The godfathers of the Gambino family

Vincent Mangano

Albert Anastasia

The first godfather Carlo Gambino - died in The Godfather in Bed

In 1976, the 76-year-old Gambino was about to reach the end of his life. His long face had become so thin that he was emaciated, leaving only dense wrinkles, bloodshot eyes and a huge nose. Gambino was often described as resembling a fruit seller.

To die suddenly on the street seems to be the fate of the Mafia godfathers. Only the luckiest and most diplomatically gifted among them can enjoy the luxury of dying in bed. In the Gambino family, this man is the fifth godfather, Carlo Gambino. Throughout his life, Gambino traded tacit acceptance of internal division for peace. The resulting factional conflict was a fundamental problem that would later plague his cousin and successor, Paulo Castellano.

From Gambino's appearance, you would never guess that his quiet body possesses the tireless ruthlessness that puts him at the top of power. For example, Joe Colombo, who revealed Mafia secrets, was shot in the head and died, which became the most embarrassing incident for the police. Gallo, nicknamed "Crazy Joey," defied the rules of the Gambino family and stole $50,000 from the Italian-owned Ferrara pastry shop. Shot to death.

The soft-spoken and smiling Gambino has always done this. He has never acted out of resentment, irritability or intolerance. He established his personal prestige in this way. But when he was dying, he chose his cousin Paul Castellano as his successor, which puzzled many people. Because almost all of the family's huge wealth is under the control of the "second boss" Anillo Delacroche (nicknamed Mr. Neil). Delacroche runs perhaps the largest and most formidable street gang in the family. The gang was later inherited by John Gotti. If a war breaks out over the succession issue, the winner can only be "Mr. Neal" and Castellano is doomed to fail.

Luckily, as Gambino lay dying, his deputy was serving time in prison for extortion. His imprisonment provided Gambino with two compelling reasons for choosing Castellano as his heir: First, law enforcement agencies were too familiar with Delacroche, and Castellano had no criminal record. Don't know him at all. Second, a group of dragons cannot be leaderless, and "Mr. Neil" who is imprisoned is naturally unable to take on this responsibility. The second godfather, Paulo Castellano... was assassinated by his own people. Since the death of Castellano's cousin and brother-in-law Carlo Gambino in 1976, he has occupied the top of the pyramid of the Mafia power structure. For 9 years. His reign was a period of relative prosperity and stability for the New York gang, earning him the nickname "Big Paul."

But when Castellano entered the 70th year of his life, he had already suffered from diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and other diseases. He faced unprecedented pressure from the police and his family. Internal double pressure.

Castellano felt that some of his younger deputies, especially the cocky and ambitious John Gotti, no longer feared him. Before Castellano's death, he was under police investigation for operating a car theft ring and murder. Since the accusations in these two cases are solid, once the case goes to trial in 1986, the history of the entire leadership of the Mafia will inevitably be revealed. As a 70-year-old man, Castellano did not want to go to jail, but wanted to live comfortably. It would be less troublesome for those who might be implicated by his confession to get rid of him than to stay up all night. So, the assassination operation began. On December 16, 1985, Castellano was shot and killed on a busy street in Manhattan, New York.

This murder was not a rebellion by a certain gang in the Gambino family, but a decision unanimously supported by the five major Mafia families in New York. This was an overt act that only he himself remained in the dark about.

That night, Castellano had his last dinner in his life at the Sparks Steakhouse where he frequented, tasting the third rib of prime beef. He was in a happy mood at this time and had no idea that his friend Frank De Cico had betrayed him and revealed his course of action that night.

After dinner, Thomas Bilotti drove his godfather's black Lincoln onto 46th Street and parked the car directly in front of a "No Parking" sign.

As soon as they appeared, the three killers who were lying in ambush rushed forward, showed the semi-automatic rifles under their windbreakers, and fired at close range. Castellano and Bilotti were each shot six times. Then, the murderers calmly turned down 46th Street into a second alley, got into a waiting car, and disappeared into the night.

The third godfather John Gotti...the godfather who was betrayed by his deputy

A crisp suit worth 2,000 US dollars, a light red diamond ring, shiny and immaculate wig. John Gotti was a guest at the most exclusive clubs, hotels, and restaurants in New York. Everyone who came in contact with him was infected by his charming smile, forgetting that behind the smile was sin, deception, blood, and killing.

If there is another reason for the death of the giant Paul, it is because his subordinate and enemy John Gotti wanted him to die. When he was about 10 years old, he was already a well-known gangster leader in the local area, showing unusual leadership skills.

Just when Gotti was becoming famous in the Gambino family, the then godfather Carlo Gambino passed the position of godfather to Castellano instead of him before his death. Boss Delacroche, Castellano has undoubtedly become an obstacle in his path to power. From that moment on, Gotti began to hate the new godfather.

