Paul Castellano hit, 30 years later: The gruesome assassination of New York mob boss

NY Daily News ^ | 12/15/2015 | JOHN MARZULLI

[Kid Shelleen]

Thirty years ago Wednesday, shots rang out in front of Sparks Steak House in Midtown, leaving then-Gambino crime boss Paul Castellano dead in the gutter, and signaling the rise to power of John Gotti who would soon become the most famous gangster in America.

It was also a development, according to mob experts, that ultimately speeded up the demise of the five mob families in New York City.

"It was one of the most singular acts that altered the existence of the New York Mafia," said Phil Scala the retired head of the FBI squad that investigated the Gambino family.

"John Gotti took the La Cosa Nostra rulebook and shot it full of holes on East 46th St. and Third Ave.," Scala said.

[minnesota_bound]

Quite a life he had.

Sterling Hayden
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterling_Hayden

[headstamp 2]

Kirby is gone now too.

He was great in “Good Morning Vietnam”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7Ty3fggeBA

[boop]

Don't forget Abe Vigoda. He was 50 in 1972, but looked well into his 60s.

And yes, he IS still alive.

[trisham]

He was great.

[OddLane]

BTTT.

[OddLane]

The Gallo Brothers were a breed apart.

[zzwhale]

no OMERTA .... no MAFIA

simple as that
and the drugs and greed took em down
becasue drugs brings the feds
and they are very expensive to buy (FBI / JUDGES / DEA) and lots of them
much more than the local flatfoot .......

now drugs are run from the white house ..... its one of the perks....
sinaloa / white house ... partners in crime

[Michael.SF.]

Good Point!

[Michael.SF.]

I think I read that the studio wanted Ernest Borgnine for the role. Can you imagine?

Actually, Borgnine could have pulled it off. Think of him in 'The Dirty Dozen' and not McCales Navy. He was Italian, (a Coppola requirement) as well (Ermes Borgino).

The Don was one of the most coveted roles at the time with Kirk Douglas and Danny Thomas actively pursuing it.

[Michael.SF.]

Godfather and Godfather II are among my top ten movies of all time

I put them in my top five, with Part II slightly ahead, mainly because of the old scenes. I think one could do a good essay: All you need to know about life, you can learn from the Godfather.

[boop]

I totally agree about Borgnine.

He was a hell of an actor.

Look at his work in Marty (1955) for which he won an academy award.

Many people think of him as a comedic actor, but he had a great range.

He would have been the correct age for Vito as well (55).

Really doesn't matter, because Brando owned the role.

[CommerceComet]

A rival gangster spotted him and sent in hitmen shortly after Gallo was seated at a butcher block table in a back corner. After sustaining five shots, Gallo stumbled out into the street and died.

I just finished reading I Heard You Paint Houses, the Frank Sheeran story and confession of how he killed his friend, Jimmy Hoffa. His story on the Hoffa killing seems quite plausible. Apparently, the FBI had always tabbed Sheeran as the most likely suspect in Hoffa's disappearance.

In the book, Sheeran claimed to be the sole gunman who took out Joey Gallo on the orders of Russell Bufalino. I suppose that it is possible but that story doesn't seem to have quite the same credibility as his claims to have killed Hoffa.

[pogo101]

I remember watching Letterman — back when he was still funny, and back when restaurants had smoking (and non-smoking) sections — just after the shooting. On the air, IIRC, he called Sparks Steakhouse and tried to make a reservation in “non-shooting.”

[Kid Shelleen]

>> Actually, Borgnine could have pulled it off. Think of him in 'The Dirty Dozen' and not McCales Navy. <<

How about "From Here to Eternity"? He was a tough guy in that movie.

[SamAdams76]

My office is one block away from Sparks. You can see my building on the right side of this photo, which is on the intersection of 46th and Lexington.

In 1985, I was nowhere near there. I was living up in Boston at that time. But I remember reading about the shooting. So many books have been written about it since. Around that same time, the Angiulo family in Boston was being taken down by the FBI. You can say that the early 1980s were the last of the glory years for the mafia.

I've been to eat at Sparks steakhouse. A bit stuffy and expensive but you've got to do it at least once if you are in the city. I prefer going to the Palm Too which is another block over on 2nd Ave. In both places, the appetizers are meals in themselves.

I always thought it a shame they hit Paul C. on the way in instead of on the way out. He never got to have his last proper meal.

[Michael.SF.]

Look at his work in Marty (1955) for which he won an academy award.

Absolutely. I only mentioned Dirty Dozen because I thought more people would recall that role over his others.

[Michael.SF.]

Now you just made me want to see that one again!

[PLMerite]

“I will bet revenues doubled at that place during the following weeks.”

That’d be a good plot for a dark comedy. Guy(s) running a struggling Italian eatery try to arrange a mob hit in their place to boost sales.

Yeah, it needs work, but it could happen...

[PLMerite]

“I think I read that the studio wanted Ernest Borgnine for the role. Can you imagine?”

No harder to imagine than IIRC, Eddie Murphy’s role in Beverly Hills Cop originally being written with Sylvester Stallone in mind.

[DAC21]

“Kirby is gone now too”

I was shocked when I heard he had died, Leukemia. Its been over nine years now. Also a good funny man, he was in When Harry Meet Sally and City Slickers.