A gunman in a blue pickup shot dead Francesco (Franky Boy) Cali, the reputed head of the notorious Gambino crime family, outside his mansion in New York City's Staten Island borough on Wednesday night. Cali, 53 was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Federal prosecutors have referred to Cali as a Gambino underboss in court filings, but police sources tell the New York Post and New York Daily News that Cali was elevated to head of the Gambino organization in 2015, replacing Domenico Cefalu. The Daily News says he was shot six times in the chest.
This was the first murder of a mob boss in New York City since Gambino chief Paul Castellano was gunned down outside Sparks Steak House in Manhattan, on orders from the man who replaced him, John Gotti. Unlike the "Dapper Don," who died in prison in 2002, Cali "was a real quiet old-school boss," a police source told the Post, and "no one ever sees him." Killing Cali outside his house was "disrespectful," another police source told the Post. "Even Gotti had more respect. ... He did it out in Manhattan."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why are federal judges criticizing SCOTUS?Today's Big Question Supreme Court issues Trump case rulings 'with little explanation'
-
September 8 editorial cartoonsCartoons Monday’s political cartoons include Donald Trump booed at the U.S. Open, a hidden message in the Epstein Files and a new bird in Florida
-
How to see more of The Week's stories on GoogleHow to Add The Week as a preferred source to get more of our award-winning coverage
-
2 kids killed in shooting at Catholic school massSpeed Read 17 others were wounded during a morning mass at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis
-
Australian woman found guilty of mushroom murdersspeed read Erin Patterson murdered three of her ex-husband's relatives by serving them toxic death cap mushrooms
-
Combs convicted on 2 of 5 charges, denied bailSpeed Read Sean 'Diddy' Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking
-
Sniper kills 2 Idaho firefighters in ambushSpeed Read A man started a wildfire, then fired a rifle at first responders when they arrived
-
Weinstein convicted of sex crime in retrialSpeed Read The New York jury delivered a mixed and partial verdict at the disgraced Hollywood producer's retrial
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside homespeed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confessionspeed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Assailant burns Jewish pedestrians in Boulderspeed read Eight people from the Jewish group were hospitalized after a man threw Molotov cocktails in a 'targeted act of violence'
