Paul Castellano was under federal indictment in the government’s case against the leadership of New York’s five Mafia families, known as the Commission. He was also on trial and out on $2 million bail in a car theft and murder case when his life came to a violent end. Born Constantino Paul Castellano on June 26, 1915, in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, he grew up in an Italian immigrant family. His father worked as a butcher and had early ties to the Mangano crime family, the organization that would later evolve into the powerful Gambino family.
Leaving formal education behind in the eighth grade, Castellano learned both butchering and the numbers game from his father. At just 19, he had his first run-in with the law, arrested in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1934 for involvement in a robbery. He served his sentence without revealing his partners’ identities, cementing a reputation for loyalty and upholding the code of silence known as omertà. The Castellano family had deep connections in organized crime.
His sister Catherine married Carlo Gambino, who would become one of the most influential Mafia bosses in America. Castellano himself married his childhood sweetheart, Nina Mannino, in 1937, and the couple had four children. By the 1940s, Castellano joined the ranks of the Mangano family, eventually earning the title of capo under Albert Anastasia. His career took a dramatic turn in 1957 when he attended the infamous Apalachin meeting, a gathering of top Mafia figures that was interrupted by a police raid.
Castellano was among 61 high-ranking mobsters taken into custody, and he refused to cooperate with authorities, earning a year-long sentence for contempt of court. Despite his deep involvement in organized crime, Castellano saw himself as a businessman. Using his butchery background, he launched Dial Poultry, a wholesale distribution company that serviced 300 butchers in New York City. His tactics were hardly conventional, pressuring clients, including major grocery chains, into buying his products through intimidation.
As his influence grew, so did his involvement in the construction industry. His son Philip became president of a concrete corporation that nearly monopolized concrete supply in Staten Island. Castellano also played a key role in the “Concrete Club,” a coalition of contractors selected by the Commission to manage high-value construction contracts, with contractors expected to pay a 2 percent kickback. Castellano preferred to operate with the facade of a legitimate businessman, distancing himself from the violent reputation that typically accompanied Mafia figures.
But this approach created tensions within the family, with some members viewing his methods as a betrayal of the organization’s roots. In 1975, Castellano allegedly ordered the murder of his daughter’s boyfriend, Vito Borelli, after hearing that Borelli had compared him to Frank Perdue, the well-known poultry businessman. According to later court documents revealed in 2014, Joseph Massino, once head of the Bonanno crime family and later a government witness, confessed that he personally arranged Borelli’s murder as a favor to Castellano. When Carlo Gambino died on October 15, 1976, he named Castellano as his successor instead of his longtime underboss, Aniello Dellacroce.
Gambino likely chose Castellano due to his preference for low-profile, lucrative white-collar operations over traditional street crimes. At the time, Dellacroce was imprisoned on tax evasion charges. The transition of power was formalized on November 24, with Dellacroce attending the ceremony. Castellano allowed Dellacroce to retain his position as underboss and delegated him to oversee traditional mob activities like loan sharking, extortion, and robbery.
This arrangement effectively divided the family into two factions: Castellano’s based in Manhattan, favoring white-collar crime, and Dellacroce’s based in Brooklyn, focused on traditional mob activities. In 1978, Castellano allegedly ordered the murder of Nicholas Scibetta, a Gambino family associate whose behavior and public brawls had drawn unwanted attention. Before the hit, Castellano instructed others to inform Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano, Scibetta’s brother-in-law. Initially enraged, Gravano threatened to retaliate but eventually accepted that Scibetta’s conduct had crossed too many lines.
Later that year, Castellano allegedly sanctioned the murder of Gambino capo James Eppolito and his son. Eppolito had sought Castellano’s permission to eliminate another capo who he felt was encroaching on his territory. Castellano, while non-committal, secretly warned the target, leading to the preemptive murders of both Eppolito and his son. In February 1978, Castellano formed an alliance with the Westies, a prominent Irish-American gang based in Hell’s Kitchen.
Castellano saw value in an external group of hitmen who would provide muscle without directly implicating the Gambino family. According to Westies member Mickey Featherstone, Castellano set strict terms: “You guys have got to stop acting like cowboys, acting wild. You’re going to be with us now. If anyone is going to get killed, you have to clear it with us first.
