Most important gotti ally

Of all the gambino members that he recruited to murder pauL
Castallano and take over the family who was most crucial to the overall success of the plan?

Frank DeCicco.

For sure DeCicco.

Was joe piney involved from the start or did he jus go along once he saw which way the wind was blowing?

He went along after Gotti declared himself boss. He had no choice. Gotti simply named him consigliere to extend an olive branch to the other pro-Castellano factions in the family, guys like Jimmy Brown, and others. And he quickly took him down in favor of DeCicco when he felt like he was safe from retribution within the family.

Funny irony; if Robert Dibernardo had a crew like DeCicco, he would not have been hit, as he was playing the role of DeCicco before they excluded him for not being a hitter...

No, according to Sammy Joe Piney was along from day 1. He might not have played a part but he was consulted and asked to "bring over the old timers" once it was over with

Sammy said him and frank decicco spoke to him in person & he informed them Joe Gallo was made aware too. "He doesn't want no part but will go along with it".

Sammy & franker proceeded to ask Piney what happens if Gallo tips off Paulie? piney tells them "I'll kill him".

Sammy," that was good enough for us"

Piney made underboss after DeCicco was killed right?

Yep, after Frank was blown up, that's when we had the "who is qualified to be underboss" & the allegation Dibee said," Angelo has the balls but not the brain"

Angelo and even Sammy wanted it but Gotti decided to pick an old timer in Piney

never have been done without decicco in the plot

I guess I didn't realize frank decicco was so powerful-influentiAl. A thought I had, did gotti then get lucky that frank d got killed so early into his reign? Or did frank have enough clout that he could have had gotti ear to help make better choices? Or would he eventually jus hit gotti?

your getting mixed up. It was joe gallo who john named as consgliere as a olive branch when gotti whacked paul first thing he did before the capos meeting spoke to joe gallo who advised john to never admit they killed paul esp when talking to the other five families as they broke the commission rule and if they admit to it they are putting themselves at risk

I've read the first statement. But the second I have never known about until now. Do you have a source for that? Was it in Sammy's testimony? Not saying I don't believe it, but just for reference purposes. The first statement just pretty much adds on to what I said I think, the guy had no choice. He was old, and was on his way out anyways, he wanted to retire. And with the young guard making it's move, he most likely realized that the old time ways were done and would never return. I don't think he would've gone to war with Gotti if he went against him, he didn't have the manpower or will at that point.


But I stand corrected. I got him mixed up with Joe Gallo.

frank decicco was one of the most respected guys paul made a big mistake when he was choosing his acting bosses should have put decicco as acting boss or underboss guys would listen to frank.


Frank said once to sammy if john is a bad boss him and sammy would kill him and that he could be johns underboss but john could never be his underboss


but saying that i dont think frank would ever try anything because frank and john were close before paul i mean frank used to go to the bergin sometimes the ravainite as well he used to meet john alot they were very good friends



the main plotters against paul who nicknamed themselves the fist were john gotti, angelo ruggeriao, sammy gravano, Robert DiBernado, frank decicco, joe piney and john carnleiga

Gangsterport, I have a couple of questions, why wasn't Bobby Boriello part of the fist? He was closed to John and a capable shooter. Was he killed like Eddie Lino because Gaspipe and the Chin thought he was in on Paul's hit? Is it possible Sammy the Bull didn't include him when he ratted to the Feds that he was involved>

For being such good friends, DeCicco had no issue it seems with killing Gotti himself if things went bad. The killing Gotti comment was his own words, I have no reason to doubt that if he hadn't been killed, Gotti would've been dead, he was too public. DeCicco weren't fond it, neither was Sammy The Bull or a lot of Gambino members for that matter, as well as the rest of the families. DeCicco came from the "Bath Beach Mafia" group, whom pretty much all of the guys who came up under that umbrella, preferred the typical low-key, in the shadows, make money not headlines approach to LCN, which included Castellano, whom according to most sources DeCicco was extremely close to during the late 70s-early 80s. Castellano took DeCicco under his wing as his protege and placed him in the unions, allowing DeCicco to rise in power and funds, and his crew was one of the crews Paul really relied on, along with Nino Gaggi's Veterans Club guys, and the DeMeo crew. Somewhere along the lines that relationship changed. DeCicco would go to the Ravenite & Bergin to conduct business with Dellacroce & Fatico on behalf of Castellano, thats where he met Gotti and the two became close, he wasn't initially going to either place simply to see John Gotti.


