Dons (Bosses) |
 Vincent Mangano (1931-1951) |
In 1922 Vincent Mangano, his father and Joseph Profaci left Sicily and entered the United States. He would team up with early Brooklyn rackest boss Al Mineo and Mangano would eventually control a "family" himself starting in 1931. Appointed by Charlie Luciano, recoginzed by the National Commission as a boss, Mangano would control gambling, loan sharking, narcotics trafficking and shakedowns in Brooklyn. Some of most well known sections within the Brooklyn borough, were Bensonhurst, Bedford Stuyvesant and Bath Beach. Mangano gained his biggest racket through the control of International Longshoremen Union vice-president Emil Camarada. Mangano would use his power to steal incoming items, extorting shipping companies and kickback schemes involving desperate dock workers and their wages. To control Brooklyn's waterfront rackets Mangano placed a notorious hitman, dubbed "Lord High Executioner" by the press, Umberto "Albert Anastasia" Anastasio. It was also thought that Mangano's brother Phillip served as underboss with Anastasia as consigliere. The trio dealt over business at the City Democratic Club. Anastasia would gain close ties with Manhattan crime boss Frank Costello. On April 15, 1951 the murdered body of Phillip Mangano was found near the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn. Before the sun set on that fateful day Vincent Mangano would dissapear and has never been seen since. All sources point to Anastasia and who would take over the family rackets. Vincent Mangano developed the Brooklyn waterfront rackets, giving the material for actor Marlon Brando's most memorable role in the film "On the Waterfront", as a power base for his family and a criminal treasure chest that lasted through to the late 1970. His best known racket would also cause the City of New York to lose the most active port in the United States, as a result of pilfering and union corruption. |
 Umberto "Albert Anastasia" Anastasio (1951-1957) |
Umberto Anastasio, better known as Albert Anastasio, assumed control of the Mangano Crime Family and was most likely the mastermind behind the brothers' demise.Dubbed the "Mad Hatter" or "Lord High Executioner" by the press, Anastasia, a one time leader of the Jewish enforcement squad known as "Murder, Inc." by the media, would rule the crime family with an iron fist, violent temper and expand rackets into New Jersey. The year 1957 would be a fateful one for Anastasio. He would be ordered to have his underboss Frank Scalise killed as result of selling spots to Italian-American gangsters for membership into the La Cosa Nostra Syndicate. On October 25th of that year Anastasio was relaxing while having a shave at a baberbershop located at Manhattan's Sheraton Hotel. At 10:15AM a gang thought to have been led by Profaci soldier Joseph "Crazy Joe" Gallo blasted Anastasio as he lounged with his face covered by a steamed cloth. Jerry Capeci's ganglandnews.com site, which can be accessed from the links page, reported that Gambino mobster Stephen Grammauta may have actually been the triggerman in one of the most spectactular mob "hits". |
 Carlo "Don Carlo" Gambino (1957-1976) |
"Without Vito (Genovese) backing him, Carlo would have never went for it," Genovese LCN Family soldier turned government witness Joseph "Joe Cago" Valachi told a Senate committee investigating organized crime. In the end Carlo Gambino would surpass Genovese and leave law enforcement acknowledging that he was the king of crime. Carlo Gambino, a stowaway Sicilian immigrant, would orchestrate one of the most prolific mob rubouts and go nearly unscathed. His crime family would literally grab everything on the table. Among the table sat gambling, payola shakedowns, loan sharking, insider trading, narcotics, prostitution, pornography, labor racketeering, union corruption, theft and fraud. He expanded the influence of the old Anastasia Family, now called the Gambino, and expand into New Jersey, California, Florida, Baltimore and Connecticut. Probably his only bad decision would be leaving his empire to his cousin/brother in law Paul Castellano. Gambino, a diminuitive gangster capable of sending someone to die by wagging a finger, would die on October 15, 1976. |
 Paul "Big Paul" Castellano (1976-1985) |
