Editing Paul Castellano (section)

== Mob life ==
Castellano joined the Mangano family in the 1940s and eventually became a ''[[caporegime]]'' (''capo'', or captain) under [[Albert Anastasia]], the successor to original [[crime boss|boss]] [[Vincent Mangano]]. In 1957, after Anastasia's murder and Gambino's elevation to boss, Castellano attended the abortive [[Apalachin meeting]] in [[Apalachin, New York]]. When the [[New York State Police]] raided the meeting, Castellano was one of 61 high-ranking mobsters arrested. Refusing to answer [[grand jury]] questions about the meeting, Castellano spent a year in prison on [[contempt of court|contempt]] charges. On January 13, 1960, Castellano was sentenced to five years in prison for [[conspiracy (crime)|conspiracy]] to withhold information.<ref name="apalachin men">{{cite news|last=Perlmutter|first=Emanuel|title=Apalachin Men Sentenced; 15 Get Maximum 5 Years|newspaper=The New York Times|date=January 14, 1960}}</ref> However, in November 1960, Castellano's conviction was reversed on appeal.<ref name="conpiracy reversal">{{cite news|title=Texts of Opinions Reversing Conspiracy Conviction of 20 at Apalachin Meeting|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1960/11/29/archives/texts-of-opinions-reversing-conspiracy-conviction-of-20-at.html?sq=Castellano%2520apalachin&scp=2&st=cse|access-date=January 9, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 29, 1060|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180502213240/https://www.nytimes.com/1960/11/29/archives/texts-of-opinions-reversing-conspiracy-conviction-of-20-at.html?sq=Castellano%2520apalachin&scp=2&st=cse|archive-date=May 2, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Castellano identified more as a businessman than a criminal, taking over non-legitimate businesses and converting them to legitimate enterprises. However, his businesses, and those of his sons, still benefitted from their mob ties. In his early years, Castellano used his butcher's training to launch Dial Poultry, a poultry distribution business that once supplied 300 butchers in [[New York City]]. Castellano used intimidation tactics to force his customers, which included supermarket chains [[Key Food]] and [[Waldbaum's]], to buy Dial's products.<ref name="Underboss"/>

