Editing Carlo Gambino (section)

== Death ==
Gambino died at his Massapequa home in the early morning hours of Friday {{nowrap|October 15, 1976, aged 74.<ref name=ergrepdi>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NuVVAAAAIBAJ&pg=5176%2C3678283 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=UPI |title=Reputed U.S. crime boss, 74, dies |date=October 16, 1976 |page=3A}}</ref><ref name=toporg>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XyFOAAAAIBAJ&pg=2025%2C6115 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |agency=Associated Press |title=Top organized crime 'Godfather' dies |date=October 16, 1976 |page=1}}</ref><ref name=nydies>{{cite news |first=Nicholas |last=Gage |title=Carlo Gambino, a Mafia Leader, Dies in His Long Island Home at 74 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/10/16/archives/carlo-gambino-a-mafia-leader-dies-in-his-long-island-home-at-74.html |work=The New York Times |date=October 16, 1976 |access-date=2007-08-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=1976: Funeral of Mafia boss held in NY|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/october/18/newsid_2453000/2453185.stm |work=On This Day |publisher=BBC |access-date=August 11, 2013}}</ref>}} having watched the television broadcast of the {{nowrap|[[1976 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]]}} winning the [[1976 American League Championship Series|American League pennant]] the previous evening. The official cause was [[natural causes]], and his death was not unexpected, given a history of [[cardiovascular disease|heart disease]]. Cusimano & Russo Funeral Home hosted his wake over the weekend of October 16 and 17. His [[funeral]] mass was held on Monday, October 18, at the Church of Our Lady of Grace {{nowrap|in Brooklyn.<ref name=svhfmb>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OOVVAAAAIBAJ&pg=4693%2C4350967 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=wire services |title=Services held for Mafia boss |date=October 18, 1976 |page=3A }}</ref>}} Gambino was then entombed within his family's private room in the Cloister building of St. John Cemetery in Queens. His funeral and [[wake (ceremony)|wake]] were attended by several hundred people, with [[Plainclothes law enforcement|plainclothes]] police and [[FBI]] agents mingling outside.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/10/17/archives/hundreds-at-rites-for-carlo-gambino-police-snap-photos-of-the.html|title=Hundreds at Rites for Carlo Gambino|last=Thomasson|first=Robert E.|date=1976-10-17|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-02-01|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="Chambers">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/10/19/archives/gambino-funeral-subdued-with-few-crime-figures.html|title=Gambino Funeral Subdued, With Few Crime Figures|last=Chambers|first=Marcia|date=1976-10-19|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-02-01|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> His funeral procession consisted of thirteen limousines, around a dozen private cars and one flower car.<ref name="Chambers"/>

=== Aftermath ===
Against expectations, Gambino had previously appointed Castellano to succeed him over his underboss Dellacroce. Gambino appeared to believe that the family would benefit from Castellano's focus on [[white-collar crime]].<ref>O'Brien, Kurins, pp. 104–105</ref> Dellacroce, at the time, was imprisoned for tax evasion and was unable to contest Castellano's succession.<ref>Davis, p. 176</ref>

Castellano's succession was confirmed at a meeting on November 24, with Dellacroce present. Castellano arranged for Dellacroce to remain as underboss while directly running traditional Mafia activities such as [[extortion]], [[robbery]] and [[loansharking]].<ref name="bob 106">O'Brien, Kurins, pp. 106–108</ref> While Dellacroce accepted Castellano's succession, the deal effectively split the Gambino family into two rival factions.<ref name="bob 106"/>