According to the Thomas DeSimone article on wikipedia, Henry Hill had confirmed on the Howard Stern Show that Gotti had personally killed DeSimone.

If this is true, then this is perhaps Gotti's only personal murder, at least that we know of.

Henry Hill isnt the most reliable guy in the world.

Gotti's greatest skill in life was getting other men to do his dirty work for him!

I don't think Gotti ever pulled the trigger in any hit he was involved in. Many of these legendary bosses probably never pulled the trigger. Does anyone know if Carlo Gambino ever personally killed anybody? Let alone Paul Castellano. I do think Carmine Persico did it and most likely Sonny as well.

That may be the understatement of the year.

This thread raises a broader question: I wonder how many Mafia Dons never pulled a trigger?

Carlo Gambino was on the Hit squad of Albert Anastasia, not setting it up as most captains do but he was on the actual hit squad, there with a .38 on the hit squad. Unless he was designated the back up shooter like in some hits then im certain he pulled the trigger as being on the hit squad and not pulling the trigger gets you labeled many times as a Rat. Thats why you always see in the movies the second guy pumping the "good measure" shots into the dead body laying at his feet. Same philosiphy as "making bones" and undercover cop or informant cannot kill.

As for Gotti, no one REALLY knows if he has ever pulled the trigger, it is also known that Gotti never made his bones. He moved up very rapidly when Carmine Fatico got pinched, at 33 Gotti was named acting captain only like 6 months after he was made.

Found this in the NY TIMES archive. see below in bold


NEW YORK — Authorities Monday unearthed a suspected Mafia graveyard in an overgrown New York City vacant lot where at least five men — including the unlucky guy who accidentally ran over and killed Gambino crime family don John Gotti's son in 1980 — are believed to have been buried.

FBI agents, backed by cadaver-sniffing dogs, a helicopter and heavy construction equipment, swooped down on the site on 75th Street in Ozone Park, Queens, (search) specifically searching for at least two bodies believed to have been stuffed into steel drums, and three more wrapped in canvas, sources said.

In addition to Gotti's tragic former neighbor, those believed to be buried there include Tommy DeSimone — the crazy hit man portrayed by Joe Pesci (search) in the movie "GoodFellas" — and Bonanno crime family capos Dominick "Big Trin" Trinchera and Philip "Philly Lucky" Giaccone, sources said.

The fifth man was described as a thug who refused to carry out the hit on DeSimone, only to wind up being personally killed by a furious Gotti.

Gotti was made some time in 1977. He was born in 1940, so that would make him 37 when he got his button.

Jesus H sorry pizza boy....

Carlo Gambino was part of the hit squad on Albert Anastasia? The underboss of the family was on the hit squad to kill his boss? Who says so?

And about Gotti: he became an acting capo when he was only an "associate". He got made around 1977, then he became a capo.

1977 seems to have been a year for making guys.
After Don Carlo's death the previous year the book finally re-opened after being closed for many years.
Along with Gotti, the likes of DeMeo, Mirra and probably Lefty Ruggerio were made by their respective familes

A few years ago Jerry Capeci claimed Anastasia was killed by three Lower East Side heroin dealers, Steven Grammauta, Stephen Armone, and Arnold Wittenburg. He said the crew was hand picked by Joseph "Joe the Blonde" Biondo. I think Steven Grammauta is still alive, but no longer active.

Whoever said Carlo was apart of the anastasia hit is wrong. he was underboss at the time and helped set it up but never pulled the trigger. Also about Gotti's hits I can never say he never pulled a trigger since I don't know for sure but I get the feeling from what I have read that he didn't like to carry guns. Also as someone has said he usually ordered guys to do hits for him. The Mcbratney hit he never pulled the trigger but he was present and he helped subdue him so i guess he made his bones since he was apart of a murder. I think he was involved Tommy Desimone and Joseph Spione hits but i doubt he was the triggerman. Thomas Agro is one of the guys who might have killed Desimone as well as the Carneglia Brothers. Ther is one hit that gotti may have been personally involved in. In August 1979 Gotti,Ruggiero,and Willie Boy Johnson murdered soldier Anthony Plate. Again I have no idea if he pulled the trigger or just assisted in the murder

In August 1979 Gotti,Ruggiero,and Willie Boy Johnson murdered soldier Anthony Plate. Again I have no idea if he pulled the trigger or just assisted in the murder

I assume they acted on Dellacroce's orders?

wasn't anthony plate involved in the george byrum murder commited by demeo and pals? y did gotti and pals murder plate?