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In September 1980, Castellano allegedly sanctioned the murder of his former son-in-law, Frank Amato, who was accused of abusing Castellano’s daughter. FBI reports say Castellano assigned the ruthless Roy DeMeo to handle the situation. DeMeo reportedly murdered Amato, dismembered his body, and disposed of the remains in the ocean. As Castellano’s power grew, so did his appetite for luxury.
He commissioned the construction of a sprawling 17-room mansion on Todt Hill in Staten Island, designed to resemble the White House. The mansion featured Carrara marble, an Olympic-size pool, and lush English gardens. Known for his aloof nature, he rarely left the residence, relying on captains to visit and report to him directly. Meanwhile, unrest was brewing within the Gambino family.
John Gotti, a protégé of Dellacroce, grew increasingly frustrated with Castellano’s leadership. Gotti felt Castellano was too controlling over financial matters, including profits from hijacking operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Gotti was also allegedly involved in drug dealing, a venture Castellano had strictly prohibited.
In January 1983, Castellano allegedly ordered the murder of Roy DeMeo, who was found dead in the trunk of his Cadillac. That same year, the FBI made a breakthrough that marked the beginning of Castellano’s downfall. Federal agents installed hidden listening devices inside his Staten Island mansion while he was vacationing in Florida. By August 1983, Angelo Ruggiero and Gene Gotti were arrested on heroin distribution charges, with much of the evidence coming from recorded conversations.
Castellano demanded access to the transcripts, sparking tension with Ruggiero, who refused to hand them over. This defiance deepened Castellano’s distrust of Gotti. In March 1984, Castellano was indicted on federal racketeering charges that included drug trafficking, extortion, theft, and murder. Released on a $2 million bail, he faced significant legal battles.
The following year, on February 25, 1985, he was arrested again as part of the massive “Mafia Commission Trial,” this time posting $3 million bail. By July, he was indicted yet again on additional charges, including loan sharking and tax evasion. The family itself was fracturing under legal pressures and internal discord. When Dellacroce died of cancer on December 2, 1985, Castellano chose not to attend his wake, which many family members saw as a disrespectful slight.
Castellano then appointed Thomas Bilotti, a close ally with limited diplomatic experience, as his new underboss. Rumors circulated that Castellano intended to dismantle John Gotti’s crew, further inciting Gotti’s resentment. On the evening of December 16, 1985, Castellano and Bilotti arrived at Sparks Steakhouse in Manhattan for a meeting. As Castellano stepped out of the car at the restaurant’s entrance, a team of gunmen ambushed him.
Shooters reportedly led by Salvatore Scala, Edward Lino, and John Carneglia closed in quickly. Across the street, John Gotti and his associate Sammy Gravano watched from a parked car. The ambush was swift. Shots rang out, striking Castellano multiple times.
Bilotti, the loyal driver and bodyguard, was also shot as he attempted to exit the car. In a final chilling gesture, Gotti reportedly drove past the scene to survey the aftermath. Castellano was interred at Moravian Cemetery on Staten Island. His reputation as a crime boss led the Archdiocese of New York to deny him a traditional Catholic funeral, a rare decision underscoring the notoriety of his lifestyle.
Just two weeks after the assassination, Gotti claimed the title of boss within the Gambino family. The unapproved killing didn’t sit well with Vincent Gigante, head of the Genovese crime family. Furious at the breach of Mafia protocol, Gigante sought to eliminate Gotti. Their plan culminated on April 13, 1986, when a car bomb intended for Gotti detonated outside a social club in Bensonhurst.
The explosion only claimed the life of Frank DeCicco, a Gambino family underboss and Gotti’s close associate. Years later, in late 1990, Gotti’s criminal empire began to unravel when he was arrested by the FBI on racketeering charges. With Gravano turning government witness, Gotti was convicted on April 2, 1992, for a string of criminal activities, including Castellano’s murder. He received a life sentence in federal prison and remained incarcerated until his death from throat cancer in 2002.
Despite the public interest in Castellano’s assassination, Gotti was the only one convicted for the killing, leaving lingering questions about the others involved. Castellano’s legacy in the American Mafia is complex. Known for his lavish lifestyle and interest in legitimate-looking businesses, he helped bring a more corporate approach to organized crime. He aimed to move the Gambino family away from street-level crime, focusing on sophisticated rackets that kept the family wealthy and less visible.
However, his leadership was controversial among his underlings, who saw him as out of touch and overly concerned with appearances. His death demonstrated both the ruthlessness of mob politics and the challenges of adapting to a changing criminal landscape in the 1980s, leaving an indelible mark on Mafia history.