Thomas Bilotti

Thomas "Tommy" Bilotti (March 23, 1940 – December 16, 1985) was a New York mobster with the Gambino crime family who served as underboss for two weeks. It was this promotion that helped trigger the 1985 assassination of Gambino boss Paul Castellano; Bilotti would end up killed as well as part of the assassination.

Thomas Bilotti
Born(1940-03-23)March 23, 1940
Staten Island, New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedDecember 16, 1985(1985-12-16) (aged 45)
Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.
Cause of deathGunshot
AllegianceGambino crime family

Early life

As a young man, Bilotti joined the Staten Island crew of Gambino capo Michael D'Alessio. Bilotti also spent time as Alexander DeBrizzi's chauffeur and bodyguard. Bilotti later became a criminal associate of John D'Alessio, Michael's brother. Bilotti was involved in labor racketeering, extortion and loansharking.

Bilotti soon gained a reputation for violence. In one incident, Bilotti assaulted Colombo associate Robert Pate. In 1970, D'Alessio allegedly recruited Bilotti and his brother, Joseph, to murder Thomas Ernst, the boyfriend of D'Alessio's daughter. However, the murder attempt failed when D'Alessio's daughter shot at them.

Castellano protegeé

Over the years, Bilotti became a close aide-de-camp, and confidant for capo Paul Castellano. Bilotti was a regular visitor to Castellano's Todt Hill, Staten Island, mansion and was considered a close family friend. However, when Castellano started an affair with his maid, Bilotti kept it secret from Castellano's wife.

Bilotti and Castellano owned Scara-Mix, a concrete company on Staten Island. He was also heavily involved in the Steam Fitters Local 638 of the Plumbers Union that was represented by George Daly, an associate who belonged to his crew. Daly served as Local 638's business agent until his 1987 conviction for soliciting bribes to ensure labor peace.

Conspiracy

Aniello Dellacroce's death of cancer on December 2, 1985[1] started a chain of events that led to Castellano's murder two weeks later.[2] Several factors contributed to the conspiracy to kill Castellano; his failure to attend Dellacroce's wake was an insult to the Dellacroce family and his followers.[3] Secondly, Castellano named his bodyguard Bilotti as the new underboss. Castellano hinted that he was breaking up Gotti's crew.[4]

Gravano suggested killing both Castellano and Bilotti while they were eating breakfast at a diner.[5] However, when DeCicco tipped Gotti off that he would be having a meeting with Castellano and several other Gambino mobsters at Sparks Steak House on December 16, Gotti and the other conspirators decided to kill him then.[6]

Death

On Monday, December 16, 1985, Bilotti drove Castellano to the prearranged early evening meeting at Sparks Steak House in Midtown Manhattan, on East 46th Street near Third Avenue.[7] A hit team waited near the restaurant entrance; positioned down the street were backup shooters Dominick Pizzonia, Angelo Ruggiero, and Anthony Rampino.[8] Gotti observed the scene from a car across the street.[9]

As Castellano was exiting the car at the front of the restaurant at around 5:26 pm EST, the gunmen ran up and shot him several times.[10][11][12] Allegedly, John Carneglia was the gunman who shot Castellano in the head.[13][14] Bilotti was shot as he exited from the driver's door; before leaving the murder scene, Gotti drove over to view the bodies.[9][15][16]

Aftermath

Thomas Bilotti is buried fifty yards away from Castellano in the Moravian Cemetery of New Dorp, Staten Island.[17] Bilotti left behind ten children, including a six-week-old baby daughter. Bilotti's wife Donna suffered a nervous breakdown and a miscarriage.

