Carlo Gambino
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| Carlo Gambino | |
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| Born | August 24, 1902 Caccamo, Palermo, Sicily, Italy |
| Died | October 15, 1976 New York City, New York, USA |
Carlo Gambino (August 24, 1902 - October 15, 1976) was a Mafioso who was boss of the Gambino crime family. Gambino was known for being low-key and secretive. Unlike many modern mafioso Gambino served relatively little time in prison. He lived to the age of of 74, when he died of a heart attack while sleeping in his home.
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[edit] Early Life
Gambino was a native of the town Caccamo in Palermo, Sicily, he was born to a family that belonged to the Honored Society for centuries. The Honored Society was slightly more complicated than the Black Hand of America, which was often confused with the American Mafia. The Black Hand, much like the pre-1920's Mafia, was a highly disorganized version of the real European mafia. Once Benito Mussolini chased a great deal of real mafiosi out of Italy, one of the American-Italians who benefited from the new, better-organized Mafia was Carlo Gambino. Gambino began carrying out murder orders for the Society in his teens and in 1921, at the age of 19, he became a "made man".
[edit] Immigration
Benito Mussolini was gaining power in Italy, and Gambino entered the United States as an illegal immigrant on a shipping boat. He ate nothing but anchovies and wine during the trip, and joined his cousins the Castellanos in New York City. Because he was a political refugee, he never had to obtain American citizenship. During the prohibition era, he worked as a bootlegger, driver and gun man for various families. He was an associate of Lucky Luciano and he brought his cousin, Paul Castellano, into the organization. Castellano would later become a high ranking mafioso. Gambino married Castellano's sister, Catherine.
[edit] Albert Anastasia
By the 1950s, Carlo had become a protege of Vito Genovese, with Albert Anastasia becoming head of the Mangano crime organization, to which Gambino belonged. In 1957, when Anastasia went for a shave at a barber shop at a New York hotel, two gunmen shot him in the face as he had a hot towel covering his face. It is most likely Gambino was responsible for Anastasia's murder, so that he could take over Anastasia's family. The Mangano crime family then became the Gambino crime family, led by Carlo, and it was the most powerful in New York for many years. Gambino was innovative, and opened new businesses. John Gotti would become a capo, and later Boss in the Gambino crime family.
[edit] Reign
Carlo Gambino had a relatively peaceful reign. As boss, he ruled the family through relatives and even brought his son Tommy into the family. Gambino disapproved of publicity and drugs. Any member who was caught dealing drugs was murdered. As legend has it, he was one of the most respected and feared bosses of the 20th century.
[edit] Emmanuel "Manny" Gambino's kidnap & murder
His nephew Emmanuel "Manny" Gambino was kidnapped by Thomas Genovese, a distant relative of Vito Genovese, James McBratney, "Crazy" Eddie Maloney, Warren "Chief" Schurman and Richie Chaisson. The gang believed they could get $100,000 for each kidnapping. They had previously kidnapped a Gambino crime family capo "Frankie The Wop". For Manny Gambino the kidnappers asked for $200,000 but Gambino claimed he could only come up with $50,000. Manny's car was located at the Newark Airport. His corpse was found to be stiff from rigor mortis before buried in a sitting position in a New Jersey dump near the Earle Naval Ammunition Depo. Robert Senter was arrested and charged for his murder. Robert was a gambler and had fallen in debt with Manny Gambino. On June 1st 1973, he pled guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. Jim McBratney, who played a large role in the killing of Manny Gambino was shot three times at close range by Galione, after over powering John Gotti and Angelo Ruggiero, on the night of May 22, 1973, at Snoope's Bar & Grill. HEG
[edit] Joe Colombo
Carlo was also suspected of ordering the killing of Joe Colombo. Colombo was the head of the Colombo crime family from 1963 until he was shot in the head and critically wounded at a rally for the Italian American Civil Rights League at Columbus Circle in New York City on June 29, 1971.
[edit] Illness
Despite his long tenure as de facto Capo di tutti capi (Boss of Bosses), he survived two attempts to deport him to Sicily due to heart ailments. When Carlo became ill in 1976, he appointed Paul Castellano to be his successor. He then appointed Aniello Dellacroce, the rightful successor by tenure, as the head of the blue-collar crews of the family.
[edit] Death and burial
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Gambino died of a heart attack in 1976 and was buried in Saint John's Cemetery, Queens in New York City. His funeral was said to have been attended by at least 1,000 people, including police chiefs and politicians. Gambino left behind three sons (Thomas, Joseph and Carl), one daughter (Phyllis Sinatra) and two grandchildren (Antonio and Antonello).
[edit] Popular culture
Certain characteristics of the Vito Corleone character from Mario Puzo's The Godfather may have been modeled after Gambino.
| Preceded by Albert Anastasia |
Gambino Crime Family Boss 1957–1976 |
Succeeded by Paul Castellano |
