Paul Castellano

Paul Castellano was an American mobster who led the Gambino crime family from 1976 until his assassination in 1985.

Carlo Gambino: Carlo Gambino was an Italian-American mobster who led the Gambino crime family from 1957 to 1976. Gambino selected Castellano as his successor, transferring leadership of the family to him.
Sparks Steak House murders: The 1985 killings of Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti outside a Manhattan steakhouse. This is the specific assassination that ended Castellano’s rule.
Italian Americans in New York City: Italian Americans in New York City are a community shaped by generations of immigration and settlement. Castellano’s family and neighborhood roots lay within New York’s Italian-American community.
Gambino crime family leadership transition of 1985: The transfer of leadership from Paul Castellano to John Gotti after Castellano’s assassination. The murder removed Castellano and installed a rival faction at the top.
John Gotti: John Gotti was an American mobster who led the Gambino crime family after ordering Castellano’s assassination. Gotti’s rise to the family’s leadership followed Castellano’s murder.
Gambino crime family: The Gambino crime family is an Italian-American Mafia organization based in New York City. Castellano’s authority and the coup against him were contests for control of this organization.
Brooklyn: Brooklyn is a borough of New York City, once home to several major Mafia families. Castellano was born and raised in Brooklyn.
Federal Bureau of Investigation: The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the United States agency responsible for investigating federal crimes. FBI surveillance and investigations helped document the Mafia’s response to Castellano’s murder.
Aniello Dellacroce: Aniello Dellacroce was a Gambino crime-family underboss and a leading figure in its traditional faction. His followers resented Castellano’s leadership and backed Gotti after Dellacroce died.
Commission (American Mafia): The Commission was a governing body that coordinated policy among major American Mafia families. Castellano’s position as a New York boss placed him within the Mafia’s wider power structure.

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