Paul "Paulie" Joseph Gatto (1919-December 1945) was a Corleone crime family soldier in Peter Clemenza's regime. In 1945, he was whacked for selling out Don Vito Corleone to the Tattaglia crime family.
Biography[]
Paulie Gatto was born in New York City, New York in 1919, the son of Corleone crime family soldier Richie Gatto and his wife Ursula. He went to the same school as Michael Corleone and attended Sonny Corleone's wedding, and he became a protege and trusted soldato under Corleone capo Peter Clemenza. Clemenza saw to it that he was exempted from US Army service during World War II by claiming that he had went through electroshock treatments for mental illness, and he instead served as Don Vito Corleone's chauffeur. In August 1945, he attended Connie Corleone's wedding to Carlo Rizzi, and Paulie, Monk Malone, and Aldo Trapani were sent to beat up Kevin Moonan and Jerry Wagner that same month.
Downfall[]
Gatto after being shot
Gatto made the mistake of betraying Don Corleone, with Tattaglia crime family associate Virgil Sollozzo bribing Gatto to call in sick so that Corleone's son Fredo Corleone was working as his chauffeur at the time of an assassination attempt on him. Sonny Corleone discovered Gatto's complicity through phone company employees, who listened in on Gatto's phone calls with Sollozzo. Corleone had Clemenza and Rocco Lampone whack Gatto for his betrayal.
Clemenza, Lampone, and Gatto took a drive to find a place to "go to the mattresses" in the case of war with the Tattaglias, as well as picking up cannoli for Clemenza's wife. While out in the countryside, Clemenza asked Paulie to pull over so that he could urinate. As Lampone and Gatto waited in the car, Lampone (sitting behind the driver's seat) shot Gatto thrice in the head, killing him. Clemenza then instructed Lampone to "Leave the gun, take the cannoli."
Gallery[]
