In a recent live broadcast, former mob hitman Sammy "The Bull" Gravano addressed a wide range of topics, from the fate of Jimmy Hoffa to his own life inside the Mafia. The conversation moved between viewer questions and Gravano's personal reflections on organized crime, loyalty, and betrayal.
Gravano began by expressing frustration over what he described as hypocrisy surrounding the Gotti family. He said he finds it disturbing that people who speak negatively about him are seen embracing the Gottis, despite the violence associated with that family. He recalled a moment during his own sentencing when the sister of Michael "The Bat" spoke to the judge. According to Gravano, the judge responded by saying that when her brother was killing people alongside him, it did not bother her, but now that he had cooperated, it suddenly did. The judge then threw her paper off the desk.
When asked whether he ever met Vito Gambino, the father of the Gambino family boss, Gravano 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 question of what happened to Louie Eggs, Gravano said simply that he "went back to the chickens."
Gravano was asked about Boston's ties to the Mafia. He said Boston had a strong crew and close relationships with the Gambino family and others. He described it as a good family that eventually broke apart. When asked whether there were similarities between Gaspipe and Jerry Papa when it came to murder, Gravano agreed there were.
On whether he or other family members ever dealt with gangs in Australia, Gravano said he did not believe so. He recalled one contact with someone there when he was considering escaping from prison, but nothing beyond that. He said he knew nothing about Mafia activity in Louisville, Kentucky, or anything related to the Derby in 1960.
The most anticipated question of the broadcast was about Jimmy Hoffa. Gravano said he believes Hoffa is buried on a farm in Detroit, where he was killed. He could not imagine anyone putting Hoffa in a car trunk and driving 400 miles from Detroit to New York to bury him. He called that a ridiculous request. Gravano acknowledged that he was a hitman and would have killed Hoffa if asked, but he would not have transported the body. He imagined being stopped by a police officer who asked to open the trunk, and said he would not kill a police officer just because he had a body in the car. He concluded that Hoffa is buried in Detroit.
Asked whether he knew someone named Pete Black or Mickey Rogers, Gravano said the name Pete Black was familiar but he did not know Rogers. On whether the IRS is a continuing criminal organization, Gravano said all government agencies are criminal organizations. He said they constantly steal from people for money and do all kinds of things, and no one goes to prison with them. That, he said, is what separates them from organized crime.
A viewer asked whether he believes Jesus forgives everything as soon as you ask. Gravano said he believes Jesus forgives everyone. He said everyone has made mistakes or done things in life that they or Jesus do not approve of, and that is what Jesus does. He forgives everyone their sins and calls them back to faith in God.
On Mickey Featherstone, Gravano said he cooperated and left the life. He said he was with the Westies and was a very important player, but Gravano lost contact and did not know what happened to him. Asked whether Trump would join the Mob if given the chance, Gravano said no, he thinks Trump is more legitimate. He described Trump as a man who does crazy things that attract attention, and noted that people have tried to kill him twice. Gravano said they want to kill him because he refuses their actions and is trying to fix things, while they want to keep stealing from the public.
Gravano said he had no problems with the Winter Hill gang. He briefly mentioned a time when bikers came to his bar and were not friendly, which led to him breaking his ankle and other consequences. He said he would not talk about it every day.
Asked about the worst factor in the decline of Cosa Nostra, Gravano pointed to the RICO law. He said it hurt many people, not just the Mafia, but also Black and Latino communities. It started against Italians, but when they could not catch many of them, the law was used broadly and damaged many people and organizations.
On social clubs, Gravano disagreed with Michael Franzese, who had said he hated them because they were boring. Gravano said he never found them boring. They played cards, drank, hung out, enjoyed themselves, and connected with each other. He called it a great place and said it was their place. If you were in the Mafia and wanted to visit another social club, you went to theirs.
Regarding Jimmy Burke and the murder 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 was crazy and did all kinds of things.
Asked whether he met Toddo after cooperating and whether Toddo would have understood, Gravano said he never met him after cooperating but heard stories and things he said. Toddo never blamed him for it, so Gravano believes he understood. He added that Toddo's son, Charlie Boy, and Michael "Mad Dog" Boy, and many others also understood. Gravano said when people cooperate, you have to look at the person and the story behind it. Some were really strong men who you never thought would cooperate, but they did and then were deceived. He said there is always a story behind everything, and you have to listen to the stories.
A viewer asked where to send strange voice acting clips. Gravano said to send them to Amina at the company and he would take a look.
On a claim from the book "The Killing Machine" that John Gotti was recorded saying he was afraid to take Dimio's car because Roy was surrounded by an army, Gravano said he believed that was true. Paul pulled it and went to him first. He did not like the reaction he saw or felt, so he pulled it from him and gave it to Frankie and Chicco.
Asked whether parents, sons, and brothers can be in the same crew, Gravano said absolutely. If they are recruited from the same crew, they can stay in it. He said it is harder the other way around. If he took his son and put him in another crew or family, he would not be happy about it and might not allow it.