And these are Franks own words in regards to Gotti, as said by Gravano, "John's fucking egos too big, I could be his underboss, but he couldn't be mine. Look, he's got balls, he's got brains, he's got charisma. If we can control him to stop the gambling and all his flamboyant bullshit, he could be a good boss. Sammy, I'll tell you what. We'll give him a shot. Let him be the boss. If it don't work within a year, me and you, we'll kill him. I'll become the boss and you'll be my underboss, and we'll run the family right."

This was right after Bilotti & Castellano were murdered, well into DeCicco & Gotti's "very good friendship". And he still spoke without hesitation of taking him out. Of course DeCicco wasn't even around for that long, but Gotti never quit his gambling, in fact he lost more money than he earned as boss because of his addiction, and he never quit the "flamboyant shit". Had DeCicco still been around, I have no doubt he would've hit Gotti.

to be honest i dont know i have heard from some infromers that he was one of the backup shooters. i know he did not pick gene because he did not want his own blood involved

if he was not picked (though i think he was there) it was prob he was too low down he only got made in 1988 they did not want to take risks but rampino was a back up shooter the guy was a junkie and was not made but then again he was a bergin crew member for a long time. Bobby only starterd assoaiting with gotti in the 80s gotti prob did not trust him enough

i dont even think sammy knew who most of the shooters were esp the back up shooters they were all johns guys the main shooters though i think sammy knew john carneliga etc


gaspipe had him whacked because it was a messgage to john because bobby was very close to john. For years everyone thought it was this guy in the westside some crazy guy who was stabbed to death in 2004 but it turns out he had nothing to do with the murder

Makes sense. thank you Gangstereport.

that was sammys verison and i have heard this many times i dont know if frankie would take john out he was popluar among most of the capos at his time as boss i mean jimmy brown and danny m did not dislike john they just saw a chance to take over the family without doing anything. Fuck what sammy said because for awhile sammy loved john yes he "warned" john about the public attention but there is no denying that sammy was johns top guy very loyal. Nicky did not have enough power back then and he was just bitter over charles carnelgia (charles should have been whacked neil, john gotti and john carnleiga broke the rules letting charles live)





i respect your opinion on this but truthelly neither of us can predict what happened as the guy got blown up so we will never know its like if aplachin never happened or if paul picked decicco as his acting boss or if vic orena did not try a civil war or tony zerlli did not get pinched in the 70s etc we cant predict


it was those last four years paul really started to lose it

The "we will just kill gotta, and run the family right" is bs in my opinion, just lies from a rat.

Frank DeCicco and Joey Piney. Piney was giving them good info, neutralize Joe Gallo, and Anthony Scotto. It was ultimately Franks tip about the meeting at Sparks Steakhouse, the respect he got from the other Gambino members and the muscle he had, which kept the other members of the family at bay. Had Joe N Gallo not make the speech he made at the meeting of the Capos on electing a Boss, with DeCicco and Gravano standing right behind Gotti showing their support, I think there would have been in attempt on Gotti a few days later. Many of the members respected and trusted Dellacroce, the same can not be said for Gotti, and that is where both DeCicco and Piney came in. The Bergin Crew activities had come to light, and nothing had been done about it, even when Gotti became boss, not even a slap on the wrist.

bobby at that time was still with colombo

very well thought out,well said .only thing john and frank go way back they did an early bid together and got "brother" close

Bobby got made with Scars, and Junior In ' 88 for the Gambinos so he was around John when Paul was killed in Dec. 1985

Didn't Domenic LoFaro also fingered Bobby as one of Paul's shooters?

Hi SC, not sure if u still require the source or not, since there was some confusion on your part between Piney & Gallo

The incident I'm referring to when Sammy & Frank spoke to Piney (regarding Gallo) was in Sammy's book.

