Castellano was a popular American crime boss popular as “The Howard Hughes of the Mafia” and “Big Paulie”. Paul Castellano succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the Gambino crime family. On 16 December 1985, Castellano was assassinated, ordered by John Gotti, who later became president.
Caption: Paul Castellano
Source: abcnews
Paul Castellano: Early Life, Education, Family
Castellano was born in Brooklyn on 26 June 1915 to Giuseppe Castellano and Concetta, the Italian immigrants. Giuseppe was a butcher and an early member of the Mangano crime family, the Gambino family’s predecessor. Similarly, in the eighth grade, Castellano dropped out of school to learn to butcher and gather numbers of game receipts, both from his friend. In addition, Castellano was first captured in Hartford, Connecticut in July 1934 for the theft of a hasher. The 19-year-old Castellano refused to identify his two complices with the police and served a three-month jail sentence. Castellano strengthened his reputation for gang allegiance by refusing to cooperate with authorities.
Caption: Castellano when he was young
Source: Pinterest
Castellano’s sister Catherine had married one of their brothers, Carlo Gambino, a future Mafia boss, in 1926. Castellano married his childhood sweetheart Nina Manno in 1937; the couple had three children, Paul, Philip, and Joseph Castellano, along with a daughter, Constance Castellano; Manno would die later in 1999. His nephew was The Godfather actor Richard S. Castellano. Castellano has often signed his name as “C. Paul Castellano” because he hated Constantino, his first name. Eventually, he was famous as known as “Big Paul.” Castellano was popular as a tall, imposing figure with 1.87-meter height and 122 kgs.
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Paul Castellano: Career and achievements
Castellano was a member of the Mangano family in the 1940s. Under the successor of boss Vince Mangano, Albert Anastasia, He became a capo. Similarly, in 1957 Castellano attended the abortive Apalachin meeting in Apalachin, New York, after the homicide of Anastasia and the promotion of Carlo Gambino to the president. New York State Police charged Castellano as one of 61 high-ranking mobsters in the conference raid. Castellano regarded himself more as a businessman than a hoodlum; he took over illegal businesses and turned them into legitimate businesses. But the companies of Castellano, and those of his parents, were flourishing out of their mob ties.
Caption: Big Paul
Source: thevintagenews
In its early years, Castellano used the expertise of his butcher to start Dial Poultry, a poultry distribution company that once supplied 300 butchers throughout New York City. Dial’s clients also included the Main Food and Waldbaum supermarket chains. Castellano used methods of bullying to compel its customers to buy the goods from Dial. When Castellano became more influential within the Gambino family, he began making large amounts of construction concrete money. Castellano’s son Philip was the founder of Scara-Mix Concrete Company, which held a near-monopoly on construction concrete on Staten Island. In the “Concrete Group,” a group of contractors chosen by The Commission to manage contracts between $2million and $15 million, Castellano also managed the Gambino interests. The contractors, in exchange, gave The Commission a two percent kickback of the contract value.
Paul Castellano: Personal life and wife
The mafia married to Nino Manno in the year 1937. The couple was together until the year 1985. Further information regarding their marital life is not available.
Paul Castellano: Net Worth and social media
At the height of his power in the early 80s, the American mafia boss had a net worth of about $20 million which is the same as about $50 million today.
Paul Castellano: Death
Bilotti took Castellano to the prearranged early evening meeting at Sparks Steak House in Midtown Manhattan, on East 46th Street near Third Avenue, on Monday, 16 December 1985. Likewise, a hit team was waiting near the entrance to the restaurant; backup shooters Dominick Pizzonia, Angelo Ruggiero and Anthony Rampino were positioned down the street. Gotti stared across the street from a car at the scene.
Caption: Big Paul’s death
Source: nypost
The gunmen charged up and shot him several times as Castellano was leaving the car at the front of the restaurant at about 5:26 pm EST. Allegedly the gunman who shot Castellano in the head was John Carneglia. Bilotti was shot as he opened the driver’s door; Gotti flew over to see the bodies before fleeing the murder scene.
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