Carlo "Don Carlo" Gambino (24 August 1902 - 15 October 1976) was boss of the Gambino crime family from 1957 to 1976, succeeding Albert Anastasia and preceding Paul Castellano. From 1962 to 1976, he was regarded as the "Boss of bosses" of the American Mafia, taking the title from Joseph Bonanno.
Biography[]
Carlo Gambino was born in Palermo, Sicily, Italy on 24 August 1902, and he immigrated to the United States in 1921 via Norfolk, Virginia. Gambino headed to New York City, where he joined Salvatore D'Aquila's American Mafia organization. He became involved with the Americanized "Young Turks", and he was involved with bootlegging during Prohibition and the sale of ration stamps on the black market during World War II. Gambino became a caporegime in Vincent Mangano's crime family, and he became Albert Anastasia's underboss after Mangano was murdered; his cousin Paul Castellano took over his old crew. In 1957, Vito Genovese convinced Gambino to side with him against Anastasia, Frank Costello, and Lucky Luciano, and Costello retired after a failed assassination attempt, while Anastasia was assassinated by Joe Gallo's crew. With his enemies dead, Genovese believed that Gambino would now be beneath him while he took on the title of "Boss of bosses", but Gambino secretly aligned with Luciano, Costello, and Meyer Lansky against Genovese. In 1959, Genovese was arrested, and he died in prison.
Boss of bosses[]
Gambino in 1973
Gambino became the boss of Anastasia's old family, which was now renamed the "Gambino crime family". Gambino became "boss of bosses" following the retirement of Joseph Bonanno and the deaths of Genovese and Tommy Lucchese, and the family came to have between 500 and 800 soldiers within 30 crews, which made the family $500,000,000 every year. Gambino became rivals with Bonanno and the Bonanno crime family, but he decided to offer Bonanno one last chance to retire rather than be whacked; his rebellion against his own family was destabilizing the Mafia. In 1971, Gambino encouraged Gallo to rebel against the Colombo crime family for a second time, leading to Joseph Colombo's shooting; Gambino and other leaders of The Commission were angered by Colombo's high publicity. After 1972, Gambino was kept under constant surveillance by the FBI, which took up an interest in the "boss of bosses". After Gambino's nephew Emanuel Gambino was murdered by kidnapper James McBratney, Gambino had the up-and-coming John Gotti and fellow hitman Ralph Galione whack McBratney at a Staten Island bar.
Gambino took ill during the mid-1970s, suffering from several heart attacks. On his deathbed, he made his underboss and cousin Paul Castellano the new boss of the family, disappointing his loyal consigliere Aniello Dellacroce and several other members of his family. Gambino died at his home in Massapequa, New York on 15 October 1976 at the age of 74.
| Don of the Gambino crime family | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Albert Anastasia |
1957 - 1976 | Succeeded by: Paul Castellano |