If Carlo Gambino had lived longer...

I have a question, if Don Carlo had lived longer, would he have been sent to prison under RICO law? I know he was arrested when he was younger and had been arrested when he was the Don too. Why was he arrested?Was there a rat? I read somewhere I don`t remember where, that he was close to be deported to Italy but the doctors said he had a poor heart health and he was not able to travel.
Can you tell me?

Carlo Gambino was arrested for selling contraband liquor, without paying any taxes to the government. He was charged with tax evasion, but nothing more came of it. The government also tried to have Carlo deported to Sicily, but Carlo's family allegedly paid two United States senators to allow him to stay in the United States. Carlo's health (heart problems) didn't help the government's case either.

Carlo Gambino died in 1976, six years after the RICO law went into effect. Although RICO made it much easier to prosecute Mob bosses, evidence was still needed to convict them. The charges that were brought against the Mob bosses in the famous "Commission" case in 1985 were based on wiretaps and other electronic surveillance that law enforcement had accumulated against them. They were careless and stupid. Gambino was careful and smart.

I'm guessing that if he had lived into the Eighties, he would not have blabbed and made the dumb mistakes that the other Dons made. Example: Paul Castellano was indicted because the FBI managed to put a microphone into his dining room, where he met with subordinates, and discussed all family business in clear (and incriminating) language. But if they'd managed to bug Carlo Gambino's home, they wouldn't have gotten anything because Gambino spoke in a code with his people--he always assumed his place was bugged (even if it wasn't), and took that precaution.

But in he 80s there was another problem, it is called "Donnie Brasco", would have Don Carlo been caught because of Pistone`s information? Would Carlo have won the Commission trial in 1985? It was said the Commission trial was won in part, thanks to Donnie Brasco.

The RICO act was an underused tool when it first came out. It wasn't until about ten years later it was started to be used against top wiseguys. As smart and careful as Gambino was I think in another era, say the 80's, I wouldn't have been surprised if he would have got sent down. With the RICO act you've just got to be implicated with two or more mob activities and you're going down for a long time.

The Donnie Brasco opertation was mainly concentrated on the Bonanno-family. Paul Castellano wasn't arrested because of Donnie BRasco so Gambino wouldnt either.

In the commission-case maybe. The arrests were mostly because of wires planted in Corallo's jaguar or places were the other bosses discussed their business. But as TB said, don Carlo always spoke in code. So, maybe he should not have been arrested....we'll never know.

Paul Castellano was heard in wire tapes(in his kitchen) but somehow he was found not guilty in the Commission case, well Phillip Rastelli was sent to prison of course thanks to Donnie Brasco in part, Anthony Corallo was heard in his Jaguar, but Carmine Perisco and Anthony Salerno were sent to prison for what evidence?

Donnie Brasco somehow helped in the Commission case.

Castellano never stood trial in the Commission case because he was murdered before he came to trial. As Juventus said, "Brasco" mainly helped with evidence against the Bonanno family.
The Commission case was inspired by Rudolph Guiliani's reading of Bonanno's autobiography, "A Man of Honor," and aided by wiretaps and electronic surveillance. Much of the evidence was obtained from a bug in Castellano's home, in which he was heard discussing his business with other Mob bosses. The prosecution was able to convict the Bosses under the RICO Act, by portraying them as members of "The Commission."

Oops I made a mistake! But in Rise and Fall and Mob Star just 4 bosses are named, it is because Castellano was killed isn`t it?

The Mafia Commission Trial was a criminal trial in New York City, USA, that took place in the mid-1980s and saw many of the top Mafia bosses in the city put away for life. "The Commission" is the name given to the bosses of the five major Mafia families in New York who regularly meet to resolve disputes or discuss criminal activities. The Commission could be roughly described as organized crime's equivalent of a board of directors.

The eight defendants were:

* Anthony Salerno, boss of the Genovese family
* Anthony Corallo, boss of the Lucchese family
* Phillip Rastelli, boss of the Bonanno family
* Jerry Langella, acting boss of the Colombo family
* Carmine Persico, capo in the Colombo family
* Salvatore Sanaro, underboss of the Lucchese family
* Christopher Funrari, consigliere of the Lucchese family
* Ralph Scopo, capo in the Colombo family

The defendents were arrested in early 1985 in a major operation by the FBI and they were charged under the RICO statute. The bosses were released on $1,000,000 bail. At the trial itself, which began in 1986, Carmine Persico acted as his own attorney.

Paul Castellano, boss of the Gambino family, and his underboss Aniello Dellacroce, were also indicted, but both died before they came to trial. Castellano was murdered on the orders of his successor, John Gotti, and Dellacroce passed away from cancer.

The trial lasted until 1987. It resulted in convictions for all the defendents, with the top bosses receiving 100-year sentences.