Paul Castellano's murder site

This is the site where three gunmen assassinated Gambino crime boss Paul Castellano.

It is called Sparks Steak House, and it is located at 210 East 46th Street in Manhattan, New York.

On December 16, 1985, Castellano and his bodyguard, Thomas Bilotti, arrived at this restaurant for a meeting. However, they never made it inside. While they were exiting their vehicle, three hitmen ambushed them and shot them multiple times.

Background

Castellano's killers were part of a "hit squad" assembled by Gambino capo John Gotti.

Over the years, Gotti and other members of the family grew tired of Castellano's leadership.

In their eyes, he was a greedy, out-of-touch boss who ruled them from his mansion on Staten Island.

Castellano forbade his men from getting involved in the lucrative drug trade, as he viewed it as a risk to the organization. The lengthy prison sentences associated with drug trafficking increased the likelihood that men would "flip." Being involved in the drug trade also brought increased scrutiny from federal authorities, which he sought to avoid.

The punishment for breaking this rule was death.

Despite this, Gotti's crew ignored his orders and continued to sell drugs.

During the mid-1980s, Castellano became aware that Gotti's brother, Gene Gotti, and his childhood friend, Angelo Ruggiero, had been indicted on narcotics charges. Upon hearing that a wiretap was involved, he repeatedly demanded copies of the tapes.

On the recordings, the men spoke openly about their involvement in the heroin trade and made several disparaging remarks about Castellano.

Knowing the tapes would effectively seal their fates, they refused to turn them over.

In response, Castellano threatened to demote Gotti from his position as capo and reassign members of his crew.

Tensions escalated further in 1985 when Castellano failed to attend the wake of Gotti's mentor and the family's underboss, Aniello Dellacroce.

His absence enraged Gotti and many of Dellacroce's loyalists, who saw it as a sign of disrespect.

After Dellacroce's death, Castellano bypassed senior members of the family and promoted his personal bodyguard, Bilotti, to the position of underboss.

When Gotti learned that Castellano had plans to dismantle his crew, he decided it was time to act.

Consequently, Gotti and other capos within the Gambino family began making preparations to kill their boss and his bodyguard.

When Gotti received a tip-off that the two men were due to attend a meeting at Sparks Steak House in Manhattan, he set up a "hit squad" of six men.

Murder

The primary group allegedly consisted of Salvatore Scala, Edward Lino, and John Carneglia.

After disguising themselves in trench coats and fur hats, they positioned themselves by the main entrance of the restaurant. Meanwhile, another group of hitmen waited down the street.

At approximately 5:25 p.m., Castellano and Bilotti pulled up in a Lincoln Continental.

As they opened their doors, the three men at the front of the steakhouse ran toward them and opened fire.

Castellano was killed while exiting the passenger side. News footage later showed his body lying on the sidewalk beside the lamppost.

Bilotti was shot as he stepped out of the driver's side, facing the street. He collapsed roughly two yards from the sidewalk.

While the shooting unfolded, Gotti sat in a nearby car and watched. Before leaving the area, he drove past the scene to confirm that Castellano and Bilotti were dead.