A classic interview clip is making the rounds again, showing an enraged Joe DeCicco unleashing his fury against Sammy Gravano. In the footage, DeCicco doesn’t hold back, making his contempt for Gravano explicitly clear. DeCicco, who has known both Gravano and John Gotti since childhood, voices a chilling threat against Gravano, the man who later became infamous as the cooperating witness who helped bring down Gotti. He states openly that if he encountered Gravano on the street today, he would kill him in two seconds and then walk straight to the courthouse to confess.
The source of this deep-seated rage is the death of DeCicco’s nephew, Frank DeCicco. A high-ranking Gambino family member who served as Gotti’s first underboss, Frank DeCicco was killed in April 1986 when a car bomb exploded beneath his vehicle. Joe DeCicco firmly believes that Gravano, supposedly motivated by jealousy over Frank’s position, was behind the murder. He describes being present at the scene of the bombing, recalling the chaos of the aftermath, including running toward the wreckage and nearly burning his hands.
He also remembers the fear of a potential second explosion as they rushed to help his nephew. The clip appears to include contemporary news footage from that period, with an FBI spokesperson discussing the ongoing pressure on La Cosa Nostra following the indictment of John Gotti and others. The commentary notes that while they had made the organization run, victory was not being declared, and the focus remained on targeting all Gambino family leaders. Presenting the story, the narrator reflects on the intensity of the situation, calling Gotti a bad man and noting the brutality of the attack on Frank DeCicco.
The overwhelming sentiment is one of disbelief that John Gotti could simply continue his life as if nothing had happened after the loss of his underboss. The video is framed as a favorite interview because of Joe DeCicco’s palpable, unabashed anger. He has never hidden his feelings, and his belief in Gravano’s guilt is fundamental to his story.
The narrator ends by asking viewers for their own opinions on whether Gravano was truly connected to the bombing, a question that remains a point of intense debate for those familiar with the history.