Born in 1915, Paul Constantine Castellano was a Bensonhurst, Brooklyn native and cousin to Carlo Gambino. Later they would be brother in laws in Sicilian tradition by keeping everything in the family through inner-familia marriage. Castellano was groomed as a butcher, working for his father and also served as manager over a backdoor numbers operation. "Big Paul" made his first headlines at the age of nineteen, serving a year stint in jail for attempted armed robbery and later was picked up dashing through the woods for his part at the police raided mob summit at Apalachin, NY in 1957. His presence there shows his importance and capabilities Carlo Gambino saw in him. Castellano was a "racketeer's racketeer". He would have control over many industries, learning labor racketeering from Gambino himself and others. In December 1976, at the Brooklyn home of Gambino capo Anthony "Nino" Gaggi, Castellano was officially "made" boss of the Gambino LCN Family. Castellano then began to sit back and direct operations from his palatial estate in Staten Island. Eventually his rules and hard handed tactics fell him out of favor. Queens capodecina John Gotti led a coup, colletively known as "The Fist" and Castellano was struck down by gunshot on December 16, 1985. |
 John "Johnny Boy" Gotti (1986-2002) |
John "Johnny Boy" Gotti took control of the Gambino LCN Family after he orchestrated the murders of both Paul Castellano and Tommy Bilotti. His tenure as boss was fast, furious and very public. He went to trial on two cases, one which involved the shooting of a union official and was acquitted. This earned him the knickname "The Tefelon Don" because a case couldnt stick to him. The fashion publications called him 'The Dapper Don" for his lavish tastes. Andy Warhol even painted his portrait for a 1986 issue of Time Magazine. Everybody wanted to be near Gotti and he referred to them as "my public". Coming out of Queens, originally a Brooklyn native, Gotti ran the crime family like the days of old. His knowledge was "from the streets", specializing in loan sharking, gambling and narcotics. Unfortunately the days of old were bygone and law enforcement would catch up with him. Gotti just didnt possess the sophistication for white collar rackets. Gotti also preferred to discuss rackets and murder at his Ravenite Social Club in Manhattan's Litle Italy district. The FBI caught on and planted a series of listening devices to capture his own words. In December 1991 Gotti, acting consigliere/capo Francis "Frankie Loc" Locasio and underboss Salvatore "Sammy The Bull" Gravano would be arrested and indicted on multiple RICO violations. They had also been charged with the murders of Castellano and Bilotti, among others. In the end Gravano would testify against him and Locasio. The unlikely duo, Locasio was a private, old style gangster, were sentenced to life in prison. Gotti was originally subjected to 23 hour lockdown. Throughout 1999 and 2000 he developed throat cancer, possibly brought on by dental repair he received in prison, and was shipped to the Springfield Federal Prison Medical Facility at Springfield, MO. His brother Pete acted on his behalf. John Gotti succumbed to cancer on July 10, 2002 at the Federal Prison Hospital at Springfield, MO |
 Peter "Pete" Gotti (2002-2004) |
Pete Gotti is seen as the defacto head of the Gambino LCN Family. Originally a gopher and courier for his famous brother, shuttling tribute to him on the weekends from crews. He later managed the Bergin Hunt & Fish Social Club of Ozone Park, Queens, which served as the "dapper don's" original headquarters and later his daytime "office". Pete Gotti had originally surprised mob watchers and law enforcement. He proved much less talkative, preferring to meet irregularly and rarely in public. However this former sanitation employee has since been snagged in two serious indictments. The first involved a shakedown on action film actor Steven Seagal. The second is the extortion of container facilities and labor racketeering involving the ILA union on the Brooklyn waterfront. He was indicted along with capo Sonny Ciccone. His subsequent indictment and refusal by American justice to grant him bail, prevented him from attending his brother's public funeral in July 2002. In 2004 Gotti along with his brother Richard, nephew Richie and Sonny Ciccone were convicted in the waterfront case His nephew and brother received less than 3 years. Ciccone, the eldest, received nearly 10 years. Gotti was handed 20 years and nearly 10 for the case involving Steven Seagal. His projected release wont be until 2032, which effectively is a life sentence. |
