 Castellano's first known arrest at age 19 |
Paul Castellano was a hoodlum straight out of Brooklyn. In time, he would elevate the Gambino clan into stratosphere of profits and rival a Fortune 500 company. Long before his ultimate rise and subsequent murder, Castellano hustled on the streets of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn as a numbers runner for his father. While his father and he operated a butcher shop, the young Castellano took care of the policy slips out the backdoor. Besides a 1934 conviction for armed robbery, which he served three months of a one year sentence earning him the title as being a "standup guy", Castellano quietly climbed the ranks of organized crime. He in fact was "made" a soldier under Umberto Anastasio, elevated to a captain or capodecina by 1957 upon the rise of cousin and brother in law Carlo Gambino. Castellano by then was a very successful businessman in the wholesales meat industry. He owned and operated the Blue Ribbon Meats. His success was thought to have occured because of his control over meatpackers unions. Because of his influence, his product was given prime shelf space and had Key Food Stores of Brooklyn bring on Gambino LCN Family captain Pasquale "Patsy" Conte as a board member. For the record, Conte was a Sicilian immigrant and a notorious heroin trafficker. By November 1957 Gambino had taken control of the Anastasia regime, elevating Castellano as captain and oveseeing much of Brooklyn. In all actuality Castellano didnt need the tribute being kicked up to him but he did find an ally with crew member and soldier Anthony Gaggi. Castellano, in that month, attended the police raided mob summit at Apalachin, NY. He attended the embarassment with Gambino and newly appointed consigliere Joseph Riccobono. All three were found running through the surrounded forest, with a well dressed but haggered Castellano surrendering to police. The summit, which was held at the home of Pennsylvania crime lord Joseph Barbara, forced Castellano to explain why he was in attendence. At his trial he said he was seeking Barbara's advice on "heart ailments". As a result, atfer being found guilty of contempt, he served seven months of a five year sentence. Castellano continued to grow his power base and riches. He had several local unions in his pocket. By 1976 Gambino had built an unstoppable force but was in process of senility. It was thought that a few years prior that Castellano may have been steering the vessel and serving as "acting boss". On October 15, 1976 Gambino died but had made it known that he wished to hand over his seat to Castellano. To undertsand the severity of such decision, one must go back to Gambino's original rise of power and choices he made prior to his last days. Gambino's original underboss was Joseph Biondo. In 1965, possibly fearing a rebellion among his own troops, Gambino opted to demote Biondo and not have him murdered. Biondo had been guilty of muscling in on a garbage dump in New Jersey without Gambino's approval. Biondo was demoted to soldier and never heard from again. Gambino then selected the very capable and Anastasia loyalist Aniello "Neil" Dellacroce as his second in command. The criminal duo was then thought to have made a deal. He allowed the bulk of tribute from crews based in Queens and Manhattan to go directly to Dellacroce. In many ways he gave Dellacroce carte blanche. Dellacroce in time built a strong following of very violent soldiers. In 1975 Dellacroce would serve a year in prison for income tax evasion and sat behind bars during the passing of Gambino. Upon his release many thought that Dellacroce, as a part of natural ascension, would become the boss. This was not the case and it was said to have infuriated many crews, in particular, a Queens upstart named John Gotti in the crew led by Carmine "Charlie Wagons" Fatico. So in December 1976 a recently released Dellacroce met with Castellano at the home of Brooklyn soldier Anthony "Nino" Gaggi. Dellacroce agreed to Gambino's request and Castellano agreed to the Manhattan-Queens split. Dellacroce would continue on as underboss and the wedge grew more distinct. For the record, Gaggi was promoted to crew boss over Castellano's gang and become de facto underboss over Brooklyn crews. Castellano then had a multi million dollar mansion, dubbed The White House by his soldiers, built on Todt Hill, Staten Island. Castellano would then sit back in antique furniture and surround himself in the finest Italian decor. As he was taking over the criminal throne, "Big Paul", was faced with a loan sharking charge. A relative by marriage, Arthur Berardelli, had tape recorded Castellano. When trial came Bereradelli refused to testify, gaining a five year sentence for contempt and Castellano strolled out of the courtroom. The evidence did give some detail into a massive loansharking operation and Castellano was still very much a gangster. |
