Why Didn't Big Paul Protect Bruno?

I'd read and heard in interviews that part of Angelo Bruno's power came from his friendship/association with Carlo Gambino. The theory being the Genovese Family waited til Carlo Gambino's death to extend their influence in Philadelphia by giving their tacit approval to kill Bruno, I was wondering why Paul Castellano didn't offer Bruno that same friendship as CG1 did?

Because for all the talk about Gotti breaking every rule in the book by killing Paul (and don't get me wrong, he did), Paul WAS a greedy bastard.

So the short answer to your question is, because Big Paul cared about Big Paul.

Same answer i was going to say. He was focusing on himself and his family.....Shit he probably gained from Bruno being whacked anyway.

I doubt that Gambino really cared about anyone but himself too. Mob alliances are usually formed to make money and to watch each others backs. Yes Castellano was more greedy than Gambino, but why would he willingly lose a possible ally when Atlantic City was just about to blossom? Perhaps the Genovese sensed that he was weaker than Gambino and they did what they wanted. Then again, maybe that's why the Genovese double-crossed the conspirators, so that Castellano would not find out.

Well wasn't Bruno opposed to the casinos? I wonder if knowing there were more amenable people in Philly at the time they, figured that with Gambino dead maybe Castellano would be more open to a profitable regime change?

Maybe Castellano knew about the hit on Bruno, maybe he did not know about it. I am inclined to believe that it was all the Genovese doing, namely Frank "Funzi" Tieri. Bruno and Castellano had a strong friendship do to Bruno and Gambino having that before Carlo died. Tieri always wanted Northern New Jersey and tricked Antonio "Tony Bananas" Caponigro by using Tony's own greed as well as making him believe that the hit on Bruno had the commission approval. Ironic as Bruno won in Caponigro's favor during a sitdown between Caponigro and Tieri over the profitable bookmaking operations in Northern New Jersey, and Tieri just waited his time. Frank knew that Tony was too greedy and too power hungry. when the time was right, and the Genovese crime family would not get rights to the casino's in Atlantic City, he set up Caponigro. Two birds, one stone.

That's about as good a summary as I have read GV and I agree with everything you said . The only thing I would add is I believe Bruno forbid drugs within his own family but allowed the zips and others to deal in philly for a cut of the proceeds . I believe some were unhappy that he never shared this cut with any other members. It's possible greed got the best of Bruno like it got Paul C a few years later .

It's stories like this that really show how good of a boss the chin was . Talk about learning from others mistakes . It would of been very interesting to see what would have happened if he survived his prison stint .

That was a rumor that he was opposed to getting involved in the casinos, but it was bullshit. The mob back then was all about using unions to extort businesses and get contracts for their businesses. Why would Bruno not allow it?

More likely he was killed because of his own greed and the greed of family members over drugs. He didn't let his own guys deal, but was getting street taxes from others outside the family who were dealing. The same thing happened with Castellano, allowing certain crews to deal and taking money from them, while being outraged over the Bergin Crew dealing.

Mock outrage at best. Paul was just looking for an excuse .

everybody sensed he was weaker than gambino

i'm quite certain that mafia members felt he was given his power without earning it

Why would he protect him he always had his hand out.Plus who knows what Paul really thought of Carlo in the first place it was Paul's family that took Carlo in when he first came off the boat. Plus Atlantic City,drugs and the Newark book. There was more then one double cross they took over anything and everything they could belonging to Philly. Bruno get a lot of praise for being such a great boss but in reality was he really? His guys were starving under him. The gambino's walked all over the guy selling dope and coke out every bar and pizza place in S. Jersey + Central

I read Bruno and Gambino had huge real estate deals down florida. guess Bruno was a vote for Gambino like patriarca was for Genovese. ray was the only boss around in 1980 that was there for 20+ yrs he must had had alarm. really think the Genovese pulled the wool over everyones eyes that why there still the strongest today. maybe if gotti lasted a few more yrs but someone would have whacked him ithink. you got to really wonder how close joe massino was to getting clipped. I read barney b told massino his brother and gotti were gonna get him.

Very True.

Everyone going into those shops late night was just for charity you know to donate the leftover bread or to buy $1 a slice pizza about to get thrown out

I don't know if it's Massino or Barney lying, but I don't believe that one. Why would Gotti kill Massino? He was trying to get the Bonannos back on the Commission because Massino was his buddy and he would be able to count on his vote. I think Barney was lying to Massino to turn him against Gotti. Maybe he was trying to get Massino to kill Gotti. The Genovese are well known for their duplicity and treachery.