sotto capi (Underbosses) |
 Philip Mangano (1931-1951) |
Phillip Mangano served as underboss to his brother Vincent. The brothers operated in the area of Red Hook, Brooklyn. Their combined power, along with Albert Anastasia controlled the International Longshoremen's union through vice president Emil Camarda. The brothers formed the City Democratic Club, influencing local politics and ensuring political corruption. They were thought to have also used the site as a headquarters. By 1951 consigliere Albert Anastasia had grown close to seveal rival crime bosses. He saw his opening and on April 19, 1951 Mangano's body was found close to the area of Sheepshead Bay. His boss and brother would dissapear. (Photo credit: Thom L. Jones) |
 Frank "Don Cheech" Scalise (1951-1957) |
Frank "Don Cheech" Scalise, who was one of the pre-Luciano Brooklyn dons, was welcomed back as the underboss to Albert Anastasia. He had established vice rackets, which were thought to have been narcotics trafficking, loansharking and gambling. He was a known criminal powerhouse in East Manhattan and the Bronx. His international exploits were establishing Luciano conceived international heroin routes and shuffling of payments. He was seen by Italian authorities visiting the exiled crime boss. On June 17, 1957 Scalise was gunned down in front of a Bronx fruit stand. This event was thought to have given author Mario Puzo the idea for the attempted murder of character "Don Corleone" in the bestselling novel The Godfather. Scalise's murder was result of him selling membership into the Anastasia crime syndicate at $50,000-$100,000 a piece. His murderer was believed to have been known racketeer Vincent "Jerome" Squillante. Scalise's brother, Joseph, made threats of revenge and later went into hiding out of fear. Squillante convinced him otherwise and Scalise dissapeared on September 19, 1957. Both murders were thought to have been ordered by Anastasia. |
 Carlo "Carl" Gambino (1957) |
Carlo Gambino, known to many as "Carl" and before he was "Don Carlo", had operated a crew in Brooklyn on behalf the Anastasia crew. He was a known labor racketeer, later establishing SGA Labor Consulting, provider of illegal gambling and loanshark. His earliest criminal forays incuded bootlegging and counterfeiting commodity rations during World War II. Following the murder of Frank Scalise, Gambino was given the underboss spot and served only briefly. He would conspire with New York crime czars Vito Genovese, Tommy Lucchese and Tampa-Cuba mob boss Santo Traficante, Jr. to eliminate Anastasia. He reached out to the Gallo brothers (Larry, Albert and Joe) and had the murderous crime boss gunned down on October 25, 1957 at the New York Sheraton Hotel barbershop. He would rename the crime syndicate to his and become arguably the most powerful east coast crime boss during his nineteen year tenure at the top. |
 Joseph "Joe Bandi" Biondo (1957-1965) |
Joe Biondo served as underboss for Carlo Gambino. He had conspired with Gambino and others to murder crime boss Albert Anastasia in November of 1957. He was heavily involved in gambling, loansharking, labor racketeering and extortion. In mid 1965 he was demoted to soldier. The reason for this was because he had "muscled in" or extorted a waste dump in New Jersey without Gambino's consent. This was made aware by wiretaps used on New Jersey mob boss Sam Decavalcante. He is mentioned as being "broken down" or demoted. His demotion, rather than possible murder, was thought to have been to avoid uprising among Gambino's troops. Biondo later owned a cabstand and died unknown in 1973. |
 Aniello "Neil" Dellacroce (1965-1985) |
Aniello Dellacroce, a second generation Italian-American, was born and raised in Manhattan's Little Italy district. He was reportedly "made" or formally inducted into the Mangano crime family before the age of 25. While under the years of Anastasia's control Dellacroce was elevated to caporegime or crew leader. Upon the demotion of underboss Joe Biondo, Carlo Gambino reached out to the "hoodlum's hoodlum" and brought him on as underboss. Their arrangement allowed for Dellacroce to collect a bulk share of illicit profits from crews based in the boroughs of Manhattan and Queens. They were referred to as "blue collar" crews. Thsi relationship continued while under boss Paul Castellano. He groomed such notables as Tony Plata, the Gotti brothers and Angelo Ruggiero. While under indictment Dellacroce died from a brain tumor on December 5, 1985. His death ended an uneasy peace. |
