The FBI Files: "Boss of Bosses" Carlo Gambino

For decades the FBI largely ignored Carlo Gambino but after local cops busted a meeting among the nation's Mafia leaders on November 14, 1957 in upstate Apalachin, NY, the G-men finally decided to take a closer look at the hook-nosed gangster according to Bureau files.

In its nearly 20-year investigation into Carlo Gambino the FBI was only able to build a single case against the mob boss, and on March 23, 1970 arrested the so-called "boss of bosses" for his alleged role in conspiring to rob $6 million from an armored truck. Of course, the case never was prosecuted. Manhattan federal judge Marvin Frankel took sympathy upon the aging gangster, and indefinitely stayed the case.

The old coot finally died at the age of 74 on October 15, 1976 at his Long Island home. An October 19, 1976 memo from the New York Field Office to the FBI Director provided the final details on the passing of Carlo Gambino from this world into the next one:

"CARLO GAMBINO died of heart disease 10/15/76 at 34 Club Drive, Massapequa, LI, NY (not verified by death certificate). GAMBINO waked at Cusimano and Russo Funeral Home, 10/16-17/76. Funeral services held 10 AM 10/18/76 at Our Lady of Grace Church, Ave. W and E. 4th St., Brooklyn, NY. Burial services followed at the Cloisters, St. John's Cemetery, Queens, NY."

It's ironic that Gambino received a funeral mass given that he probably would have rolled dice for Christ's clothing if present at the Crucifixion.

Whether this is all true or not I always find stories based on a dump of FOIA documents funny more than interesting. Look at a batch of FOIA stuff and you get a carefully crafted pile of what the government wants you to believe more than anything new and more often than not it all amounts to hearsay that could never be admitted in court.

When they refer to tapes, there are seldom transcripts unless they also note that the physical recording media no longer exists for someone to compare to the transcript. You get a few pages with official headings and short paragraphs you can read with most paragraphs redacted, then possibly a newspaper article is included and commented on (so, is the FBI relying on the media or what), followed by what some paid informant said or what an agent says a paid informant said.

The only stuff I pay much attention to is trial transcripts and tapes played in open court when someone flips and even then I tend to think a whole lot of what is presented could never be verified. Like all criminals the organized crime groups have to be rooted out and imprisoned but when the negative PR campaigns get underway about various people they've targeted (especially those who are already long gone) I think it's more to make law enforcement look good and justify the tons of money and time they waste than it is about painting a truthful picture of anyone.

The marriage sounded thoroughly loveless with endless bickering based on the FBI eavesdropping of the Gambino hotel room. Carlo on one occasion called Catherine a “shrew” with “a sharp tongue,” and on another occasion cursed at her and “then told his wife that she talked too much and if she did not shut up, he would cut her tongue off.”

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LOL!!!!!!!

You’ve obviously never read government “203” files. Lots of good stuff in them, including wiretap transcripts, surveillance notes, etc.

Then again, I doubt that you’ve ever worked on an organized crime task force, either. I have.

I also suspect that you’ve never worked “undercover”. I have.

Experience is the real “reality”. Files are some of the recorded “reality”, but not all.

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