Five years after Castellano's murder, Gotti was arrested by the FBI in late 1990 on racketeering charges,[18][19] and denied bail 10 days later.[20][21] On April 2, 1992, with the help of Gravano becoming a government witness, Gotti was convicted of numerous racketeering charges, including the 1985 Castellano and Bilotti murders.[22][23][24][25][26] On June 23, Gotti was sentenced to life in federal prison,[27][28][29] where he died of throat cancer a decade later in 2002.[30][31]

In the TV movie Boss of Bosses, Bilotti is portrayed by actor Richard Foronjy. In the 1996 made-for-TV movie Gotti, Bilotti is portrayed by actor Ron Gabriel.

Further reading
  • Davis, John H. Mafia Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family. New York: Harper Collins, 1993 ISBN 0-06-109184-7
  • Maas, Peter Underboss: Sammy The Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia
  • O'Brien F. Joseph Boss of Bosses: The Fall of the Godfather: The FBI and Paul Castellano

References
  1. "'Top level hoodlum' dies of cancer". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 4, 1985. p. 12A.
  2. Blumenthal, Ralph (December 4, 1985). "ANIELLO DELLACROCE DIES AG 71; REPUTED CRIME-GROUP FIGURE". The New York Times. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  3. Blum, p. 107
  4. Blum p. 112
  5. Blum p. 115
  6. Blum p. 128
  7. "FBI fears murder of Castellano may ignite war for mob control". The Day. (New London, Connecticut). Associated Press. December 17, 1985. p. A1.
  8. Capeci, Jerry (October 2, 2008). "Answers About the New York Mafia, Part 2". The New York Times. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  9. Lubasch, Arnold H. (March 4, 1992). "Shot by Shot, an Ex-Aide to Gotti Describes the Killing of Castellano". The New York Times. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  10. "Reputed Mafia boss murdered". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 17, 1985. p. 3A.
  11. "Crime boss, bodyguard murdered in Manhattan". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). (New York Daily News). December 17, 1985. p. A1.
  12. "Mob boss murder leads to bulletin for Lincoln car". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). United Press International. December 17, 1985. p. D4.
  13. "YouTube". www.youtube.com.
  14. "Archives | The Philadelphia Inquirer". inquirer.com.
  15. "Watch America's Book of Secrets Online | Season 2, Ep. 13 on DIRECTV". DIRECTV.
  16. "Vudu - Watch Movies". www.vudu.com.
  17. "Thomas Bilotti". Find A Grave. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  18. "Gotti arrested again on rackets charges". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). (New York Times). December 12, 1990. p. 7A.
  19. "Mob boss Gotti nabbed by FBI". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. wire dispatches. December 12, 1990. p. 2.
  20. "Gotti to spend holidays in jail". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). wire reports. December 22, 1990. p. A4.
  21. "Judge refuses to grant bail for reputed mob boss Gotti". Pittsburgh Press. Associated Press. December 22, 1990. p. A8.
  22. "Gotti guilty of murder, racketeering". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. April 2, 1992. p. A1.
  23. Lubasch, Arnold H. (April 3, 1992). "Mob takes a hit: Gotti convicted". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). (New York Times). p. A1.
  24. "John Gotti, Guilty at Last". The New York Times. April 3, 1992. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
  25. "Teflon no more". Milwaukee Sentinel. news services. April 3, 1992. p. 3A.
  26. "Gotti verdict opens door to rival mob". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). April 3, 1992. p. 1.
  27. "Gotti gets life prison sentence". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. June 23, 1992. p. A1.
  28. "Mob chief Gotti gets life sentence". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). (Washington Post). June 24, 1992. p. A3.
  29. Lubasch, Arnold H (June 24, 1992). "Gotti Sentenced to Life in Prison Without the Possibility of Parole". The New York Times. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
  30. "Former Mafia boss dies inside prison". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). news services. June 11, 2002. p. 4A.
  31. "Ex-crime boss John Gotti dies". Spokesman-Review. (Spkane, Washington). wire reports. June 11, 2002. p. A1.
American Mafia
Preceded by
Aniello Dellacroce		 Gambino crime family
Underboss
December 2–16, 1985		 Succeeded by
Frank DeCicco
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