 Thomas "Tommy" Bilotti (1985) |
While Paul Castellano rubbed elbows with bankers and accountants, Tommy Bilotti served as a reminder of his roots. He was loyal pit bull bodyguard and driver, who was promoted to capo during the early stages of Castellano's reign. Bilotti would watch over Staten Island construction rackets and wield a basball bat to enforce his large loanshark book. Bilotti's time as underboss was right after Aniello Dellacroce's death. It was rather brief because he was gunned down on December 16, 1985 along side Castellano. Upon his murder Gambino LCN Family associate and Castellano pal Joe Watts inherited Bilotti's loansharking interest. |
 Frank "Frankie" DeCicco (1986) |
Frank DeCicco was groomed under the capo Jimmy Fiala. He became a capo under Paul Castellano, earning from Fialla's trademark garbage rackets, gambling dens and after hour clubs. In time he was said to have been an emissary for Castellano in the state of New Jersey and was highly respected. When John Gotti started to make waves about overthrowing Castellano, DeCicco was his first contact and he needed the Brooklyn capo to back him. DeCicco made the fateful date in December for a mid town Manhattan dinner with Castellano. It was DeCicco that allowed it to happen and led to the murder of Castello and his underboss Tommy Bilotti. For his role he was awarded the underboss slot. On April 13, 1986 DeCicco and his Buick were blown away in front of a Brooklyn social club. The conspirators were the Lucchese and Genovese LCN Families. The practice of car bombings had been outlawed by the La Cosa Nostra syndicate since its creation. The attack was also meant for Gotti but he wasnt available. His murder was said to have forever changed the Gambino LCN Family. |
 Joseph "Joe Piney" Armone (1986-1990) |
Joe Armone had come through the ranks as a trusted capo and aide to Paul Castellano. He had acted as his eyes and ears on the streets. He operated in Manhattan and was represented in South Florida by psychopathic soldier Tommy Agro. Upon the bombing death of Frank DeCicco, Armone was selected as underboss and would serve the majority of his role while in prison. In December 1987, as a result of an associate tied to Agro, Armone was convicted of bribery charges and sentenced to twelve years. He was switched to role as consigliere in 1990. In April 1992 he died in prison at the age of 74. |
 Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano (1990-1991) |
Coming out of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano would rise fast and furious to become John Gotti's right hand man. A labor racketeer, who was involved with 19 murders during his career, Gravano oversaw the Gambino LCN Family's construction interest. Indicted with Gotti and acting consigliere Frank Locasio, Gravano decided to testify against them. He was sentenced to five years in 1992 for his life as a mobster. He provided additional testimony, resulting in thirty seven convictions or plea agreements. In 2000 Gravano was arrested for narcotics trafficking, under the disguise of Jimmy Moran, in Arizona. |
 Giuseppe "Joe" Arcuri (1992-1997) |
Decades from now when historians and mobsters look back at cosa nostra and the Gambino crime family, the name Joe Arcuri probably won't be mentioned in the same breath as Carlo Gambino, John Gotti or Albert Anastasia. And you know what? That is how Joe Arcuri would want it. Joe Arcuri, known to many mobsters as "Joe T.", dated back to the crime family during the heyday reign of Albert Anastasia. Back then Arcuri had opened up a liquor store in the Upper Manhattan area and readily supplied whiskey and champaign to Anastasia as a jesture of respect. Following Anastasia's murder in 1957, Arcuri played it cool and to the cuff. Carlo Gambino emerged as boss and quickly found an ally with Arcuri. During the near 20 year reign of Gambino, Arcuri operated out of the Victory Star Social Club, which was located close to his store. By the time Gambino got things rolling Arcuri was suspected to have been the proprietor of a large bookmaking and loansharking operation. It wasn't long before Arcuri stepped up and would take control of the unions LIUNA Locals 1010 and 1018. The unions represented highway workers and those that specialized in road paving. For the next thirty years