Salvatore D'Aquila (7 November 1873 – 10 October 1928) was the boss of what would later become the Gambino crime family, one of the five major American Mafia families in New York City. D'Aquila was formerly the lieutenant of Giuseppe Morello, only to leave the family after his boss' arrest and attempt to kill Morello and his former allies. D'Aquila was murdered by Morello's men in 1928.
Biography[]
Salvatore D'Aquila was born on 7 November 1873 in Palermo, Sicily, and he came to the United States in 1906. D'Aquila became one of Giuseppe Morello's lieutenants in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, and he served Morello faithfully. When Morello was arrested in 1910, D'Aquila became the new "Boss of Bosses" of the American Mafia, and he became the boss of his own organization in The Bronx and East Harlem. D'Aquila formed a rivalry with his former boss Morello, as well as Morello's new right-hand man Joe Masseria; when Morello was released from prison in 1920, D'Aquila attempted to have him killed. However, this just led to a gang war between the Morellos and the D'Aquila gang, and D'Aquila was shot dead on Avenue A in Manhattan as he stood next to his car on 10 October 1928. Alfred Mineo took over the reins of the family after D'Aquila's murder, which was believed to have been orchestrated by both Mineo and Masseria.
| Don of the Gambino crime family | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: N/A |
1910 - 1928 | Succeeded by: Alfred Mineo |