Editing Paul Castellano (section)

=== 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.