Do they call him Barney because he looks like Barney Rubble?

Gotti wanted to kill him so he could "take over" and run the Bonannos thru Sal Vitale. That maneuver has been done several times. Old Machivellian trick

I thought Massino made Sal underboss in name only, giving him no real power? If this is so, then why would Gotti think the Bonannos would accept him as boss?

No idea, just what I've read always said he wanted Vitale to play puppet. Also that's why there called soldiers, they do what there told. And with Massino dead you think it matters what power he did of didn't give him? And not that I would know first hand, however the word "think" and Gotti are rarely used in the same sentence. He was at the top of the hill at that time as though it seemed. NYC was Gotti crazy at that time.

Well to be fair the biggest gripe against gotti was that he was a complete utter moron. Big paul despie his flaws was smarter and had enough sense to keep in the shadows. I think Big paul was only allied with bruno to make money but like someone else mentioned he probably benefited from bruno being whacked anyway

Well this is what I don't get, Bruno was allied to Gambino, who, in turn, had his proxy vote at Commission meetings. Now why would Castellano look the other way when Bruno was killed, especially when this would shift the balance of power in Philly towards the Genovese via their ties to Testa/Scarfo.

Also, doesn't the Bruno/Caponigro situation remind anyone of the Castellano/Gotti-Ruggerio one? I was thinking that perhaps Caponigro killed Bruno because Bruno may have been planning to kill him over his drug dealing.

If you remember, the Genovese guys never gave the order! They merely implied "do what you gotta do". With that said I'm sure Funzi didn't call Castellano and say "hey just a heads up your guy is going to get clipped", remember like all these guys they had something to gain. I'm sure both sides gained with Bruno gone.

To be honest, I never bought the "killing for dealing drugs" stories in the mafia. Didn't all bosses profit from drugs at least indirectly, by accepting some per cent of drug money among other sources of income? Maybe they sometimes sacrificed low level associates to look it like they were against drugs, but to kill somebody like Caponigro just because he brings in "dirty money" and for that reason alone doesn't seem realistic to me. Bruno doesn't seem such a "moralist" guy to me.

Isn't it the same? This is just their way of talking. I mean, maybe legally it isn't a murder order, but I doubt they often use the word "kill" explicitly, since there is always a danger to be taped.

That's what I don't get. How would Castellano gain from getting his guy, Bruno, killed when it would cost him another vote on Commission matters?

True, but Gigante did put a lot a pressure on Castellano to kill Gotti and Ruggerio. And Gotti, at the time, was a captain, and not a low level guy. Plus he real close to Dellacroce as well.

I'm sure he didn't care much about the vote, he was at the top then. Those votes were for climbing the ladder and he was already at the top with plenty willing to kiss his ass. I'm sure he picked up different rackets. "Crumbs"

Maybe. But Gambino was an even stronger boss and he didn't turn his nose at Bruno's vote.

That's probably why he died in his bed watching the Yankees instead of on the street with a bunch oh holes in him. Guys forget where they came from and how they got there.

Because in the grand scheme of things Bruno was losing grip on his family from everyone whispering in each others ear. Crazy Phil said in his book that the Docile Don was a partner with John Martarano or took his drugs proceeds. Johns biggest money maker was the meth. The gambino's were literally 10 minutes over the bridge with pure heroin. Plus he held out on A.C. Resorts shares,after publicly stating or testifying he didn't want anything to do with A.C. I'm surprised he wasn't killed right after Carlo died. Like I said early everyone was starving under this guy.
The Chicken Man wanted to create a 2nd family that could sell drugs. If they had merged with the Riccobene's things might be a lot different today,

George Freselone talked about it in his book Blood Oath. He said it had been the belief by many that Bruno was killed because he was keeping the NY families out of AC. Freselone said it was the other way around - Bruno was killed (by Caponigro) because he was letting them in.

I find it believable because, after all, Bruno reportedly didn't want his guys involved in the drug trade despite taking drug money from certain people (much like Castellano). Caponigro resented this, as well as the AC thing, because he saw Bruno as weak, not capitalizing on potential money-making endeavors, and allowing other families into what was traditionally Philadelphia LCN territory.