Arcuri would work deals that enabled him to skim from road contractors that repaired the streets of Manhattan and elsewhere. Eventually he placed his nephew and fellow made man Salvatore Franco in as a leader in the unions. This relationship between Franco and the LIUNA locals would last until 1998 when he was ousted by the organizations. By now Arcuri had long earned the rank of capo, outlasted Gambino, who died of natural causes and his successor Paul Castellano, who was murdered in 1985. With John Gotti as boss Arcuri was clearly at odds with the flashy era of the 'tefelon don' and his nightlife seeking crew. In fact Gotti would often refer to Arcuri as a "pain in the ass old timer" because of Arcuri's deferment to the cosa nostra code. Gotti and those around him, including many of his estimated 21 captains (1991) or the mob's middle managment, probably should have followed Arcuri's lifestyle. Out of the crew of gangsters, besides Arcuri, only two others avoided prosecution while others either saw significant jail time, died while in prison or are still behind bars. Following the defection of Sammy Gravano, Arcuri filled the rank of underboss and attempted to bring order to the brief reign of Gotti's son John "Junior". By the time this was deemed a failure, Arcuri had retired from the game and had served five mob bosses while himself never serving a prison sentence, something that would be an impossible feat by most mobsters. Joe Arcuri died in December 2007 at the age of 94. He had spent at least sixty years of his life as a Gambino family operator. Upon hearing of his death the FBI agents that collected data on him for decades described him as a 'gentleman'. Gangsters, wannabees and those who knew came out in droves to give Joe T. a final send off. . |
 Arnold "Zeke" Squitieri (1997-2001) |
Inducted into the Gambino crime family in 1986, Arnold "Zeke" Squitieri was a heroin trafficking New Jersey mobster and was behind the murder of Gambino soldier Louie Milito in 1988. Squitieri, along with Gambino soldier Alphonse Sisca, spent the majority of the 1990s behind prison walls for selling heroin. Prior to his release he was given the number two spot and is said to be the current underboss. His probation agreements make it difficult for this narcotics merchant to operate in New York and only time will tell if he is able to stay away from the prison walls. |
 Anthony "The Genius" Megale (2001-2005) |
Anthony "The Genius" Megale has quietly climbed the criminal ladder of the Gambino crime family only to see himself become dismantled. Following the conviction of Pete Gotti in 2003 and his continual legal woes both Anthony Squitieri and Anthony Megale 'stepped up to the plate' and out of the shadows. Authorities speculate that both mobsters are conducting illicit business while Nick Corozzo officially takes over the battered helm of the boss's seat. Anthony Megale dated back to Bridgeport, Connecticut and surrounding area to the days of the original Nutmeg State operator and Gambino capo Frank Piccolo. Following Piccolo's murder in 1981, criminal matters were taken over by Thomas Debrizzi and he too would would replicate Piccolo's date when he was murdered in 1988. Following the murder of Debrizzi, Connecticut criminal operations fell under Megale and he was spotted on at least one occasion visiting John Gotti at the infamous Ravenite Social Club. It was when underboss turned government witness Salvatore Gravano that Megale would be identified as the Gambinos' point man in the Nutmeg State. Megale operated rather quietly during the 1990s, rackets such as illegal sports betting, narcotics trafficking, loansharking and labor racketeering were slowly being tied to him. He would 'answer' to capo Tommy Gambino and later George "Big George" Remini. It wasn't until he was promoted to the underboss slot that authorities pressed hard against his operations. A persistent pursuit by authorities would lead a series of indictments against 'The Genius', proving that being a cosa nostra member isn't the smartest career choice to make and only leads to an eventual dead end street. In September 2004 Megale along with his Connecticut associates, which consisted of VICTOR RICCITELLI, NICOLA MELIA, GERARD GRECCO, ATHANASIOS TSIROPOULOS, IGNAZIO ALOGNA, JOSEPH MASCIA, JOHN MASCIA, JR., ALFRED SCIVOLA, JR., VINCENT FIORE and WILLIAM WILLIAMS, JR., found themselves indicted on large-scale racketeering charges. The