug dealers and hijackers who started operating right on Gravanos territory. His Capo Aurello proposed him for membership and around 1975 Gravano became a made guy in the Gambino Crime Family. Real life Goodfellas Locations (not movie locations) 1 / 20. It was way fancier and more ornate. There were no women around, ever. Gravanos robbery spree impressed Aurello, who proposed him for membership in the Gambino family. They spoke and dressed differently from the dads of the other kids at school. He then was vocal about Louie being made, which happened later on. In 1991 Gravano famously turned states evidence and testified against Gotti in exchange for a reduced sentence. I thought it was weird the way the men all kissed each other on one cheek and then exchanged a firm handshake. Through deep-dive biographies and snapshots of mobsters to in-depth stories about mafia regimes and crews, youll uncover an underworld you might never have known existed maybe even in your own hometown! All trademarks referenced herein are the properties of their respective owners. [2] Gravano went on to serve as a mentor and father figure to Coluccis son, Jack Colucci, who would become involved in the construction industry and act as a Gambino family associate. When Dad found out, he wasn't upset. Gravanos 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 DiBonos drywall business. And so Sammy The Bull was born. Despite his loyalty to the Gravanoi crew, Nickys drug habit got him put in exile. Nicky served as a backup shooter on the Fiala hit. A close childhood friend of John Gottis, DeCicco was made underboss in December of 1985 after his involvement in the successful murder plot of the Gambino familys then boss, Paul Castellano. On December 2, 1985 Aniello Dellacroce died. Guys would be playing cards and drinking coffee. They told him they would have laughed if Sammy tried because theyd know he was a jerkoff. Contact RJ Roger at: BlackHandprintMedia@gmail.com Salvatore 'Toddo' Aurello b1914-d1998. Gravano responded to DeBatts wifes cries for help by having DeBatt shot to death at Tallys, Gravanos bar. He wanted me to get a superior education and had me enrolled at the prestigious Staten Island Academy. Once when he had a fight with two older kids there were two neighborhood wiseguys standing near observing the fight. He became heavily involved in the construction industry. Gottis third trial on state assault charges ended the same way. Even though The Rampers considered themselves independent of the mafia, many of the members became part of the mafia later on. His head didnt seem to move, like it was a blank instead of a real bullet. This meant an automatic death penalty. It was an enormous monster of a house, unlike any other in the neighborhood. Sammy Gravano stated, "Even before this, we decided we had to split up and go underground. Both of his parents were honest hard working Americans but Gravano was going in a different direction. Gravano and his family lived on 78th street in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, New York. He also got back with the Gambino Crime Family. I felt like I was a million miles away, like this was all a dream. The Colombo associate who killed him was drunk and high, and out celebrating the fact he was about to be made. Stymie died honorably, protecting the female bartender (who was the widow of a made man in the Genovese family) who was being harassed by the bastard. Over the years, there was nothing I couldn't ask of him. Gotti and Ruggiero then sought and obtained the approval of the Colombo and Bonanno families, while DeCicco secured the backing of the Luccheses. Other popular Cosa Nostra figures discussed in this video are Joe the Boss Masseria, Lucky Luciano, and Giuseppe \"Pete\" Morello. Gravano even hired a publicist, despite the fact Gravano complained often about the publicity-seeking Gotti. It was this trial that allowed Gotti to make his reputation as the Teflon Don., APGSammytheBullGravano150.jpg[/attachment:1ca8o8ee]. BothUpper and Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx supported a large group ofPalermo-bred and Palermo-orientedmafiosi. They lived in Bensonhurst, a largely Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn. Aurello's story is written, and almost fully designed. Gravano knew if DeMeo was exaggerating it wasnt by much. Sammy didnt try to stop the hit, in fact he requested that he would be present when Louies murder occured. Joe and his wife and kids would stay upstairs. Should rap lyrics be used as evidence in court? Nicholas Scibetta, also known as "Little Nicky" (died 1978), was a Sicilian American mobster [1] who was the nephew of Joseph and John Zicarelli, the brother-in-law of mobster Sammy Gravano [2] and uncle of Gerard Gravano, who was a Gambino crime family mob associate who was later marked as an informant by fellow crime family . After Castellanos death, a meeting of the Gambino familys capos was held, at which Frank DeCicco nominated Gotti to be the new boss. His reasoning was that he wanted Louie to die honorably. If there was a leak, somebody had to survive and keep playing. Everything went in slow motion. First image of the arrest of Cosa Nostra boss Matteo Messina Denaro. Afterwards, I stayed with them, helped them. On February 9, 1990 Gotti was acquitted. Link to Mikey Scars YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWgheRxK2j4aq_SrGPCZHOg/featuredRJ Roger sits with Michael DiLeonardo, known in The Life as \"Mikey Scars,\" to discuss Jimmy Calandra, Toddo Aurella, Jimmy Brown Failla, Paulie Zac, Jerry D'Aquila, Salvatore \"Toto\" D'Aquila, and more. Vallario went to Gotti, who told Sammy that it was time for Louie Milito to be killed. Sammy and his captain Toddo Aurello arranged for a sit down with Scarpa and his captain. Salvatore (Toddo) Aurello, sometimes spelled Avarello, was an extremely low key guy. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. According to another document I read, Ravas crew was split between Neil and Petey Pumps Ferrara. In Phillip Carlos book Confessions of a Mafia Boss, based on the life of Anthony Gaspipe 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. Gravano was represented by Gerald Shargel and acquitted at trial. It was decided that Sammy, backed up by a team, would stake out Gallos apartment and kill him there. He started driving Sammy around after his father was killed in a Brooklyn bar. He came around a little bit after most of Sammys crew was formed. Gravano survived the case, he was acquitted but his life was now definitely pointed in one direction: to become a wiseguy. * Guido Mario "Dolls" DeCurtis (1914 - March . He didn't mention being a businessman like Paul was putting your life on the line. [2] Hearing the news, Gravano gave his brother-in-law a beating in an attempt to forestall worse punishment. Milito was called to a meeting to discuss the murder of a Gambino associate. Gambino captain 1969-1986. At Gottis suggestion, the shooters wore long white trench coats and black fur Russian hats, which Gravano considered a brilliant idea. MafiaHitters.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
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