As Castellano became more powerful in the Gambino family, he started to make large amounts of money from concrete in the construction industry. His son Philip was the president of Scara-Mix Concrete Corporation, which exercised a near [[monopoly]] on the concrete supply in [[Staten Island]].<ref name="supplier concrete">{{cite news|last=Raab|first=Selwyn|title=SUPPLIER OF CONCRETE TO CITY HAD LINK TO A CRIME FIGURE|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/14/nyregion/supplier-of-concrete-to-city-had-link-to-a-crime-figure.html?scp=1&sq=Castellano%20Scara-mix&st=cse|access-date=January 10, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 14, 1986|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304141104/http://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/14/nyregion/supplier-of-concrete-to-city-had-link-to-a-crime-figure.html?scp=1&sq=Castellano%20Scara-mix&st=cse|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Castellano handled Gambino interests in the "Concrete Club," a club of contractors selected by [[The Commission (mafia)|The Commission]], the mob's ruling body, to handle contracts between $2 million and $15 million.<ref name="task force">{{cite book|last=director|first=from the New York State Organized Crime Task Force; Ronald Goldstock|title=Corruption and racketeering in the New York City construction industry : final report to Governor Mario M. Cuomo|year=1990|publisher=New York University Press|location=New York|isbn=0-8147-3034-5|pages=79|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AdTBK9CAJ84C&q=%22Ralph+Scopo%22&pg=PA88|access-date=October 27, 2020|archive-date=January 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104163327/https://books.google.com/books?id=AdTBK9CAJ84C&q=%22Ralph+Scopo%22&pg=PA88|url-status=live}}</ref> In return, the contractors gave a two-percent [[kickback (bribery)|kickback]] of the contract value to The Commission.<ref name="task force" /><ref name="jury">[https://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/20/nyregion/us-jury-convicts-eight-as-members-of-mob-commission.html?scp=7&sq=%22Ralph%20Scopo%22&st=cse "U.S. JURY CONVICTS EIGHT AS MEMBERS OF MOB COMMISSION"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304232310/http://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/20/nyregion/us-jury-convicts-eight-as-members-of-mob-commission.html?scp=7&sq=%22Ralph%20Scopo%22&st=cse |date=March 4, 2016 }} By ARNOLD H. LUBASCH New York Times November 20, 1986</ref> Castellano also supervised Gambino control of [[Teamsters Union]] Local Chapter 282, which provided workers to pour concrete at all major building projects in New York and [[Long Island]].<ref name="union charged">{{cite news|last=McFadden|first=Robert D.|title=2 IN UNION CHARGED WITH TIES TO MOB|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/22/nyregion/2-in-union-charged-with-ties-to-mob.html|access-date=January 10, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 22, 1991|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525231812/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/22/nyregion/2-in-union-charged-with-ties-to-mob.html|archive-date=May 25, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1975, Castellano allegedly had Vito Borelli, his daughter's boyfriend, murdered because he heard Borelli had compared him to [[Frank Perdue]], the owner and commercial spokesman for [[Perdue Farms]]. In 2004, court documents revealed that [[Joseph Massino]], a government witness and former boss of the [[Bonanno crime family]], admitted to murdering Borelli as a favor to Castellano.<ref name="bonanno boss">{{cite news|last=Marzulli|first=John|title=Bonanno Boss Linked To Old Gangland Slays|url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/2004-05-12/news/18259314_1_murders-bonanno-crime-family|access-date=January 11, 2012|newspaper=Daily News|location=New York|date=May 12, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120514074712/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2004-05-12/news/18259314_1_murders-bonanno-crime-family|archive-date=May 14, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Succession ===
On October 15, 1976, Gambino died at his home of [[natural causes]].<ref name="gambino dies">{{cite news|last=Gage|first=Nicholas|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?sq=%2522Paul%2520Castellano%2522&scp=9&st=cse|access-date=January 7, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 16, 1976|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722213722/https://www.nytimes.com/1976/10/16/archives/carlo-gambino-a-mafia-leader-dies-in-his-long-island-home-at-74.html?sq=%2522Paul%2520Castellano%2522&scp=9&st=cse|archive-date=July 22, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Against expectations, he appointed Castellano to succeed him over his [[underboss]], [[Aniello Dellacroce|Aniello "Neil" Dellacroce]]. Gambino appeared to believe that his crime family would benefit from Castellano's focus on [[white collar worker|white collar]] businesses.<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 mob 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{{ndash}}Dellacroce's faction in [[Manhattan]], and Castellano's faction in [[Brooklyn]].<ref name="bob 106"/>

In 1978, Castellano allegedly ordered the murder of Gambino associate [[Nicholas Scibetta]]. A [[cocaine]] and [[alcohol (drug)|alcohol]] user, Scibetta participated in several public fights and insulted the daughter of [[George DeCicco]]. Since Scibetta was [[Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano]]'s brother-in-law, Castellano asked DeCiccio's brother [[Frank DeCicco|Frank]] to first notify Gravano of the impending hit. When advised of Scibetta's fate, a furious Gravano initially threatened to kill Castellano first. However, he eventually calmed down and accepted Scibetta's death as a punishment earned by his behavior.<ref>{{cite web|last=May|first=Allan|title=Living by the Rules|url=http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/mob_bosses/gravano/rules_7.html|work=Sammy "The Bull" Gravano|publisher=Crime Library|access-date=January 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424004019/http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/mob_bosses/gravano/rules_7.html|archive-date=April 24, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

