In a recent live broadcast, former mob enforcer Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano shared his long-held theory about the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. Asked directly where Hoffa is, Gravano said he believes the former Teamsters leader is buried on a farm in Detroit. His reasoning is simple: Hoffa was killed in Detroit, and Gravano cannot imagine anyone putting the body in a car trunk and driving 400 miles to New York for burial.
Gravano, who has admitted to carrying out numerous murders as a contract killer, said such a request would have been unreasonable. He explained that if he were pulled over by a police officer who asked to open the trunk, he would have no good options. "Do I kill a cop now because I have a body in the trunk?" he asked. "No." He concluded that Hoffa is buried in Detroit.
The Hoffa question came up during a rapid-fire segment of viewer questions, which also covered a wide range of other topics. Gravano was asked whether he ever met Vito Gambino, the father of the Gambino crime family boss. He said he met him two or three times, but never as a made member. Vito Gambino left the United States when Gravano was growing up and returned to Italy.
On the subject of Boston and its ties to the Mafia, Gravano said the city had a strong crew and close relationships with the Gambino family and others. He described it as a good family that has since broken apart.
Gravano was also asked about Louis Eppolito, the former NYPD detective later convicted of mob-related murders. His answer was brief: "He went back to the chickens."
A viewer asked whether Gravano or other family members ever dealt with gangs in Australia. He said he did not believe so. He recalled one contact with someone there when he was planning a prison escape, and another contact while he was in prison thinking about escaping.
Asked about Mafia activity in Louisville, Kentucky, and anything related to the Derby, Gravano said he did not know of any.
Gravano was asked about "Gaspipe" and "Jerry Papa" in connection with murder. He said he believed a comparison could be made between them.
On the question of whether parents, sons, and brothers can be in the same mob crew, Gravano said they certainly can if they are recruited into the same family. He added that the reverse situation is harder. If his son were placed in another family, he said he would not be happy and might not allow it.
Gravano was asked about the social clubs that were central to mob life. He disagreed with Michael Franzese, who has said he found them boring. Gravano said he never found them boring. Members played cards, drank, hung out, and enjoyed each other's company. He called the club "our place," and said if you belonged to the Mafia and wanted to visit people at another club, you went to theirs.
A viewer asked about Jimmy Burke and the killing of Billy Batts. Gravano said Burke was a good earner and very close to Paul Vario, which is why he survived. The other man involved, he said, was crazy and did all kinds of things.
Gravano was asked whether he ever met Toddo Aurello after he began cooperating with the government, and whether he thought Aurello would have understood. Gravano said he never met him after cooperating but heard stories about things Aurello said. He never blamed Gravano for it, which Gravano took as a sign that he understood. He said the same was true of Aurello's son, Charlie Boy, and Michael "Mad Dog" Boy, along with many others.
Reflecting on cooperation more broadly, Gravano said people have to look at the person and the story behind each case. Some men who cooperated were genuinely tough and no one ever expected them to flip. Others cooperated because they wanted the government to pay them for the rest of their lives. He said there is always a story, and people should listen to it. If someone was stealing from you, raping your wife, and doing all kinds of things behind your back, he asked, would you turn your back and say "to hell with the mob and to hell with loyalty"? He said there are many men in both situations.
A viewer who makes prank calls to radio shows asked where to send strange voice-acting clips for Gravano, the women in his office, and his son to see. Gravano said he had seen many of them himself and told the viewer to send them to Amina at the company.
Gravano was asked about a claim in the book "The Killing Machine" that John Gotti was heard on wiretaps saying he was afraid to take over the Demeo crew because Roy was surrounded by an army. Gravano said he believed that was true. Paul pulled the crew away and gave it to Frankie and Chicko first, and the reaction did not sit well.
