The Assassination of Gambino Family Boss Paul Castellano

Map of Sparks Steakhouse in Midtown Manhattan

December 16, 1985 Manhattan New York, Sparks Steakhouse. Gambino boss Paul Castellano was sitting in the back of a Lincoln Sedan with tinted windows. The car was driven by underboss Thomas Bilotti. The two were headed to a meeting with Gambino family Capo Frank DeCicco inside Sparks Steak House. Castellano was one to never pass up on a steak. The Lincoln pulls up in front of Sparks Steak House. Four assassins dressed in white trench coats and Russian style hats began to shoot at Paul Castellano. Bilotti was sitting in the driver seat when the bullets started flying. Bilotti rushed to get out of the car to defend his boss, when an unknown assassin approached him from behind and put a bullet in the back of his head. The boss of the Gambino family was assassinated during rush hour on a buys Manhattan street. The assassins had shot Castellano six times and Bilotti four times. The hit team consisted of mobsters Vincent Artuso, SalvatoreScala, Edward Lino, and John Carneglia. Gotti crew soldier Angelo Ruggiero was nearby as part of the backup crew. Why was Castellano killed?

Paul Castellano

Castellano’s Young Years

Paul Castellano was born on June 26, 1915 in Brooklyn, New York. His father Giuseppe Castellano was a member of the…