Yes they did it on his orders. The reason was because in May 1979 Dellacroce was indicted along with Plate who worked as a loanshark/hitman for Dellacroce in Miami. Tony Plate was a very sick fuck from what I have read. He once jumped onto the desk of someone who owed him money and threatened to bite chuncks out of his flesh. So neil was afriad that if Plate was sitting next to him it would make the jury convict him so he ordered the Bergin guys to whack him. in august 79 he disappeared. Gotti went down to Miami but I don't know his true involvement in the killing.

Correct me if I am wrong but wasn't a teenage Don Carlo responsible for a number of hits before he came to the United States? I swear I remember reading that somewhere...

wasn't anthony plate involved in the george byrum murder commited by demeo and pals? y did gotti and pals murder plate?

Yes.
Tony Plate was the guy that the book murder machine referred to as the "Gambino soldier who operated out of Florida".
He helped DeMeo kill George Byrum

Another hit that he ordered was a guy named john cennamo in 1984. In 1983 junior stabbed some guy in a bar and this cennamao guy identified him so gotti ordere dhis guys to kill him and make it look like a suicide. Cennamo was found hung to a tree but his feet were touching the ground so it seemed liked it was a homicide made to look like a suicide

lmao at... that Gambino etc. didnt kill anyone... c mon..

Louie Milito as in Stymie? I thought he got into a bar argument with a Genovese associate.

Stymie was Joe D'Angelo, and he was killed by a Genovese associate. His son became a made member, but eventually flipped. Gravano set up the killing of Louie Milito, in his book Gravano claimed one of the Carneglia brothers did the killing, others claim Gravano did it.

My mistake. When reading Underboss you'd understand how easy it is to mix up some Gambino associate names

yeah i felt the same way about underboss, that's why murder machine for me is the best book. it just deals with primarily the demeo crew and pretty much no one else. a few straglers here and there n some heavy unforgetable hitters mentioned, but no this union leader that, and this associate did this and his buddy helped him and his other buddy watched

has it ever been documented by anyone else besides hill that gotti auctually pulled the trigger on two gun tommy?

I remember watching a documentary about the American and Italian mafia narated by Ray Liotta. Henry Hill was interviewed and claimed he was sitting in a bar one day drinking and Gotti came in and brutally beat a guy who owed money to him or the Gambino's. Hill said there was blood all over the place, but he don't know whatever happened to the guy, if her survived or not. I found Hill to be totally unbelievable, and I'm not sold he even ever met Johnny Gotti.

no henry seems to have a great suprize memory. i think that wiseguy and goodfellas was pretty spot on just because of his relationship with paul vario. i watched some doc on henry and they said the feds found him so interesting because he was not a made guy but had alot of dif advantages that a an associate did usually have. he always operated on many dif levels of the mob. this once again coming from his relationship w/vario and burke. i mean most associates don't get in with someone who was as powerful as vario was in the 60's

Stymie was Joe D'Angelo, and he was killed by a Genovese associate

The way I understood, Stymie was killed in a Genovese controlled bar by a drunk Colombo associate who tried to rob the place.
The drunk Colombo man threatened the female manager and this is when Stymie got involved but the Colombo man simply shot him where he sat.

The Colombo's whacked their own guy shortly afterwards because Carmine Persico was being hassled by both the Genovese (because it happened in their bar) and the Gambino's (because Stymie was Gravano's guy)