Asked whether Italian gangs or Somali fraud rings in Minnesota received more government money, Gravano drew a distinction. The Somali case, he said, involved people who simply stole money by setting up a fake organization. He contrasted that with the Mafia, which he said set up a company, paid governors and mayors, and gave money to politicians without punishment before some fled back to Somalia. He called the Somali case open theft and treason, and said it involved collusion by government officials. He added that he did not understand why the governor in that case was not jailed or prosecuted.
Gravano also commented on a politician he said married her brother and brought him into the field. He called it fraud and deception, and said that if he had done something similar, he would be in prison. He said he would not even try it.
A viewer asked why Gravano was placed in the ADX supermax prison. He said it made no sense. He recalled that when he arrived, the warden asked him if he had killed anyone in prison. Gravano said no. The warden replied that their sentences were short and asked why he was there. Gravano said it was because he did not arrive by taxi. He said he should never have been there in the first place, and that ADX is meant for people who lose control and kill inside the prison system. He said he did not belong there but went anyway.
Asked what one thing he would take back from his life, Gravano joked about a past relationship before turning serious. He said there are many things he would take back.
Gravano was asked about Jack Evseroff, a lawyer he described as excellent and a dear friend. He confirmed the connection and said he had met the family.
On whether he knew the federal authorities were constantly watching him, Gravano said he knew they were assigned to watch him. He recognized the agents because they were always there, and he got used to it. If they were not there, he said, he would wonder why.
A viewer asked whether he had calmed down in his old age and played chess. Gravano joked that he must have played chess because it drives him crazy. He also responded to a message from a friend he called "Buck," a big, handsome Irishman.
Asked about his family's region in Italy, Gravano said he did not remember the name of the town. His father was from a fishing village in Italy and was a fisherman there. His mother was from another part of Sicily and moved around as a child, eventually to the countryside. He said he does not remember the names of their towns.
Gravano said he did not believe he had ever dealt with the Small family.
A viewer asked about his stated reasons for joining the Mafia, since he has said he was not rich for most of his time in it. Gravano said he did not join only for power and money. Money was tempting, but it was not about power. He loved the idea that they were a family. He loved family things, and the Colombo and Gambino families felt like family to him. He said he was always able to make money on his own, so that was not why he joined. He added that once you join, you look for money and power like everyone else, and you would be strange if you did not.
On the killing of "D.B.," Gravano addressed a viewer's question about whether Angelo Ruggiero fabricated a story about D.B. talking behind John Gotti's back because Angelo owed him $200,000 in gambling debts. Gravano said the story was mostly right but corrected the details. It was not a $200,000 gambling debt, he said. It was a $250,000 loan, and it was only discovered after D.B. died. He said D.B. also opposed Angelo's rise to power. So Angelo had two motives: he was not on good terms with D.B., and he thought that if D.B. were killed, he would not have to repay the $250,000. Gravano said D.B. did not deserve to be killed.
A viewer asked about "Ally Boy" mentioned by Greg Scarpa Jr. Gravano said the Ally Boy Scarpa was talking about was probably from the Colombo family, the son of Carmine Persico, known as Ally Boy Persico Jr. He said it was not Michael Gambino, and he did not think Scarpa knew Michael Gambino.
Asked who would succeed him if something happened to him, Gravano said he did not know. He said there is always someone in life who takes over what you do. He also joked that a date with Amina was impossible because she is too busy with work.
A viewer asked about a girl who loves cowboys, or cops, and what to call a girl who loves mobsters. Gravano laughed and suggested choosing a different name.
A viewer asked about a claim that Gravano once mentioned who ran the office in upstate New York, in Newburgh. Gravano said he did not know what the viewer was talking about regarding numbers manipulation with children. He said he saw that in the movie "Goodfellas" and did not watch it much. He said he never used children to manipulate numbers. He always had a man on his team to bring in the numbers or handle things. He said he did not know anything about using children for numbers and did not think it was a good move.
Gravano responded to a viewer who suggested names for women attracted to mobsters, such as "Mafia mistress" or "Gotti groupie." He said those were good names.