On who received more government money, Italian gangs that did not work and did not complete government construction projects, or Somalis in Minnesota who did not provide childcare, Gravano said the Somalis simply stole the money. They set up a fake organization. He said that does not compare to the Mafia. They set up a company, paid governors and mayors, paid all those politicians, gave them money without punishment, then left and went back to Somalia. He said that is different from fraud. He imagined the government telling him tomorrow they would give him two million dollars, and he would put some money in his account and run for office, putting 100,000 dollars in someone else's account. He called that open theft and treason, collusion by government officials. He said the Somalis could not have stolen that amount without everyone knowing. He did not know who the governor was or why he was not jailed or prosecuted. He said if he had done that, if he had written that he married his sister and signed all kinds of papers, he would be in prison. He said there is no doubt about that.
A viewer commented that Sammy was placed in ADX prison, which made no sense. Gravano said he wished the viewer could tell the judge and the Bureau of Prisons the same thing. He recalled that when he arrived, the warden asked him if he had killed anyone in prison. Gravano said no. The warden said their sentences were short and asked why he was there. Gravano said it was because he did not come by taxi, they sent him there. He said he should not have been there at all. He said the people who lose control and kill people inside the prison system are the ones who should be there, where they cannot do anything. He said he did not belong there but he went. He said that is when they are thirsty for you and want to hurt you.
Asked if he could take back one thing he did in his life and do it again, Gravano joked that he had sex with a woman who weighed 280 pounds. He said if he could take that back, he did not know. He said there are many things he would take back. He said he was only joking about the 280 pounds, and that she weighed 275 pounds.
A viewer mentioned that on the last live broadcast, Bill the commercial was talking about Jack Evseroff, who had a son. They were watching Sammy and said hello, and said Sammy met them at his house once. Gravano said hello and described him as a lawyer, a good lawyer, an excellent lawyer, and a dear friend.
Asked whether he ever knew if federal authorities were constantly watching him and whether it affected what he did, Gravano said he knew they were watching him constantly. He said they were assigned to watch him and he knew it. He recognized the agents because they were always there, and he got used to it. If they were not there, he would think something was wrong. He asked why they were not there. That was how their presence was.
A viewer sent an Instagram message from John, saying hello and calling him his friend Buck, a big handsome Irishman. Asked whether he had calmed down a bit while playing chess in his old age, and whether he played chess with him, Gravano said he must have played chess with him because he loses his mind when he plays chess. He joked about the big handsome Irishman named Buck.
Asked what region of Italy his family was from, Gravano said he did not remember the name of the town. His father was from a fishing village in Italy. His mother was from another part of Sicily, then moved to another part, then to the countryside. He did not remember the name of her town or his father's town, but he knew it was a fishing town. His father was originally a fisherman in Italy.
Asked whether he ever dealt with the Small Don criminal family, Gravano said no, he did not think he knew them.
A viewer asked why he joined the Mafia if he said it was for money and power, and also said he was not rich most of the time he was in it. Gravano said he did not join the Mafia for power and money only. Money was tempting to him. He said it was not about power, but because he loved the idea that they were a family. He loved family things, and it was the Colombo family, the Gambino family. He felt very comfortable belonging to a family. That was the kind of environment. It was not just about power or money. He said he was always able to make money himself. That was not why he joined the Mafia. He said if he said that before, he takes it back. But he meant that once you join, you look for money and power. Everyone does that. You would be strange if you were not looking for those things.
A viewer from Delaware asked whether it was true that Angelo Ruggiero made up the story about John's destructive DB talk because Angelo owed DB 200,000 dollars from gambling and did not want to pay. Gravano said DB did not deserve to be killed, and it was not a gambling debt, but a loan of 250,000 dollars. He said DB was against Angelo's rise to power. So Angelo had two things: he was not on good terms with DB, and then he thought that if DB was killed, he would get the 250,000 dollars. Gravano said that part is true. The whole story is true. But it was not a 200,000 dollar gambling debt, it was a 250,000 dollar loan. He said that was only discovered after his death.
A viewer asked about an interview with Greg Scarpa Jr. in which he talked about Ali Boy. Gravano said the Ali Boy he was talking about was probably from the Colombo family. He is the son of Carmine Persico, Ali Boy Persico Jr. He is probably who he meant. Not Michael Gambino. He does not know Michael. Gravano did not think he knew Michael Gambino.
Asked who would succeed him if something happened to him, Gravano said he did not know who would succeed him. There is always someone in life who takes over what you do. There is always someone. As for a date with Amina, he said that is impossible. Amina does not date. Amina is too busy with work.
A viewer named Amy Rose asked what you call a girl who loves cowboys, a girl who loves cops, and a girl who loves mobsters. Gravano joked that maybe he would be one of them. He said they would have to come up with a different name.