That same year, Castellano allegedly ordered the murders of Gambino ''capo'' James Eppolito and his son, James Eppolito Jr. Eppolito Sr. had complained to Castellano that [[Anthony Gaggi]], another Gambino ''capo'', was infringing on his territory and asked permission to kill him. Castellano gave Eppolito a noncommittal answer, but later warned Gaggi about Eppolito's intentions. In response, Gaggi and [[soldato|soldier]] [[Roy DeMeo]] murdered Eppolito and his son.<ref name=eppolitto>{{cite book|last=Eppolitto|first=Lou|title=Mafia Cop|date=August 15, 2005|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=978-1-4165-2399-4|page=203|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nsqpP4c25DEC&q=Castellano+Eppolito}}</ref>

In February 1978, Castellano made an agreement between the Gambino family and the [[Westies]], an [[Irish-American]] gang from [[Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan|Hell's Kitchen]]. Castellano wanted [[contract killing|hitmen]] that law enforcement could not tie directly to the family. The Westies wanted Gambino protection from the other mob families. The Gambino–Westie alliance was set in a meeting between Castellano and Westies leader [[James Coonan]]. According to Westies gangster [[Mickey Featherstone]], Castellano gave them the following directive:
<blockquote>You guys got to stop acting like cowboys – acting wild. You're going to be with us now. If anyone is going to get killed, you have to clear it with us.<ref name=westies>{{cite news|last=Lubasch|first=Arnold H.|title=Westies Informer Tells of Links to Gambino Mob|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/06/nyregion/westies-informer-tells-of-links-to-gambino-mob.html?scp=43&sq=%22Paul%20Castellano%22&st=cse|access-date=4 January 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 6, 1987|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402101818/http://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/06/nyregion/westies-informer-tells-of-links-to-gambino-mob.html?scp=43&sq=%22Paul%20Castellano%22&st=cse|archive-date=April 2, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> </blockquote> 
Castellano also forged an alliance with the Cherry Hill Gambinos, a group of Sicilian [[heroin]] importers and distributors in [[New Jersey]], also for use as gunmen. With the Westies and the Cherry Hill Gambinos, Castellano commanded a small army of capable killers.

In September 1980, Castellano allegedly ordered the murder of his former son-in-law, [[Frank Amato]], for physically abusing his wife, Castellano's daughter Connie, when they were married.<ref name="Raab 251">Raab, p. 251</ref><ref name="raab 252" /> According to [[FBI]] documents, DeMeo murdered Amato, cut up his body and disposed of the remains at sea. The following year, Perdue, the alleged cause of the 1975 Borelli murder, approached Castellano for help in thwarting a [[unionization]] drive at a Perdue facility in [[Virginia]]. However, according to Perdue, the two men never made a final agreement.<ref name="kirland faults">{{cite news|last=Noble|first=Kenneth B.|title=KIRKLAND FAULTS JUSTICE DEPT. ON UNION CRIME|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/08/us/kirkland-faults-justice-dept-on-union-crime.html?scp=3&sq=perdue++castellano&st=nyt|access-date=January 7, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 8, 1986|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306102409/http://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/08/us/kirkland-faults-justice-dept-on-union-crime.html?scp=3&sq=perdue++castellano&st=nyt|archive-date=March 6, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

At the height of his power, Castellano built a lavish 17-room mansion on a ridgeline in [[Todt Hill, Staten Island|Todt Hill]] on Staten Island. Designed to resemble the {{nowrap|[[White House]]}} in {{nowrap|Washington, D.C.,}} the mansion featured [[Carrara marble]], an [[Olympic-size swimming pool]] and an [[English garden]].<ref name="raab 252">Raab, p. 252</ref> Castellano engaged in an affair with his {{nowrap|live-in}} Colombian maid, Gloria Olarte.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1991/08/31/the-mobsters-mistress/4a06cf4f-b13a-47b3-86f4-4bc87b9956ff/|title=THE MOBSTER'S MISTRESS|first=Gerardo|last=Reyes|date=August 31, 1991|via=www.washingtonpost.com|access-date=December 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215090541/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1991/08/31/the-mobsters-mistress/4a06cf4f-b13a-47b3-86f4-4bc87b9956ff/|archive-date=December 15, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Castellano became a recluse and rarely ventured outside the mansion, requiring his ''capos'' to visit the residence to give information and receive orders. When not entertaining guests, Castellano wore satin and silk [[dressing gown]]s and velvet slippers around {{nowrap|the house.<ref name="raab 271">Raab, p. 271</ref>}}