Asked whether John Gotti would have ordered the killing of Roy Demeo if Roy had still been alive when John took over, and whether Gravano would have been given the task, Gravano explained how the Demeo situation unfolded. He said Roy Demeo handed control to Frankie, and Gravano went to Pitt Street to talk to him when Frankie called. Frankie told him he had gotten "Roy's ticket." Paul pulled the knife away from John and gave it to Frankie. Gravano said he warned Frankie to be careful because everyone around him were serial killers, and offered to help. But Frankie found a way. He gave the contract to the Gemini twins, Roy Demeo's two best men. If they killed Roy, there would be no contracts on them and they would be transferred to another family. They bought the knife and carried it out. Gravano said they may not have liked being with Roy and doing the terrible things he was doing, and they were marked the same way as serial killers. They may not have been happy to do it, but they had no choice. Gravano called the way it was handled perfect.
Asked about "Odie Gout" and "Zab," Gravano said he and Michael believed Zab was with the Rampers gang when they were young. He described Odie Gout as a strong man who was half Black and half white, a good man who was with their crew. He said he did not know what happened to him or Zab later in life.
A viewer asked whether the FBI harassed Gravano about the scene in the original "Gotti" film where his character kills John Gotti's neighbor. Gravano said no. The FBI actually contacted him, and he said the scene was nonsense. He said they knew exactly what John did. John used his crew. They grabbed the man, kidnapped him, tortured him, and killed him. Gravano said John talked to him about it when his son was killed. Gravano told John that people loved him, and if the man was real, it was a real car accident. He advised John to apologize to the family while his wife was hitting him with a bat. John said his wife was driving him crazy. Gravano told him not to do it and that it was an accident. But John did it anyway. Gravano believes John listened to his wife or something similar. John went on vacation to Florida with his wife and ordered his men to kill the man. Gravano said the government knew the whole story, which is why they did not believe the film's claim that he did it. He said he had nothing to do with it, and the government knew that.
Asked why he agreed to John Gotti's wish to assassinate Paul Castellano, given his knowledge of Gotti and Paul's effectiveness as boss, Gravano pointed to Frankie DeCicco. He described Frankie DeCicco as like an older brother to him and the one who convinced him. He said Paul made many mistakes, too many. Gravano agreed it was time for him to go. He said if the goal was to save John Gotti and his whole crew and make John the leader with the most influence in the room, then if Frankie was going in, Gravano would go with him. He said he definitely did not want to be on the other side fighting Frankie. He would never fight him, even if they were on different sides. Frankie knew that, and Gravano did not think Frankie would fight him either. But Gravano wanted to do it for Frankie and Chicko, not for power or money. He said he was already close to Paul, already making money, already buying houses, farms, and everything else. It was not about greed. Paul did nothing to him or his family. Gravano did not want it to be about revenge. So he agreed with what Frankie said and with the whole situation.
A viewer asked if Gravano had any ghost stories from Arizona, such as someone seeing a human skeleton riding a red camel at night. Gravano was confused by the question. He said he did not know any such story. When told the viewer meant real ghost stories, like those seen by people in the Superstition Mountains, Gravano said that is where all the crazy things happen. He said he had never seen anything like that and did not know there were red camels in the Superstition Mountains. He noted that people say many things, like there are aliens there. He said he had seen a flying saucer. He joked that if you go out at night, you might run into Sammy in the dark next to a cactus.
A viewer told Gravano not to worry about haters because his real friends are behind him 1000 percent. Gravano thanked him and said he does not worry about haters. He said he even likes some of them. He does not understand some of their ideas, but he supports everyone's right to an opinion. He said he does not get angry when they call Amina beautiful and do not call him beautiful. He does not get angry and does not punch a wall later.
Asked about his favorite color, Gravano said he likes blue but also likes black. He noted that he wears a lot of black, including black jackets and black shirts. He said it depends on how it is put together.
The broadcast also included a brief exchange about cartoon characters, with Gravano confirming that Porky Pig was the character in question.