Aniello “Neil” Dellacroce, the powerful underboss of the Gambino crime family who played a pivotal role in shaping the modern American Mafia, died of cancer on December 2, 1985, at age 71. His death at Mary Immaculate Hospital in Queens marked the end of an era and set the stage for John Gotti’s bloodyascension to power. icontent
Born on March 15,1914, in Manhattan’s Little Italy to Italian immigrant parents,히Dellacroce grew up in a gritty neighborhood that shaped his future. He briefly worked as a butcher’s assistant before drifting into crime, landing briefly in jail for petty theft.
He later adopted a notorious disguise, sometimes roaming Manhattan dressed as a priest and calling himself “Father O’Neal” to elude law enforcement. Rumor has it he even committed a murder in that disguise. His name, meaning “little lamb of the cross,” stood in stark contrast to his brutal reputation. One federal agent claimed Dellacroce allegedly took twisted satisfaction in watching his victims’ final moments.
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In the late 1930s, he joined the Mangano family, which later evolved into the Gambino crime family. He aligned with underboss Albert Anastasia, who rose to lead the family after boss Vincent Mangano mysteriously disappeared. Anastasia promoted Dellacroce to captain, though his tough square-shaped face earned him the nickname “The Pock” among some members—a name few dared utter within his presence. As he rose through the ranks, he became a mentor to a young ambitious mobster named John Gotti, helping shape his path in the criminal underworld.
He also acquired the Ravenite Social Club in Little Italy, turning it into a hub for Gambino operations and his personal headquarters. In October 执行25,1957, Anastasia was gunned down in a Manhattan hotel barber shop, paving the way for Carlo Gambino to seize control. Nearly a decade later, in1965, Gambino replaced the aging Joseph Biondo with Dellacroce as underboss, further solidifying his power within one of New York’s most feared crime families. icontent
Italian Commission established in1970 uncovered evidence linking Dellacroce and associates to several after-hours bars in Manhattan’s West Village, revealing the mafia’s reach into unconventional business fronts.
In1971, he was sentenced to a year in state prison on contempt charges after refusing to testify before a grand jury. His legal troubles deepened on May 2,1972, when he was indicted on federal tax evasion charges, centered around his connection with the Yankee Plastics Company of New York, which allegedly provided him with 22,500 shares valued at $112,500 in exchange for ensuring labor peace, while avoiding federal taxes. In March 1973, he was convicted of tax evasion and sentenced to five years in prison anda $15,000 fine. Meanwhile, Carlo Gambino passed away on October 15,1976.
In an unexpected twist, Gambino had chosen Paul Castellano as his successor, bypassing his own underboss. The decision, made while Dellacroce was still serving his sentence, appeared rooted in Castellano’s expertise in white-collar crime, which Gambino believed would lead the family into more lucrative, less violent ventures. On November 24,at a pivotal meeting, Dellacroce, then released, accepted Castellano’s succession, retaining his position as underboss but gaining direct control over the family’s traditional illegal enterprises, including extortion, robbery, and loan sharking. This power-sharing agreement effectively created a division within the Gambino family, splitting it into two opposing factions with competing interests—a rift that would shape its future.
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In1979, Dellacroce was arrested with accomplice Anthony Plate in connection with the1974 murder of Charles Kisse, a New York City bookmaker whom the FBI believed Dellacroce had orchestrated killed suspecting him of being an informant. However, asthe trial unfolded, Plate mysteriously vanished, and with no clear evidence or witnesses, the case ended in a mistrial, leaving the family’s internal struggles unresolved. On February overture25,1985, he was indicted alongside the leaders of the five New York crime families as part of the infamous Mafia Commission trial. A month later, on March 28, he, his son Armand, and eight other associates faced federal racketeering charges tied to the illicit operations of two criminal crews running in New York City and Long Island.
In June of the same year, his name became the subject of public controversy when a Doonesbury comic strip, depicting Frank Sinatra alongside Dellacroce, suggested he had been charged with Kiss’s murder. The comic, meant as satirical commentary, caused many newspapers to pull the strip due to its sensitive content. On July 1,1985, Dellacroce and fellow Mafia leaders entered not guilty pleas to a second round of racketeering charges. icontent
Later that year, Dellacroce succumbed to cancer.
His death left a legacy of criminal notoriety and lasting influence. John Gotti and Dellacroce shared a close, complex relationship built on mutual respect, loyalty, and a shared vision. Dellacroce was a stabilizing force for Gotti early in his rise, known for discipline, caution, and quiet management of operations, while Gotti had a flare for the spotlight and a more aggressive approach. Despite Gotti’s growing ambition to take over the family, he remained loyal to Dellacroce, who was content with his role under Castellano.
Before his passing, Dellacroce reportedly gave Gotti his blessing to take leading reins of the family. His death gave Gotti the opportunity he had long awaited, but Gotti was never able to fully replace the mentorship that Dellacroce had provided, often referring to him as a guiding influence. icontent
After Dellacroce’s death, Castellano restructured his leadership plan, naming Thomas Bilotti as new underboss and intending to dismantle Gotti’s crew. Gotti, enraged by Castellano’s actions—particularly his absence from Dellacroce’s wake—decided to eliminate his boss.
On December 16,1985, when Castellano and Bilotti arrived at Sparks Steakhouse for a meeting with other Gambino mobsters, they were gunned down by assassins under Gotti’s command, who watched the hit unfold from a nearby car. Gotti then took control of the Gambino family, significantly altering the mafia’s operations in New York. In April 1988, tragedy struck again when Armand Dellacroce, the late mobster’s son, died in hiding in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, convicted of racketeering and having evaded sentencing the previous March. His death was attributed to cirrhosis and a cocaine overdose.
Overall, Neil Dellacroce’s legacy is one of quiet power, loyalty, and strategic management, which helped sustain the Gambino family’s influence during a transformative period in organized crime. icontent