Here's an excerpt from a "Gangland" article written right after Joe Bilotti's death:

Joseph BilottiGang Land Exclusive!Joseph Bilotti, a tough Gambino wiseguy who became a community activist and a church worker after his brother Thomas and mob boss Paul (Big Paul) Castellano were both killed in the spectacular midtown Manhattan assassination that was orchestrated by John Gotti, died of natural causes at his home in Staten Island last week. He was 83.

Within a few days of his brother's Christmas-time slaying in 1985, Bilotti agreed not to retaliate for his younger brother's death during a tense session with Salvatore (Sammy Bull) Gravano in the South Beach section of Staten Island, said a former FBI agent who spoke to both men about their meeting.

"He really had no choice," the retired G-man told Gang Land. "Sammy told us he had a sitdown with Joe at the old Country Club Diner and told him it wasn't personal, just business, and to mind his Ps and Qs and he'd be okay," recalled the former agent, who asked that his name not be used. "When we went to interview Joe, he told us he couldn't talk to us about it," he said, noting however, that he and his partner "always believed that Joe wanted to talk to us about it."

Joseph BilottiIn Underboss, the 1997 book by Peter Maas, Sammy Bull said that after he and then-underboss Frank DeCicco argued that Bilotti "would accept what happened and become a good loyal soldier," Gotti sent them to speak to Bilotti because if "he decided to strike back, I could be the first to go."

"Joe was obviously nervous," said Gravano. "I told him that our move was primarily against Paul but that given his brother's relationship with Paul, he had to go too. I pulled back my jacket and showed him the cannon I was carrying. I told Joe: 'You know me a lot of years. If we wanted you dead, you think you'd be dead already?' He looked at me and nodded his head."

Salvatore Gravano"I said, 'Joe, I give you my word that you got a pass. I'm gonna be your captain. Don't worry when I send for you. You're a friend of ours in good standing. If you need me to sit down for you, I will. You got a tough job. You have nine kids. Tommy had nine kids. You have 18 kids to take care of.' And Joe's still alive today.'"