By the way, as Freselone also mention in his book, prior to the legalization of casino gambling in Atlantic City, the mob's involvement with HEREU Local 54 basically involved Scarfo and his guys using the Local as leverage to shake down bars and restaurants in town for money to avoid the union organizing their employees.

I just don't get the whole Caponigro thing. These guys know the rules. They know you don't kill a boss without Commission approval with impunity. This is why I find the idea of Caponigro up and arranging to kill Bruno on the ok a couple of Genovese soldiers weird.

I agree with you there Iceman....There had to be a lot more to that story. Doesn't add up to me either. I think some of the other higher ups were in on it but they didn't want to get their feet wet on the situation, just reap the profits $$$$ from it.

It's been pretty well documented from George Anastasia, leonetti, as well as nick caramandi. Funzi Tieri lost a sit down to caponigro, which was a lot money. I'm sure Nicky scarfo had bobby manna's ear in jail about Bruno's shortcomings. The Genovese saw an opportunity and capitalized on it.

I've read those books a few times and read as much as I can about scarfo. He probably knew something was going to go down; or at least sensed it. But he didn't have any direct involvement.

Agreed. Bananas thought he had it all worked out with NY and that he would get the Commission votes to be new boss. There had been grumblings about Ange the past couple years, and Caponigro made his move before someone else would...keep in mind the geographic element as well...Caponigro's Newark day-to-day dealings were far removed from Bruno's South Philly. Bananas was at Cous' in Philly right before getting whacked telling guys how everything would be straightened out in a few days...I am still surprised this wily gangster fell for the okie-doke and thought he could murder a boss without Commission approval.

Angelo Bruno was a hippocrite just like big paul they were both greedy and cheap

in 1977 when big paul took over they had a sitdown with funzi and the westies over ruby steins black shy book which was worth millions I read. guess big paul one the sitdown for the westies then put them with him im bet they somehow played into it making funzi the fool to loose to a new boss and some irish drunks who killed a Genovese money maker for 30yrs. anyone remember the name of the restaurant in bk it still there was on food channel the other day.

Angelo Bruno who everyone thinks was anti drug was one of if not the biggest dope dealer in Philly at one point

he obviously thought he had commission approval. If he did he would have been told the same way, it's not like they would have had a meeting and brought him. He took the word of a Genovese soldier and they rocked him to sleep

One thing that puzzles me, by all account Caponigro was tortured before his murder.
Was it bad blood from him winning the sit-down?

Either that or it was a message that u can't take out a boss , if u do this is wot happens , always wondered why Pete casella got a pass for doing the same thing , he must have had friends in high places to get a pass

Vegas I wouldn't say that Bruno was the biggest drug dealer, he directly profited from the drug trade by taxing the Cherry Hill Gambino's but its doubtful that he setup his own deals.

In 'Mafia Prince' it mentions that Pete Casella was friendly with a high-ranking Genovese captain who asked Gigante to give him a pass.

I always assumed that they killed Caponigro and then started beating and stabbing him after so that when the body is found he looks tortured of course to send a message. Seems strange they would actually torture him in order to teach him a pointless message.

Just a little information i read in a report on Caponigro's murder: At the time of his murder, he was suspected of financing a large drug deal which had been broken up about 2 months earlier in Milan, Italy.

Stanfa got a pass too, didn't he?

Stanfa got a pass after the Cherry Hill Gambinos hid him and he went back to Sicily. After everything somewhat settled years later, he returned. I would not rule out Rosario Gambino being involved, nor the Colombo Jersey crew, as rumor has it that Salvatore "Jersey Sal" Profaci took over that crew about a month after the Bruno hit. Rosario worked independent from Big Paul and as far as I can tell, never told Paul what he was doing or planing, but Gambino did kick up drug profits to him.

The genovese manna chin funzi etc wanted Bruno dead. Bananas def had the green light from not just funzi but the other hierarchy. After the hit those same guys lied to castellano and to cover their tracks nominated themselves to find and execute the conspirators. I think caponigro was tortured post mortem to send a message. The whole story of a house upstate doesn't fit the timeline. Those genovese guys were the most cunning and treacherous gangsters of their day end result they got what they wanted and castellano and co were non the wiser. A machevelian triple cross of caponigro was flawless. To think funzi was almost 80 and still that treacherous is par w the course for the genovese from 57 till the end of chin. There should be a book written on that whole event. Prob is there is no one to tell it in truth unless manna writes a memoir