Because Castellano stubbornly forbids anyone in the family from engaging in the drug trade, the crisis between him and Gotti, who is addicted to drug profits, intensifies. Delacroche died of cancer in 1985, which meant that Gotti lost his protection within the Gambino family. Hence, the murder case mentioned above. Starting from the day the giant Paul died, John Gotti became the seventh godfather of the Gambino family.

However, the good times did not last long. In 1991, his deputy and the second-in-command of the Gambino family, "Bull Shammy", violated the Mafia's "principle of silence" and acted as a police witness, leaking all his secrets. The boss of the Bino family sent Gotti to prison. This case was also the most remarkable achievement achieved by former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani when he served as the United States Joint Attorney General.

In 1992, Gotti was sentenced to life in prison in Illinois. While in prison, Gotti attempted to maintain control over the family, but in 1996 he was forced to hand over leadership to his younger brother, Peter Gotti. Later, he was treated in prison for throat cancer, and later died due to the spread of the cancer.

The "betrayer" of the family

"I am the second boss of the Gambino family," Bull Shami said on the witness stand, becoming the first in American history The second mafia boss betrayed the boss. "John Gotti was the boss and I was the second. When he growled, I bit."

Ser Watto Gravino, nicknamed "Shami the Bull." It was this Bull Shami who caused the most famous gang infighting incident in American history 9 years ago. Bull Shami has been a professional killer in this family for 20 years and eventually became the "second boss". In 1991, he suddenly made a surprising move: he acted as a police witness against his boss John Gotti. This means that he committed the most unforgivable crime in the Mafia's "moral principles" - betrayal.

On March 19, 1995, Bull Shami was immediately included in the protection list of the federal witness protection system after he was released from prison. Relevant professionals helped him establish a new identity: Jamie Moren. , and also performed plastic surgery on him. A year after his release from prison, Bull Shami voluntarily left the witness protection system because he felt the restrictions were too restrictive. He has since built homes in suburban Phoenix. Of course, Shami, the bull who is accustomed to underworld business, will never be willing to be lonely. This time, he took a fancy to the emerging ecstasy market. He worked with his son Gerard and local ecstasy seller Mike Papa. After more than a year of bloody killings, Bull Shami violently reshuffled the ecstasy market in Phoenix and established an independent kingdom of his own. , became the godfather of a new generation.

Those who do too much injustice will surely die. In the early morning of February 24, 2000, Shami, his wife, daughter, son, Papa and more than 40 members of the gang were arrested at the same time. Shami, 55, and his 24-year-old son were sentenced to 15 years in prison. Ironically, as with Shami's testimony against John Gotti, most of the evidence against Shami this time came from his associates.

The fourth godfather, John Gotti Jr.

A funeral convoy of more than 100 cars drove toward St. John's Cemetery.

Gotti's gilded casket was carried out of the funeral home by eight people. A black suit and a red umbrella were the uniform attire at Gotti's funeral. Each float is topped with a garland depicting Gotti's favorite things during his lifetime. Gotti fans rushed to touch the funeral car.

China Daily website news: With a gold-plated coffin carried by eight people, a fleet of more than a hundred luxury cars, all black suits and red umbrellas, tens of thousands of red and white carnations, such a grand private funeral was seen throughout New York. is rare. This is the funeral scene of the Gambino family, the largest gang in New York, on June 15. Lying in the coffin was John Gotti, the evil-doing former godfather of Gambino. He died of throat cancer in prison on June 10 at the age of 61.

***Funeral Pavement with Dollars

After news broke that John Gotti suffered from throat cancer while in prison in 1996 and his condition continued to worsen, members of the Gambino family Start planning this grand funeral carefully. A private plane was parked quietly on a private tarmac in Queens, New York, waiting to fly to Springfield Prison in Illinois to pick up Gotti's body.

On June 11, the plane that I had been waiting for for 4 years finally came into use. Gotti's body was placed in a gold-plated coffin custom-made for him and returned to Queens, New York, in a stretched luxury Lincoln, where Gotti had lived since he was a child. According to the custom of Italian descendants, the body was kept in the local funeral home for three days before being officially buried.

The entire Queens borough of New York was filled with a special atmosphere of funerals on June 15. Four helicopters began to hover over the funeral home early in the morning, leading to St. John's Cemetery, Gambino's private cemetery. The main roads are empty, and huge portraits of Gotti are hung on many overpasses and buildings along the streets. The funeral convoy was all black, and each car was topped with a garland of flowers, spelled out into patterns that Gotti liked during his lifetime, including horse racing, boxing gloves, etc. Hundreds of Gambino members dressed in crisp black suits and holding red umbrellas attended Gotti's funeral.

Gotti's brother and current godfather Peter Gotti did not attend the funeral because he had just been arrested by the police not long ago. Gotti's son is also serving time in prison.

***The Idol of New York Citizens

Gotti may be the most special gang boss in the history of New York. Although his hands are stained with blood, he is extremely popular. In New York City There are a group of die-hard admirers. In 1992, when the court announced that Gotti was found guilty of 13 charges including murder, hundreds of New Yorkers held banners in support of Gotti.

