In 1985, John Gotti organized the murder of Paul Castellano and took over leadership of the Gambino crime family.  They caught Castellano getting out of his limo in front of Spark’s Steakhouse on 46th St and put half a dozen bullets in him.

“Big Paul” Castellano was known as the Howard Hughes of the Mob because of his extensive business holdings and lavish lifestyle.  He was one of the old time dons, having first joined the mob in the early 1930′s.  He cultivated a reputation as a business man, superficially discouraged the drug trade, and kept his distance from the average Gambino soldier.

Gotti, on the other hand, was young, ambitious and brash.  He wanted to sell drugs, he was tired of paying tribute to the aging Don, and he wanted to be in charge.  He lured Castellano to Spark’s in order to smooth over family rivalries.  But Castellano had barely gotten out of the car when the bullets cut him down.  

The audacity of the crime, together with his love of the limelight, made Gotti an instant celebrity.  Gotti earned the nickname the Teflon Don because he beat several criminal prosecutions – the charges never stuck, beating three federal cases in five years.

They also called him the Dapper Don, because he always looked good… even in his mug shot.  Check out that smile.  He wore expensive Italian suits – with a preference for double breasted Armani and Brioni — and always had a ready remark for reporters.

Experience these and other stories in our Little Italy tour.  We offer a unique NY tour experience, told with audio narration, hundreds of pictures, video clips, gps-enabled map, trivia quizzes, local recommendations, and much more.  Walk New York with Racontrs and take a walk through history.