Paul Castellano
The Second Circuit describes him as boss of the Gambino family, named in the Commission indictment and murdered before trial. He and Thomas Bilotti were shot and killed outside Sparks Steak House on December 16, 1985.
- Died
- 1985-12-16
- Aliases
- Paul C. Castellano
- Family
- Gambino family (Second Circuit, 1989)
- Role
- "boss of the Gambino family" when named in the Commission indictment (Second Circuit, 1989)
- Rights
- Biography on this page is limited to what the cited federal records state.
On the record
- 14 November 1957 — United States v. Bufalino (1960): taken from the Apalachin roadblock to the Vestal barracks; the court lists "Paul Castellano, Carlo Gambino" among them. He was an appellant; the convictions were reversed. Court's account of the evidence.
- 1962 — A 1962 FBI report in his file (Part 01, p. 367) relays an informant, NY T-5, who named him "as a 'caporegima' who replaced FRANK CASTELLANO," his deceased uncle (cleaned from the OCR). FBI report, relaying an informant.
- 6 June 1985 — United States v. Castellano, 610 F. Supp. 1359: "The seventy-eight count indictment in this case names twenty-four defendants"; he is the lead defendant in a case charging a car-theft and murder "crew" as a RICO enterprise. Charge.
- 16 December 1985 — United States v. Gaggi, 632 F. Supp. 1019 (1986): "On December 16, 1985, at approximately 5:30 p.m., Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti were shot and killed by three assailants while exiting a car in front of Sparks Steak House on 46th Street between Second and Third Avenues." Court opinion.
- 31 January 1989 — United States v. Salerno, 868 F.2d 524: "Paul Castellano, boss of the Gambino family, was also named a defendant, but was murdered prior to trial." Court opinion, in its account of the case.
- 8 October 1993 — United States v. Locascio, 6 F.3d 924: Gotti was charged with racketeering acts including "the conspiracy to murder and the murder of Paul Castellano." Charge, as the court summarized it; the convictions were affirmed.
- 29 October 1997 — United States v. Gigante, 982 F. Supp. 140, summarizing trial testimony: "His murder had not been approved by the Commission made up of the leaders of each mafia family." Testimony, as the court summarized it.
The role line is the Second Circuit’s sentence in the Commission appeal. The court states it in its account of the case rather than as something “the government established,” but it is still a statement made in that opinion, and it stays on this page and the opinion’s page. It is not copied onto the Gambino chart.
The FBI history page on Gotti calls Castellano “the apparent successor of recently deceased Gambino boss Aniello Dellacroce.” That conflicts with the court records, where Dellacroce is the underboss, and it is not used. No opened record gives his birth.
Records
itemUnited States v. Salerno, 868 F.2d 524 (2d Cir. 1989)Second Circuit opinion on the appeal from the Southern District of New York trial of Anthony Salerno and seven other defendants, decided January 31, 1989.itemUnited States v. Gaggi, 632 F. Supp. 1019 (S.D.N.Y. 1986)District Judge Kevin Thomas Duffy's March 10, 1986 opinion explaining why he denied mistrial motions after Paul Castellano, a defendant in the trial before him, was shot and killed with Thomas Bilotti outside Sparks Steak House on December 16, 1985.itemUnited States v. Castellano, 610 F. Supp. 1359 (S.D.N.Y. 1985)Judge Sofaer's pretrial ruling of June 6, 1985 in the 78-count indictment of Paul Castellano and others, which charged a "crew" engaged in car theft, murder and other crimes as a RICO enterprise.itemUnited States v. Bufalino, 285 F.2d 408 (2d Cir. 1960)Second Circuit opinion reversing the convictions of Russell Bufalino and nineteen others for obstructing justice and perjury after the 14 November 1957 gathering at Apalachin, New York. The court says the government offered no evidence of the meeting's purpose.itemUnited States v. Gigante, 982 F. Supp. 140 (E.D.N.Y. 1997)Judge Weinstein's sentencing memorandum of October 29, 1997 after Vincent Gigante's conviction. It states that the evidence showed beyond a reasonable doubt that he had been boss of the Genovese family since at least 1985.itemUnited States v. Locascio, 6 F.3d 924 (2d Cir. 1993)Second Circuit opinion of October 8, 1993 affirming the Eastern District of New York convictions of John Gotti and Frank Locascio. It says the main evidence was conversations recorded at 247 Mulberry Street, in and above the Ravenite Social Club.
itemFBI Vault: Paul Castellano, Part 01Serials mainly from 1956–1962, with later items: a 1962 report relaying an informant who named Carlo Gambino a "boss" and Castellano a "caporegima," and a 1985 teletype on Thomas Eboli's position and his killing in 1972.
itemFBI history: "John Gotti"FBI history page on John Gotti: the December 16, 1985 killing of Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti, Gotti's 1990 arrest, his April 2, 1992 conviction on 13 counts, and his death in prison in June 2002.
itemFBI Vault: Paul Castellano, Part 01Serials mainly from 1956–1962, with later items: a 1962 report relaying an informant who named Carlo Gambino a "boss" and Castellano a "caporegima," and a 1985 teletype on Thomas Eboli's position and his killing in 1972.itemFBI history: "John Gotti"FBI history page on John Gotti: the December 16, 1985 killing of Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti, Gotti's 1990 arrest, his April 2, 1992 conviction on 13 counts, and his death in prison in June 2002.