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Castellano began to keep himself locked in his mansion. Crew leaders, that controlled docks in Brooklyn, gambling rackets, union corruption, narcotics trafficking and pornography would make regular pilgrimages. Castellano was usually seen with newly promoted capo and driver Tommy Bilotti. The relationship with Bilotti was unique if best. While Castellano met with attorneys, accountants and investment advisors, Bilotti enforced edict with a basball bat. Castellano enjoyed his riches, plus a vacation home in Pompano Beach, FL and seemed to not have a care in the world. He, along with the Genovese crime family, were controlling cemement pouring contracts with a $2million plus value in Manhattan. The Colombo and Lucchese LCN Families were in on the scheme as well. He also had his hands in Wall Street with fraud, Manhattan's Garment District, gambling, loansharking, pornography, narcotics trafficking and a successful legitament business portfolio of meat wholesalers. In 1979 he also gave his approval for the murder of Bonanno LCN Family head Carmine Galante. He was very busy and operating it all from Staten Island, having no use for social clubs or street corner meetings. In the late 1970s Gaggi approached Castellano and had Carnarsie, Brooklyn hoodlum Roy DeMeo "made" as a soldier. DeMeo would then begin to provide the Gambino LCN Family with untold amounts of money from narcotics, child pornography and stolen cars. His crew would also be linked to over forty murders. Castellano knew little of this and kept taking in DeMeo's profits. While Castellano preached "no drugs or babania (heroin)", his actions said otherwise and soldiers took note. DeMeo, a plane crash involving Salvatore Ruggiero, construction and greed would be Castellano's downfall. In the early 1980s the FBI and Distrtict Attorneys of Manhattan and Brooklyn began to pursue La Cosa Nostra very agressively. Paul Castellano was seen as the top target and they did penetrate his fortress with secret listening devices. The tapes would spin for over two years and Castellano spoke very freely with his trusted captains and consigliere Joseph N. Gallo. Dellacroce was never seen visiting Castellano or heard on the tapes. In fact Dellacroce was spending much of his time on Mulberry Street, in Manhattan's Little Italy, overseeing operations at the Ravenite Social Club. In 1981 Castellano ordered the murder of Connecticut capodecine Frank Piccolo. It was thought to have been in order to satisfy the Genovese criminal network. The Genovese crew was believed to have wanted to expand into Connecticut and Castellano obliged. According to former Gambino underboss Sammy Gravano, Castellano lost respect and face from his whole crime family after this event. The year 1982 was not a very rosey one for Castellano. First Salvatore Ruggiero, brother to Angelo was killed in a plane crash and his heroin operation was inherited by him. Then DeMeo was indicted for a multiple RICO-murder case involving an international stolen car trial. DeMeo refused to see Castellano and he was murdered in December 1983. Yet the FBI tapes kept rolling. |
 Castellano during The Commission indictments (1985) |
Then in 1983 Ruggiero was indicted on heroin trafficking charges. His phone had been bugged since 1980 and Ruggiero was known to be rather talkative. Ruggiero refused to hand over taped phone conversation transcripts to Castellano. He even placed Queens acting captain John Gotti and underboss Dellacroce as buffers. In 1984 Castellano was indicted on the old DeMeo case. He watched as Anthony Gaggi's nephew, Dominick Montiglio, took the stand and testified to the murderous rampage of the crew. All the while Castellano made gestures of doing away with Gotti's Queens crew and possibly having the crime captain murdered. During all this Dellacroce was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. The worst, for Castellano, was yet to come. In November 1985 Castellano was indicted along with heads and key members of four of the five New York La Cosa Nostra families. Then on December 2 of that year Dellacroce died from a brain tumor. While hundreds attended the underboss's wake, Castellano was a no show, stating later because of possible press coverage and his upcoming trials. This wasnt what John Gotti wanted to hear. He quickly devised a gang of soldiers and captains willing to do away with Castellano. His coupe, known as "The Fist", even reached long time Castellano loyalists Joseph Armone, Frank DeCicco, Danny Marino, Jimmy Fialla, consigliere Joseph N. Gallo and a few other well known soldiers. Without Commission approval the group conspired to murder Castellano. On December 16, 1985 Castellano and Bilotti emerged from the Staten Island mansion one last time. The boss and driver had been doing this same routine for years now. Castellano had no idea that such friction was infecting his crime family and certainly not led by a hot tempered hoodlum named John Gotti. Castellano had agreed to pay his respects to Dellacroce's son Armand at Sparks Steakhouse in mid town Manhattan. Besides the deceased underboss's son, Castellano would also be meeting DeCicco, Marino, Fialla and his nephew Thomas Gambino. All of them, except for Gambino, would be playing the role of Judas. On that date at around 5:30PM, Paul Castellano, probably the most powerful crime boss that year, emerged from his Black Lincoln. He undoubtedly was looking to heal the bad blood with Dellacroce. He was also probably looking forward to discussing rackets and a fine meal. His last sight was a group of four men dressed in trench coats and Russian style hats. Bullets flew and Castellano was hit repeatedly. One gunman even gave him a shot in the in the mouth, a coupe de grace, for a certainity. Paul "Big Paul" Castellano was dead. Tommy Bilotti, who had served his master with loyality, was also murdered. John Gotti and Brooklyn acting capo Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, sat close by and watched it all happened according to plan. Castellano, a gangster in a suit and tie, died like so many before him. He died on the streets from a bullet. A lasting testament to man who gave appearances of legitamency. A gangster who never really left the streets of Brooklyn or forgot his roots. |