Yeh in Scars testimony- he talked about Gotti jr having a sit down with Barney. They asked him to take care of Preston (guy bobby beat up) and wrongly pointed the finger at him

Barney ignored the request and scars says "we were very upset over that"

I agree. Sammy was just saying that to make himself look big "me & frank were going to kill Gotti down the line"

Frankie & Sammy needed Gotti as much as he needed them. For argument sake, if they killed Gotti there would be a war. Like Sammy says in his interview," I got a list, 10,12 guys I would have to kill (to get away with it), his brother Gene who I liked very much. The thought of killing his son sickened me."

Sammy then realised it was a lose lose scenario and even IF frank was alive, they wouldn't get away with it. Everyone talks about how much Frank was respected BUT that didn't stop him getting blown into oblivion. His betrayal of Paul, he would only have Sammy's crew, his uncle Georgia for support. Marino, Faila & Johnny G all viewed him as a traitor and would never be happy to answer to him as boss (especially if Frank Sam were in a war vs Bergin crew). The chin would never accept Frank on the commission (which is why they were content with Frankie getting killed) but that's not to say they weren't going after Gotti. Rather, Frank was viewed as a castellano guy & had more to answer than Gotti

Frank would never have survived if he killed john

bobby was made before jr

Correct as usual, Bronx. I'm pretty sure that Bobby was one of the slew of guys that Gotti made in '86. That's after he buttoned half of his blood relatives .

Surely guys like Jackie d'amico and Willie boy Johnson should be given a mention , d'amico permanently had gotti's umbrella in his hand

hello Pizza, gotti had to get bobby released from persico first , he did that right after he took over

Bronx,I thought Persico let Bobby Boriello go back in 1974 or so..?

From what I read in Capeci's book the support from Piney Armone and Joe N. Gallo was paramount in regard to the old timers.. But like it was mentioned before the participation of DeCicco was most important I think..

not released then, he was on the gallo side .he was released directly to gotti

Right, that's what made me say '86. Because by '87 he was already back inside for the Giacolone trial, and he had to know that he wasn't getting bail. He gave permission to make guys by discretion. But I know that Gotti made Bobby himself.

Read in scarpa file that john gotti inducted 16 guys the day of or after Frank decicco wake/funeral. Peter being one and Bobby and probaly the rest of the begin crew. He wouldn't wait on the induction either guess chin probaly wanted to stall ie kill gotti first.

Spring of '86.

Lesson? Water always seeks it level! Frank like Johnny was a gambler and a drunk.fact... The worst was that Frank was a prima Donna it was all about him just like Gotti. Okay Frank was a bully! Yes I said, remember him always interrupting, telling jokes and everybody having to laugh at them it was a way of stroking his ego. Truly Frank wasn't a team player he accomplished very little of what he promised to do. What made him successful was his bigger than life personality. Here's the problem even though paulie bought the bs others didn't. So what does he do but join up with John all while plotting to kill him at the same time. What more can you say Frank was a coward a fake til you make it punk and a drunk one at that. As they say in the mob the cementary is full of indispensable people and Frank thought that the mob couldn't exist without Frank.

frank decicco was a drunk and a gambler, do i have that as your opinion, gotti also was a drunk? maybe i am reading this wrong..thank you

John giordano

cant believe this i am hearing frank decicco is a coward cant believe what i am hearing. John was no coward either no matter your opinions of either of them they had balls some can argue stupidity but being a coward that must be the most embarrassing statement i have read on this site


you called decicco a drunk and john a drunk which is the furthest from the truth gamblers yes but so was half the family infact to even imply that they were drunks shows your obvious dislike for the guys which i understand but dont make shit up


it was common knowledge that by the 80s john did not drink much rare to seem him drunk he also quit smoking





frankie never plotted to kill john infact after john became boss you would see them together alot frankie was even at the "forgotti" trial in 1985 to show support


Frankie stated that if john turns bad he will kill him












frankie Decicco was one of the most respected capos in the family i what are you smoking

Sorry Bronx yes you did read it wrong I meant to say that they wasn't drunks or gamblers it was a typo on the computer. I can also see that I'm not wanted and I never stay where I am not welcomed. Sorry for the confusion. Both men were well respected. Ciao