Gambino crime family

Early leadership

The earliest incarnation of what would become the Gambino family was headed by Salvatore (“Toto”) D’Aquila, a major New York City boss during the early years of Prohibition. After his murder in 1928, leadership passed to his underboss (second-in-command), Alfred Mineo. The Castellammarese War, a violent power struggle from 1930 to 1931 between rival Mafia factions in New York City, led to the reorganization of the city’s Italian criminal groups into the Five Families and the formation of the Commission, a body designed to regulate activities among them. In this process leadership of the family passed to Vincent (“The Executioner”) Mangano. He remained in control of the family until his disappearance and presumed murder in 1951, widely believed to have been orchestrated by his underboss, Albert Anastasia. Under Anastasia’s leadership the family became one of the most feared organizations in American organized crime. Anastasia’s reputation for ruthlessness and his consolidation of power made him a target amid shifting alliances within the Mafia. In 1957 Anastasia’s underboss, Carlo Gambino, seized control by allegedly assassinating Anastasia, with the support of the other families, and the organization became the Gambino family.

The Gambino era

Gambino, who emigrated from Sicily at age 19 in 1921, soon became one of the most influential Mafia leaders in the country. He had joined the organization under Mangano’s leadership and later served under Anastasia. Before his rise to the top, Gambino was convicted of operating an illegal liquor still and served about two years in prison, the only criminal conviction of his long career, though he was arrested several times. According to some accounts, he offered FBI agents coffee and dessert when they arrived to take him into custody.

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Gambino was a quiet and effective leader, and he oversaw a major expansion of the family’s gambling, loan-sharking, extortion, and labor racketeering operations. The family developed a near-controlling influence over labor unions in New York and New Jersey, particularly in the construction and trucking industries. Gambino, sometimes called the “boss of all bosses,” was respected by the other families, as well as organized crime groups outside New York. He cultivated a reputation for caution and reportedly discouraged drug trafficking in his organization, believing that the lengthy prison sentences that accompanied drug charges invited instability and cooperation with law enforcement. He kept the family comparatively steady and insulated and remained don until he died of natural causes in 1976.

Succession and internal tensions

Before his death Gambino designated his brother-in-law, Paul Castellano, as his successor, bypassing his long-serving underboss, Aniello Dellacroce, a decision that caused tensions within the organization. Castellano, much more of a white-collar, corporate-style boss, continued many of Gambino’s business-oriented enterprises. Dellacroce, on the other hand, was in charge of the organization’s street crews, which included the crew led by caporegime John Gotti, a Dellacroce loyalist. Castellano and Gotti reportedly disagreed on some of the organization’s operational methods. The divide boiled over after Dellacroce’s death on December 2, 1985. Days later, Gotti and several other captains concluded that Castellano lacked legitimacy and decided to assassinate him. On December 16, 1985, Gotti and his allies had Castellano gunned down outside a steakhouse in Manhattan. Gotti reportedly watched the hit from a nearby car. In the immediate aftermath of Castellano’s death, Gotti moved to secure the loyalty of other captains and important figures within the organization. In early 1986 Gotti was recognized as the boss of the Gambino family.

John Gotti years

After assuming power, Gotti quickly became one of the most recognized figures in organized crime. During the late 1980s, Gotti was indicted on several charges, including federal racketeering and murder. These trials ended in acquittals, which were later linked to jury tampering and witness intimidation. His tailored dress and willingness to court the press earned him the nickname the “Dapper Don,” and the media dubbed him the “Teflon Don.” His tenure was marked by the family’s increased involvement in, and profits from, narcotics trafficking, as well as heightened law enforcement scrutiny.

In 1992 Gotti was convicted on federal racketeering and murder charges after his underboss Salvatore (“Sammy the Bull”) Gravano testified against him, including regarding Gotti’s role in the 1985 murder of Castellano. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole and died in federal custody in 2002. After his conviction leadership of the family passed through several hands, including a number of Gotti’s relatives, and, later, bosses such as John (Jackie) D’Amico, Domenico Cefalù, and Francesco Cali. By the early 21st century, the Gambino family, like the rest of the Five Families, retained a quiet but active presence in traditional criminal enterprises such as gambling, loan-sharking, and labor racketeering. Periodic federal racketeering indictments indicated that the organization, although diminished from its mid-20th century peak, remained operational.

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