[[John Gotti]], a former protégé of Dellacroce, became deeply dissatisfied with Castellano's leadership, regarding the boss as being too isolated and greedy.<ref>Davis, p. 187</ref><ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 61</ref> Like other members of the family he disliked Castellano on a personal level, feeling he lacked [[street cred]]ibility. Gotti also had an economic interest: he had a long-running dispute with Castellano on the split Gotti took from hijackings at [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/03/nyregion/kennedy-airport-mob-s-candy-store.html|title = Kennedy Airport: Mob's Candy Store|newspaper = The New York Times|date = August 3, 1994|last1 = Raab|first1 = Selwyn}}</ref> Furthermore, Gotti was rumored to be expanding into [[drug dealing]], a lucrative trade Castellano had banned under threat of death.

=== Legal problems ===
In January 1983, Castellano allegedly ordered the murder of DeMeo, who was found shot to death in the trunk of his [[Cadillac]].<ref name="raab 271" /> Two months later, the FBI obtained a warrant to install [[covert listening device|secret listening devices]] in Castellano's mansion. Waiting until he went on vacation to [[Florida]], agents drugged his watchdogs, disabled his security system, and planted devices in the dining and living rooms. These devices provided law enforcement with a wealth of incriminating information on Castellano.<ref>Blum p. 99</ref>

In August 1983, Gambino members [[Angelo Ruggiero]] and [[Gene Gotti]] were arrested for dealing heroin, based primarily on recordings from a device in Ruggiero's house.<ref name="Davis, p 216">Davis, p. 216</ref><ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 77</ref> Castellano demanded transcripts of the tapes,<ref name="Davis, p 216"/><ref>Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 79–80</ref> and when Ruggiero refused he threatened to demote Gotti.<ref name="Davis, p 238">Davis, p 238</ref>
[[File:CastellanoMugshot.jpg|thumb|Castellano in a 1984 mugshot]]
On March 30, 1984, Castellano was [[indictment|indicted]] on federal [[racketeering]] charges, as well as [[extortion]], [[drug trafficking]], [[theft]], [[prostitution]] and the murders of Eppolito and DeMeo. He was released on $2 million [[bail]].<ref name="reputed leader">{{cite news|last=Lubasch|first=Arnold H.|title=REPUTED LEADER OF A CRIME FAMILY IS INDICTED BY U.S.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/31/nyregion/reputed-leader-of-a-crime-family-is-indicted-by-us.html?scp=7&sq=%22Paul+Castellano%22++indicted&st=nyt|access-date=January 4, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 31, 1984|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522170633/http://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/31/nyregion/reputed-leader-of-a-crime-family-is-indicted-by-us.html?scp=7&sq=%22Paul+Castellano%22++indicted&st=nyt|archive-date=May 22, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

