Editing Sammy Gravano (section)

==Childhood and early life==
Salvatore Gravano was born on March 12, 1945, in [[Bensonhurst]], [[Brooklyn]], to Giorlando "Gerry" and Caterina "Kay" Gravano.<ref name=p3/> He was the youngest of five children, having two older sisters and two siblings who died before he was born. Both of Gravano's parents hailed from [[Sicily]]. Sammy's mother, Caterina, born in 1906, arrived in the United States as a young girl from Puglia, Italy. His father Giorlando, born in 1901, arrived in the US after jumping ship in [[Canada]] and, with help from his older brother Alphonsio Gravano, was smuggled into the US [[illegal immigration|illegally]]; Alphonsio was already an established [[Rum-running|bootlegger]] during [[Prohibition in the United States|prohibition]] and made member of the Sicilian mafia. 

As part of the Sunset Fleet, Alphonsio ran booze through the Hudson River and other New York waterways. His booze made its way into the city to the Fulton Fish Market and then sold to the NY speakeasies. On the West coast his operation ran the booze from Canada to Oregon, near the Bull River. Gerry worked as a skilled fisherman in Sicily. In the US, he became a painter, working on houses and buildings, as New York grew at a staggering rate. Later, Gravano's parents ran a small dress factory, his mother being a talented seamstress. They maintained a good standard of living for the family.<ref name="p3" /> Early on, one of Gravano's relatives remarked that he looked like his uncle Sammy. From that point on, everyone called Gravano "Little Sammy" instead of "Salvatore" or "Sal".<ref name="p3">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/underbosssammyb000maas|url-access=registration|author=Peter Maas|author-link=Peter Maas|title=Underboss|publisher=[[HarperCollins]]|location=New York City|date=1997|isbn=0-06-018256-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/underbosssammyb000maas/page/3 3]}}</ref>

At age 13, Gravano joined the Rampers, a prominent street gang in Bensonhurst. He found that some older children had stolen his bicycle and went to fight the thieves. [[Made man|Made men]] who were watching from a café, saw him take on a few of the older boys at once and they gave Gravano back his bike. As he was leaving, one of the made men remarked on how little Sammy fought "like a bull", hence his nickname "The Bull".<ref name="robinson">{{cite book|last=Robinson|first=Paul H.|author2=Michael T. Cahill |title=Law Without Justice: Why Criminal Law Doesn't Give People What They Deserve|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2005|pages=74–80|isbn=0-19-516015-0}}</ref>

Gravano had [[dyslexia]], was bullied, and did poorly in school.<ref name="trutv" /> Teachers classified him as "a slow learner". He was held back from grade advancement on two occasions, the 4th and 7th grades, and also punched school officials on two occasions.<ref name="trutv" /> Gravano was eventually sent to a school for "incorrigibles" (600 school); however, just before he reached the age of 16, the school refused to keep him any longer and his parents signed him out of school.<ref name="trutv" /> Gravano's father tried to redirect and discipline his son, including forcing him to attend [[Mass in the Catholic Church|Mass]], but had little success.<ref>Maas, page 9</ref>

In 1964, Gravano was drafted into the [[United States Army]] and served in [[Fort Jackson, South Carolina]]. While an enlisted man, Gravano worked as a mess hall cook. He rose to the rank of [[Corporal#United States|corporal]] and was granted an [[honorable discharge]] after two years.<ref name="trutv">{{cite web|url=http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/mob_bosses/gravano/memories_2.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217072000/http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/mob_bosses/gravano/memories_2.html|archive-date=December 17, 2008|title=Sammy "The Bull" Gravano|last=May|first=Allan|publisher=TruTV.com|access-date=February 11, 2012}}</ref>

In 1971, Gravano married Debra Scibetta; they had two children.<ref name=death>{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1992-03-12-1992072134-story.html|title=Gravano killed brother-in-law, defense attorney says N.Y. judge rules revelations were too inflammatory for Gotti mob jury to hear.|publisher=baltimoresun.com|date=March 12, 1992|access-date=2019-09-14|archive-date=2019-08-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812235546/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1992-03-12-1992072134-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> His daughter Karen Gravano appeared on the [[VH1]] reality series ''[[Mob Wives]]'' beginning in 2011,<ref name="trutv"/> and released a book in 2013 titled ''Mob Daughter: The Mafia, Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, and Me!''

Later in his mob career, Gravano was ordered to arrange the murder of his brother-in-law, [[Nicholas Scibetta]].<ref name="sentence">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/26/nyregion/singing-for-your-sentence-will-it-pay-off-ex-crime-underboss-may-find-today-what.html|title=Signing for Your Sentence: How Will It Pay Off?; Ex-Crime Underboss May Find Out Today What He Gets for Turning U.S. Witness|last=Raab|first=Selwyn|date=September 26, 1994|work=The New York Times|access-date=June 12, 2009|archive-date=August 25, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825001937/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/26/nyregion/singing-for-your-sentence-will-it-pay-off-ex-crime-underboss-may-find-today-what.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Gravano is also the brother-in-law of Gambino soldier [[Eddie Garafola]].<ref name="Underboss"/> Gravano was a childhood friend of [[Colombo crime family]] associate [[Gerard Pappa]], who was also the leader of The Rampers.<ref name="Underboss"/>