charges were for extorting a Fairfield county nightclub owner at a tune of $2,000 a month, a Fairfield county vending machine business owner that paid Megale directly the sum of $200 a month, operating illegal poker machines, operating a bookmaking operation and loansharking. For the record Alogna is a longtime Gotti family friend and holds the rank of caporegime from New York and Scivola is a 'made member' of the New England crime family. What was more interesting were certain details that the Department of Justice released with this indictment. The Justice Department stated that Megale was elevated to caporegime status in August 2001 and shortly thereafter was promoted to the rank of underboss. It also stated that in July 2003 Riccitelli became a made soldier in the crime family and in August of the same year Fiore also was 'welcomed in' the criminal brotherhood. We hear have to wonder why someone would accept such an offer given the likelyhood of life behind bars for 'making them bones'? These bits of specific inductions and promotions for the Megale camp would make sense in April 2005. It was then that it the FBI announced a bombshell. Beginning in December 2002 an FBI undercover agent using the name Jack Falcone began associating with Gambino associate turned government witness Peter Forchetti. Soon Forchetti would go undercover along with the agent to bring in Gambino capo Gregory DePalma. DePalma was fresh out of prison after a six year sentence and had beaten an attempted murder charge that also included imprisoned Trafficante crime family fringe operator Sam Cagnina. It should be noted that way back in 1978, long deceased Gambino mobster and DePalma's 'sponsor' into the crime family, Anthony "Nino" Gaggi had warned others that DePalma was a bit of a loudmouth and could not keep his mouth shut. Maybe the FBI took note of Gaggi's claims, which have since been proven correct, when they went after DePalma? For whatever reason DePalma began to drop names to Forchetti and 'Falcone', identifying Squitieri as the 'acting boss'. Forchetti later supplied DePalma with a cell phone, compliments of the FBI and conversation revealed identified Megale as the underboss. Since then DePalma has been indicted while Squitieri and Megale sit in jail awaiting trial. The decision for "The Genius" to come out of the shadows and operate on such a high-level while babbling with DePalma was a dumb move. His perceived brains or intelligence level probably wont save him from the ultimate outcome. Then again maybe he will 'flip' as so many of the Gambino rank and file have opted to do. |
 Domenico "Italian Dom" Cefalu (2005-Present) |
Domenico "Italian Dom" Cefalu has quietly scaled the Gambino crime family tree to become one of their highest ranking members. Following the federal onslaught against principal members Pete Gotti, Anthony Megale "of Connecticut," and Arnold "Zeke" Squitieri in the past two years. The Corozzo brothers along with street boss and longtime John Gotti pal Jackie D'Amico are thought to managing the syndicate. Cefalu is reportedly the acting underboss. Allegedly Cefalu manages the 'Sicilian wing' of the crime family, which possibly means the remaining rackets overseen by the Cherry Hill Gambino crew. Cefalu previously served time in 1982 after being convicted of heroin trafficking, which was the primary racket of the Cherry Hill crew then led by the Gambino brothers. Cefalu was became a 'made member' in November 1990 by then crime boss John Gotti. A month later the FBI arrested Gotti and he would never return to the streets; eventually receiving a life sentence and dying in prison. Cefalu then would sit much of the late 1990s in prison for contempt in a case involving a murder charge of a Gambino capo. According to federal authorities the remaining Gambino crew is thought to have become more insular. In 2008 Cefalu along with many high ranking Gambinos were rounded up in Operation Old Bridge. The case eventually fell apart as the informant and primary witness Joseph Vollero became compromised. During the trial it was revealed that hidden tapes picked up younger Gambino mobsters referring to Cefalu as the "old greaser or greaseball". Cefalu, an old school Sicilian mafioso, was said to be irrate and furious over the phrases. Cefalu eventually pled out and can stew in prison for a total of 33 months. |
Consiglieri (Advisors)
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