A viewer named Vincent said Sammy did not mention who ran the office in upstate New York, in Newburgh. He said only that the Mafia would not use children as intermediaries, but did not say who ran it. Gravano said he did not know what he was talking about regarding numbers manipulation with children. He said he saw that in the movie "Goodfellas." He did not watch it much. He said he never used children to manipulate numbers. Maybe some did, thinking it was a smart move. You do not pay attention to children. He always had a man on his team who brought the numbers or did something. He certainly did not want to use a child. He said he did not know anything about numbers manipulation with children. He thought you could do it, but he did not think it was a good move.
A viewer named Nina asked about names for women who are fans of Gotti and mobsters. Gravano said "Mafia mistress" is one of the names they use, or "Gotti fan." He said those are names for Mafia women who admire Gotti and mobsters. He said those are good names.
A viewer named Taylor asked whether, if Roy was still alive when John took over, John would have ordered his killing, and if so, whether Gravano would have been given the task and how he would have carried it out. Gravano said Roy Dimio took over for Frankie, and he went to Pitt Street and talked to him when he called. He said he got Roy's ticket. Paul pulled the knife from John and gave it to him. Gravano told Frankie to be careful because they are all serial killers there, and said he would help him. But Frankie found a way. He gave it to the twins, who were Roy Dimio's two best men. If they killed him, there would be no contracts on them, nothing, and they would be moved to another family. They bought the knife and carried it out. Maybe they did not like being with Roy and doing the many horrible things he was doing, and they had to do it with him. They were marked the same way, as serial killers, and maybe they were not happy to do it, but they had no other choice. So the way it was done was perfect.
A viewer named Jackson asked about Audi Gout and Zap stories, and whether they got along. Gravano said he and Mitchell thought Zap was with the Rampers gang when they were young. Audi Gout was a strong man. He was half Black and half white, mixed race. He was a good man and was with our gang. Gravano did not know what happened to him later in life or to Zap.
A viewer named Taylor asked whether, when the original Gotti movie came out, the FBI bothered him about the scene where his character killed John's neighbor. Did they think there was truth to his involvement? Gravano said no. In fact, the FBI contacted him. It was pure nonsense. They knew exactly what John did. John used his crew. They grabbed him, kidnapped him, tortured him, killed him. John talked to Gravano about it when his son was killed. Gravano told him that people love him, and if this was a real man, it was a real car accident. He told John to try to apologize to the family while his wife was hitting him with a bat. John said his wife was driving him crazy. Gravano said yes, but do not do this. Trust me. Do not do it. It was an accident. Yet he did it. Gravano thinks he listened to his wife or something. He went on vacation to Florida with his wife and ordered his men to kill him. So the government knew the whole story. That is why they did not believe what the movie said about Gravano doing it. He had nothing to do with it. The government knew that.
A viewer named Sarah asked, given his knowledge of John Gotti and how efficient Paul was as boss, why he agreed to John's wish to assassinate Paul. Gravano said it was because of Frankie DeCicco. Frankie DeCicco was like an older brother to him. He was the one who convinced him. Paul made many mistakes, too many. So Gravano agreed it was time for him to go. If you want to save John Gotti and his whole crew, and he becomes the leader and the biggest influence in the room, Frankie, if you are the one going in, I will go in with you. Because I definitely do not want to be on the other side fighting you. I would never do that. I would never fight him. Even if we were on different sides. He knew that, and Gravano did not think he would fight him. But Gravano wanted to do it for Frankie and Chicco. Not for power, not for money. He was already close to Paul. He was already making money. He was already buying houses and farms and everything. So it was not about greed. Paul did nothing to him or his family. He did not want it to be about revenge. So he agreed with what Frankie said and the whole situation.
A viewer named Gombata asked if he had any ghost stories from Arizona, like knowing someone who saw a human skeleton ghost at night riding a red camel. Gravano said he did not know any story like that. He asked if it was a mountain or a Mafia movie. He said he thought the viewer meant real ghost stories, like those people have seen. The Superstition Mountains are where all the crazy things happen. He said he understood. He said he never saw that. He did not know there were red camels in the Superstition Mountains. There are many things people say, like aliens being there. He did not know. He said he saw a flying saucer. Go out at night. You might run into Sammy in the dark next to a cactus or something.
A viewer named Austin Shane told him not to worry about the haters because his real friends are here 1000 percent. Gravano thanked him and said he does not worry about the haters. He even likes some of them. He said he does not understand some of their ideas. He said everyone has the right to their opinion. He fully supports that. So he does not get angry when they call Amina beautiful and do not call him beautiful. He does not get angry. Then he does not hit the wall later.
Asked about his favorite color, Gravano said he likes blue, but he also likes black. As you notice, he wears a lot of black, black jacket, black shirt, things like that. He likes that color. It depends on how it is shaped or something. Those are the colors he likes.
The broadcast ended with a lighthearted exchange about cartoon characters. Gravano was asked who did it, Bugs Bunny or Donald Duck. He said no, it was the pig. Yes, Looney Tunes, but it was the pig. Porky.