Salvatore Gravano's bullshit revisionist history.

All the Capos were behind the hit on Paul Castellano, The Mob was shook, The Nation was shaken, the state of New York was shaken and the city of New York was shaken.
Yeah right, that's why The Chin came after you right away, getthefukouttaheah

I don't think in any way the nation was shaken, or the city of New York. in fact I doubt 90% of Mafia members were that shaken, unless they were close to Castellano or Bilotti. It's just Gravano going overboard.

Unless you were a Gambino member of had direct interaction with him, it was more of a phycological fuck job to have the UB of the largest crew in America flip.

That's what I'm talking about, fellas, all the Capos did not line up to kiss Gotti's Neapolitan hand. Nino Gaggi was 100% Sicilian and never went to the meeting discussed by, in fact if he hadn't been locked up for the car theft ring operation. He could've gone to Gigante, made a deal with him and come out as the next Boss of the Gambino's, like Joe Colombo did with Profaci. He probably could have garnered support from Jimmy Brown, Toddo Aurello and other Capos.

. Very True

What an interesting thought, CNote.

Suppose nobody can know for sure but your theory sounds very plausible. Gaggi was certainly one smart, wily fox and I could see it playing out exactly like you've said. Interesting to know what might have been.

CNote, I agree with you 100%. this Sammy is a jerk off. A prolific liar and trying to make himself more than he is. He's reinvented himself and playing to his fans.

@CNote

Gravano definitely went overboard; Not all the captains kissed Gotti’s a** as you just stated… Gaggi was certainly one of them… He missed several meetings that he was called into…

The Cherry Hill Gambino’s didn’t support Gotti …. From well known facts; Gotti let them earn and left them alone because he knew that was not a battle to dabble in…

Rosario and John Gambino had too much support to be whacked by Gotti over disrespect.

Sammy was definitely a smart operator. I love watching his vids and really enjoyed underboss, but I’m under no illusions that he’s anything more than an extremely dangerous psychopath. Nobody ever got hit because he wanted their action... it was because they broke a rule or didn’t do certain things the right way.
He is/was a shark in a shark tank. He was just a bigger and more dangerous shark than most

Right!
Let's see: He kills 19 people, flips, gets a short sentence, goes into Witness Protection, gets nailed for drug dealing--and now he's an Internet star. No wonder the Mob's not what it was.
"Fear in the Mafia"? The only fear was that Castellano would flip so he wouldn't have to face being in prison and away from his beloved Colombian housekeeper. That's why Gotti got as much support as he had for the hit.

All the capos loved Gotti so much that Jimmy Brown and a few other capos were plotting with Amuso and Gigante to kill John Gotti.
Nino Gaggi would not have gotten the top spot do to the legal troubles he was already in. Some of the top contenders who had support were James Failla, Olympio Garafalo died in 1986, Tony Scotto who was feared by John Gotti that John demoted him in 1986 cause he was afraid if he ordered his murder that his crew would come after John or other crews would and the Gambino family would have had a civil war, Ettore Zappi had been a capo since the 1950s but he died in 1986, and Joe Arcuri. Joe Butch has been mentioned but it is doubtful he could have garnered enough support to take over. Frank DeCicco was well liked, but a few years as capo would not give him that experience he needed. Pat Conte and Joe Zingaro also who get mentioned, but they had their own issues.

I totally agree.

Gambino/Castellano loyalists skipper and acting skippers like; Frank Dapolito (who took over NY interests of Terry Zappi), Ettore Zappi himself, Giuseppe Arcuri, James Failla, Anthony Gaggi, consigliere Joe N. Gallo, Joseph Paterno, Salvatore Avarello, Olympio Garofalo, Paul Zaccaria, Joseph Zingaro, Frank Piccolo, Patsy Conte, Joseph Gambino, Thomas Gambino, etc., had no use or loyalty to a "John Gotti." It was only his small band of inner circle and a few others who banded with him to pull this off. Had he asked all skippers for a vote, Gotti would have ended up in a car trunk, he knew that. Thats at lest 15 capos or better who never supported Gotti (or even knew) of the plot.
'
Like most of these podcasters, he's full of shit.

Gravano also minimizes Gotti’s role in the killing of Castellano as well as the aftermath which of course embellishes Gravano’s role before and after. Example, Gravano has said both him and DeCicco basically told Gotti he will be the boss and told him to “ shut the fuck up” whenever he voiced his opinion about the hit and what happens after. I dont believe that for a minute. I think Gotti was in control and was not just a puppet to Gravano amd DeCicco. I think thats 100% bull shit. I think DeCicco liked Gotti and I think Gravano admired Gotti, at least initially.
I am also fairly certain that Gravano told Gotti lies about certain individuals so they would be killed and Gravano could take over their business’.

