Reasons For Murder

When Frank DeCicco was killed in the car bomb, sources say that the bomb was meant for Gotti. Who might have wanted Gotti dead, and for what reason? Was it The Chin, in retailiation for Castellano's murder? Or was it Failla? Or were The Chin & Failla co-conspirators?

Or how about why Sonny Black was killed, and not Lefty, when the Bonanno's found out about Pistone?

Lefty was arrested before the Bonannos could get to him.

In later testimony by some who turned states evidence, it was said that The Chin gave the order to have Gotti blown up in his car, not so much for retaliation for his setting up Castellano, but more for the fact that Gotti violated a La Cosa Nostra Rule that requires the ok from the so called commission to take out another mob boss.


For the record Herbert "Blue Eyes" Pate was released from prison in 2006 after serving time for building and putting the bomb in the car that blew up and killed DeCicco.

Don Cardi

Lefty coulda been done in, inside tho.

And Chin, if he used a car bomb, he would have gone against Commission rules too. Unless he used some zips.

No. He supposedly conspired with the Lucchesse underboss Anthony Gas Pipe Casso.


Don Cardi

I guess if Lefty was in witness protection, he would be safe.

So if Chin conspired with Casso, there goes the longstanding relationship with the Gambino's and Luchese then, no?

Lefty's already dead.



Don Cardi

Lefty died of cancer in 1995

We posted that at the same time DC

Was DiBono killed because of him ripping of Gravano, or was it actually because he didn't show up to meet Gotti?

Was Gotti justifiable in complaining about Gravano asking permission to murder other made guys, or was Gotti just bellyaching because Gravano was a great earner?

As Don Cardi said, the nominal reason for the car bomb aimed at Gotti that killed Frankie DiCicco was that The Chin was allegedly applyng "justice" for Gotti's having whacked a Don without Commission approval. And yes, Gaspipe Casso was the co-conspirator.
But in Mobdom, money talks louder than "rules." The fact is, no one on the Commission was sorry to see Castellano go. They hated him because he was caught on law enforcement tapes bad-mouthing them, and because they believed that his passion for his Columbian maid would lead him to turn rat rather than spend the rest of his (few) remaining years in prison. The probable reason that The Chin and Gaspipe set the bomb was because they thought Gotti was a loose cannon whose constant talking and bragging would endanger them, and because they saw him as greedy for getting a bigger share of territories and rackets they shared with the Gambinos. This was particularly true in Gaspipe's case--his rackets were always close to the Gambinos'.

Gotti bragged (on a law enforcement tape) that he killed DiBono because he didn't come in to see Gotti. That's Gotti bragging, but the real question is, why didn't DiBono come in to see him? What had he been doing that he was afraid to see Gotti about?

Gotti's complaining about Gravano whacking made guys probably was his resentment over Gravano's acquisitive business activities. Gravano had a heap of semi-legitimate rackets connected to drywall and other construction and labor activities. Gotti, who was a degenerate gambler and carouser, seemingly couldn't compute how Da Bull managed to pile up all those businesses. So, he not only resented him, he added to the resentment his accusation that the murders Gravano committed were to eliminate competitors or take out their interests in his businesses.

But remember that Gravano later testified that he had committed his 19 murders on orders from his various mob bosses, including Gotti. It's possible (but not likely) that Gotti was blabbing about Gravano doing the murders to advance his own businesses as a way of protecting himself--that is, if Gravano or any of Gotti's other associates were to turn rat, he was looking to go "on record" as saying that Da Bull didn't kill for him. I doubt that Gotti could have been that subtle. But bear in mind that, while he and Da Bull were jailed together awaiting trial for the Castellano murder, Gotti apparently hinted that he wanted Da Bull to take the rap. Supposedly that's why Da Bull turned rat.

The movie "Donnie Brasco" wrongly overemphasizes Brasco's "warm" relationship with Lefty. In the book, Brasco showed little respect for Lefty, whom he regarded as a whiner and parasite. Brasco expressed near-affection for Dominic (Sonny Black) Napolitano, who treated him like a kid brother, let him live in his apartment, and apparently gave him the assignment to kill Bruno Indelicato that would have led to Brasco's being made. Therefore, Sonny Black was at least as culpable as Lefty for Brasco's "betrayals," and probably more so.

But, sez I, rules, schumules. As in everything else in the Mafia, "rules" take a backseat to money and power. After Brasco was exposed, Bonanno boss Philip (Rusty) Rastelli had his ass in a sling with the other Mob bosses. How was he going to prove to the others that the Bonannos were serious about exacting vengeance for this incredible gaffe--by whacking a cocozz' nobody like Lefty? Or an underboss, like Sonny? Remember, too, that Sonny Black made a big power move by whacking his rival, Alphones (Sonny Red) Indelicato and his cohorts. He also raised his profile tremendously--potentially bad stuff in the Mob, where envy, fear and greed are the handmaidens of everyday life. Probably all the other Bonanno capos and hierarchy went along with making Sonny Black take the fall for Brasco because they'd all benefit: Some of them (like, ahem, Joey Massino) would move up. Others would breathe easier with Sonny sleeping with the fishes, knowing that he couldn't rat them out to law enforcement to save his life.

Yes, Lefty could have been whacked in prison. But, after the Brasco affair, the Bonannos were in disarray. Arranging a murder in prison costs money and effort. And anyway, Lefty kept his mouth shut--even on his deathbed.

So was Massino the benefactor of the whole situation? With Lilo gone, and Rusty in the can, that opned up the door for Joey? And why, after so many years, was George from Canada eliminated? Was it because he had taken part in the purge of Sonny Red and his crew, and he might turn? Or did he have a falling out with Joey?

Rusty pretty much held onto power intil he died in 1991.
When Massino was released from prison in 93', he was the obvious choice to take over the family.

At that point, his reputation as an old school gangster and a stand-up guy, was secure. His relationship with John Gotti and his family allowed him to get the Bonannos back on the comission.

He shrewdly chose an old timer, Anthony Spero, as consigliere, and was quickly able to put the Bonannos back on the map.

So, in short, Massino probably had the most to gain when Rusty passed away.