Castellano's legal challenges mounted in 1985. On February 25 he was one of many mob bosses arrested on charges of racketeering, which was to result in the [[Mafia Commission Trial]];<ref name=initial>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/27/nyregion/us-indictment-says-9-governed-new-york-mafia.html|title=U.s. Indictment Says 9 Governed New York Mafia|first=Arnold H.|last=Lubasch|newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 27, 1985|access-date=December 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219212505/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/27/nyregion/us-indictment-says-9-governed-new-york-mafia.html|archive-date=December 19, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> he was released on $3 million bail.<ref>{{cite web |author=Paul Castellano's life of crime |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/paul-castellano-life-crime-gallery-1.2467457?pmSlide=1.2467451 |title=Paul Castellano's life of crime: Daily News |work=Daily News |location=New York |date=February 26, 1985 |access-date=April 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513045835/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/paul-castellano-life-crime-gallery-1.2467457?pmSlide=1.2467451 |archive-date=May 13, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> On July 1 he was indicted on loansharking charges and with tax evasion for not reporting the profits from an illegal racket,<ref name="evasion taxes">{{cite news|last=Seigel|first=Max H.|title=Gambino Brother in Law Cited on Usuary and Evasion of Taxes|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1975/07/02/78255091.pdf|access-date=January 4, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 2, 1975}}</ref> and pleaded not guilty.<ref name="11 plead">{{cite news|title=11 Plead Not Guilty to Ruling Organized Crime in New York|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/02/nyregion/11-plead-not-guilty-to-ruling-organized-crime-in-new-york.html?scp=18&sq=%22carmine%20Persico%22%20commission&st=cse|access-date=October 19, 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 2, 1985|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330205808/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/02/nyregion/11-plead-not-guilty-to-ruling-organized-crime-in-new-york.html?scp=18&sq=%22carmine%20Persico%22%20commission&st=cse|archive-date=March 30, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> On November 4, in a testimony from car thief Vito Arena, Castellano was named the head of the stolen-car ring that employed him, as well as having been connected to five murders.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/11/05/nyregion/castellano-named-at-car-theft-trial.html|title=Castellano Named at Car-Theft Trial|first=Ronald|last=Smothers|newspaper=The New York Times|date=November 5, 1985|access-date=December 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214003218/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/11/05/nyregion/castellano-named-at-car-theft-trial.html|archive-date=December 14, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Conspiracy ===
Dellacroce died of cancer on {{nowrap|December 2, 1985,<ref name=tplvd>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CtxVAAAAIBAJ&pg=5927%2C712063 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title='Top level hoodlum' dies of cancer |date=December 4, 1985 |page=12A |access-date=October 27, 2020 |archive-date=February 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210220030250/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CtxVAAAAIBAJ&pg=5927%2C712063 |url-status=live }}</ref>}} starting a chain of events that led to Castellano's murder two weeks {{nowrap|later.<ref name="dellacrocce dies">{{cite news|last=Blumenthal|first=Ralph|title=ANIELLO DELLACROCE DIES AG 71; REPUTED CRIME-GROUP FIGURE|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/04/nyregion/aniello-dellacroce-dies-ag-71-reputed-crime-group-figure.html?scp=64&sq=%22Paul+Castellano%22++indicted&st=nyt|access-date=January 4, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 4, 1985|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022224031/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/04/nyregion/aniello-dellacroce-dies-ag-71-reputed-crime-group-figure.html?scp=64&sq=%22Paul+Castellano%22++indicted&st=nyt|archive-date=October 22, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>}} Castellano's failure to attend Dellacroce's [[wake (ceremony)|wake]] was taken as an insult by members of the Manhattan faction.<ref name="Blum 107">Blum, p. 107</ref> Then, Castellano named [[Thomas Bilotti]], a loyalist with little diplomatic skill, as the new underboss. Castellano also hinted that he planned to break up John Gotti's crew.<ref>Blum p. 112</ref>

Gravano suggested killing both Castellano and Bilotti while they were eating breakfast at a diner.<ref>Blum p. 115</ref> However, when DeCicco tipped Gotti off that he would be having a meeting with Castellano and several other mobsters at Manhattan's [[Sparks Steak House]] on December 16, Gotti and the other conspirators decided to kill him then.<ref>Blum p. 128</ref>
[[File:Sparks Steak House Entrance (Manhattan, New York).jpg|thumb|[[Sparks Steak House]] entrance at 210 East 46th Street, the scene of Castellano's murder]]