I agree with you 1000%. Gravano is a hardon

. Although I agree with you that Gravano takes too much of credit I do think it’s likely that Decicco and Gravano played a huge part in the planning along with Gotti

No doubt on your last point, Gotti talked on the tapes to Locasio about his growing suspicious of that.

Exactly, that snake Gravano lied on people to justify whacking them, and Gotti got caught venting his frustration on tape over it. What many people perceive as Gotti laying all the blame on Gravano, was actually just a frustrated boss venting his frustration over his underboss's conniving ways, and that's the truth. The only thing that I can say in Gravano's defense is that if not for Gotti's mouth, they wouldn't have been sitting in a courtroom together in that particular time.

very good assessment DD

Gravano is the lowest of the low, hes rat what ever the fuck, u dont get kids involved in selling junk, scum

All that Frankie Loc shit too, whos he trying to score points with, scum bag

I think the vast majority would agree that Decicco was easily the better choice to be boss for that family. Now if the same situation happened would Sammy have flipped? I can’t answer that, maybe he still would have, maybe not. Either way I think most would agree that Gotti’s big mouth and actions got them all arrested and doomed in the first place

NO matter who was boss Sammy Gravano was going to rat if he thought he was going to prison. No matter who was boss, everyone on top was going to prison. Under Casteallno, besides Castaellano, Gallo went to prison, and Dellacroce had cases coming up just before he died. Gigante went to prison, as did the top Luchese and Bonanno people.

Now that's a guy who could have been a very capable Boss - although certainly more in the vein of a Castellano mould. He had enormous influence, almost to the point he would have been like an echo back to the Costello days of highly connected, influential Bosses capable of hobnobbing with "respectable" people. He had more smarts than most, and moreso probably more connections than any other of that era.

He might have been too smart to accept the position.

I agree

I find him the most interesting of the interesting. 2 bosses- one he helped murder, one he flipped on. 19 agreed murders, including his brother in law. He is a very dangerous snake. Charismatic but extremely deadly. I have no doubt Gotti would have met with a bad fate had things not played out as they did. There was a lot of Carlos Gambino in Sammy. I think he viewed Gotti as a useful foil until he stopped being useful

Please don't compare Gigante to Gotti. Gigante lasted decades on the streets, Gotti only lasted 5 years.

. Very True

Chin lives like a brokester for decades and died in jail.
Not that I’ll play that life. Seen too many kids die to want to play that game again, but shit, if I was going to do it I’ll take silk shirts over a bathrobe

It was actually rumored that underneath that bathrobe he wore silk suits and would remove his robe at meetings. Regardless, not everyone's a showboat personality, some people just know who they are and what they're capable of. As far as dying in jail, they didn't get him until he was already a dying senior citizen. If I'm a dying senior citizen I don't give a fuck where I die, gotta die somewhere. Especially knowing I gave the government the blues for decades first.

lenox i agree

Everyone once in a while you get people working in their respective industries, unorthodox and do very well, Gigante was one, Steve jobs another. The only time you'll probably here the comparison between the two, maybe my opinion is bullshit.

Not a fan of either but atleast Michael franzese has class and is a seemingly nice guy. Watching Sammy yell and curse at Mike like a total low life thug completely negates the calm, calculating, real cosa nostra guy act he portrays on his podcast. A leopard can't hide his spots.

I mean I wouldn’t call Mike a nice guy. I think a lot of it is Avon game from him. Honestly that whole “heated exchange” seemed very rehearsed to me. They are still mobsters at heart which means conning people for money

Just saw them going at in on some podcast thing, looks a little staged

Agreed Jimmy. Definitely staged. Sammy is more animated/boisterous but Franzese seems like a con man. He claims to be a born again Christian but he deflects, lies, and still tries to act like he was a “stand up mobster”.

Geez how bad was that? 45 minutes of yelling and then for only $40 you can get ten hours of this. Sigh

When I heard that fink wanted $40 I said go scratch...I'm not not even watching the free one !!

1000% correct. He and Sammy are both nothing but informers who have successfully turned their "rat ness" into a cottage industry of listeners who fall for their spiel. All of these podcasters/former mob informers are the same. But Michael and Sam being it to a brand new level of BS and con job.

I made it through 10 minutes. There can't possibly be 10 hours of that?

I actually watched the whole thing and enjoyed it. Nothing better than to watch two old ex tough guys yelling at each other about how tough they were before! LOL!