Today, Gotti's popularity has not diminished at all. More than 500 New Yorkers rushed to attend the funeral. They placed wreaths at the entrance of the funeral home, held candles and held signs. "Forever John Gotti", "We love you, John Gotti". Among Gotti's supporters, there are teenagers and gray-haired old people. When the funeral car carrying Gotti's coffin passed by the crowd, many people burst into tears and rushed to touch the funeral car.

Gotti liked the feeling of being aloof when he was alive. At that time, he was as radiant as a Hollywood movie star. He often wears suits costing US$2,000 and a light red diamond ring, and appears in New York's most exclusive clubs, hotels, and restaurants... Time magazine once put Gotti on its cover, and New Yorkers even regarded him as The face of New York City.

For more than ten years, Gotti has been the focus of media flashes wherever he appears. At this funeral, major coal bodies in New York City sent strong reporting teams. Photographers crowded into the crowd climbed on short ladders to capture every detail of the funeral.

***The priest is unwilling to say Mass

The underground cemetery of St. John's Cemetery is Gotti's residence. The godfathers of the Gambino family are buried there. Compared with them, Gotti is lucky. Although he was betrayed by his men and sentenced to life imprisonment, he died peacefully on the prison bed. Most of the godfathers in Gambino's history were killed by their successors. Gotti only reached the top of Gambino's power after killing his predecessor Paul.

According to Gotti's will, he will lie next to his 12-year-old son Frank. More than ten years ago, Frank was killed in a traffic accident. The perpetrator was a neighbor of Gotti's family. The neighbor disappeared shortly after, and the police have yet to find him.

Gotti missed Frank very much. There were only two photos on his desk, one was his cover photo in Time magazine, and the other was his son Frank.

The New York police believe that after Gotti’s funeral, the Gambino family will decline and quickly disintegrate. Earlier this month, the FBI arrested 17 senior members of the Gambino family, including current godfather Peter Gotti. With the death of spiritual leader Gotti, Gambino is leaderless, and many people are planning to quit or join other gangs

The current godfather Peter Gotti

In 2002 On June 6, 17 members of the Gambino family, the leader of the "Five Major Mafia Families" in New York City, were arrested, including Peter Gotti, the current godfather of the organization. The New York State Court will prosecute them on 68 counts including extortion, blackmail, money laundering, bribery, and loan sharking.

Controlled New York shipping and manipulated stock prices to make huge profits

Judge Alan Winegrad said that day that Peter Gotti was John Gotti, the godfather of the Gambino gang who was arrested in 1992 's younger brother. After Peter succeeded Gambino as Godfather, he tried to control New York's shipping industry through underworld means and manipulated the New York dock seamen's union to extort and extort workers.

Since the mid-1990s, the Gambino mafia family has controlled the International Seafarers' Federation, which represents the interests of 65,000 seafarers in North America. They use violence and bribery to place gang members into key positions in the federation. Soon after, under Gambino's coercion, the International Seamen's Federation used the seafarers' medical funds to sign a huge medical contract, in which Gambino received at least US$400,000 in benefits.

In addition, Gambino has also long-term forcibly collected protection fees from small merchants, sailors and dockworkers in New York Port, and used illegal means to interfere with commercial activities in Brooklyn and Star Island, New York.

In 2000, the Gambino family also collaborated with other New York gang organizations to infiltrate or control a number of Wall Street brokerage firms, illegally manipulate the stock prices of 19 companies, and forcibly sell them to investors, making illegal profits from them. Huge profits.

The former godfather of the five major gangs in New York City is the Remote Control Family

The five major gang families in New York City - the Gambino family, the Genovese family, the Lucchese family, and Bonin Among the Nou family and the Colobo family, Gambino has the greatest power and influence. Gambino, the founder of the organization, was born in Sicily, Italy. He smuggled himself to the United States by boat in 1921, settled in Brooklyn, New York, and then entered the underworld. Gambino's activities include illegally opening casinos, loan sharking, kidnapping, and drug trafficking. The most significant feature is the extortion of labor through control of the seamen's union.

In the past 80 years, the power of the Gambino family has expanded dramatically, which has had a negative impact on the economic and social development of New York City and even many regions in the United States. The five major gang families also have jurisdictions. Among them, the Gambino family's jurisdiction covers most of the docks in wealthy New York City and New Jersey.

Gambino's previous godfather, John Gotti, was sentenced to life imprisonment in June 1992 on charges of murder, blackmail, and interference with justice. In prison, John Gotti continued to control the entire family until he was forced to step down in 1996 because of throat cancer. Currently, he is waiting for death. The Gambino family has also arranged a private jet to pick up John Gotti's body at any time.

Beginning in 1999, the FBI began to collect criminal evidence of gangs and prepared to break them one by one. In December 2001, after two years of undercover work, a New York police detective obtained enough intelligence to help the police destroy the Genovese family in one fell swoop.