Keith Mack
Salvatore Sammy the Bull Gravano was a notorious gangster and hitman for the Gambino crime family, who confessed to 19 murders, including that of his brother-in-law, Nicholas Little Nicky Scibetta. Scibetta was a Sicilian American mobster and the nephew of Joseph and John Zicarelli. He was also the uncle of Gerard Gravano, a Gambino crime family mob associate. Scibetta's murder was ordered by Paul Castellano, who asked Frank DeCicco to notify Gravano of the impending hit. While some sources claim that Gravano carried out the murder himself, others suggest that it was committed by members of his crew. Gravano's cooperation as a government witness led to a deal that resulted in him serving only five years in prison.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano |
| Born | March 12, 1945 |
| Profession | American former mobster, hitman, and FBI informant |
| Murders confessed to | At least 19 |
| Brother-in-law's name | Nicholas "Little Nicky" Scibetta |
| Brother-in-law's death | Murdered by Sammy the Bull in 1978 |
| Reason for brother-in-law's murder | Nicholas Scibetta was a cocaine and alcohol user who participated in public fights and insulted the daughter of a Gambino boss |
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What You'll Learn
Sammy the Bull's confession to 19 murders
Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano confessed to 19 murders and was a notorious gangster and hitman for the Gambino crime family. He rose to the position of underboss in the Gambino crime family of New York City before becoming a government witness. Gravano played a major role in prosecuting John Gotti, the crime family's boss, by agreeing to testify as a government witness against him and other mobsters in exchange for a lighter sentence.
Gravano's first murder came in 1970 when he shot Colombo associate Joe Colucci, who had been plotting to kill another Colombo associate without permission. Gravano described the murder in detail, comparing it to the famous scene from The Godfather. He felt no remorse at the time, but later admitted to feeling guilty about some of his crimes, including the killing of his best friend, Louis Milito. Gravano also confessed to the murder of his brother-in-law, Nicholas "Little Nicky" Scibetta, and the 1977 murder of a 16-year-old boy with no ties to the Mafia, who was killed after witnessing Gravano and an associate carry out a drive-by shooting.
Gravano was a childhood friend of Colombo crime family associate Gerard Pappa and first became associated with the Mafia in 1968 through his friend Tommy Spero, whose uncle was an associate of the Colombo family. Gravano was known for his brutality and willingness to murder anyone he was asked to. He was also involved in a variety of other crimes, including a narcotics ring in Arizona for which he was convicted in 2001.
Despite confessing to 19 murders, Gravano only served five years in prison due to his cooperation with the government. He was released from prison in 2018 and is currently under lifetime parole, likely in an undisclosed location. Gravano's cooperation with the government and light sentence have been a source of controversy for the families of his victims, who feel that their loved ones' deaths were overlooked.
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Sammy the Bull's brother-in-law, Nicholas Little Nicky Scibetta
Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano was an American former mobster who rose to the position of underboss in the Gambino crime family of New York City. He confessed to 19 murders, including that of his brother-in-law, Nicholas "Little Nicky" Scibetta.
Scibetta was a Sicilian-American mobster and a Gambino crime family associate. He was born and raised in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, like his future brother-in-law, Gravano. Scibetta was a cocaine and alcohol user who participated in several public fights and insulted the daughter of Gambino soldier George DeCicco. He was also suspected of being gay, which was another motive for the murder.
In 1978, boss Paul Castellano ordered the murder of Scibetta. Since Scibetta was Gravano's brother-in-law, Castellano asked Frank DeCicco to notify Gravano of the impending hit. Gravano was initially furious but eventually calmed down and accepted Scibetta's fate as punishment for his behaviour. Scibetta was dismembered, and his body was never found except for his arm and a hand.
Gravano was a notorious gangster and hitman for the Gambino crime family who killed at least 19 people before becoming an FBI informant. He played a major role in prosecuting John Gotti, the boss of the crime family, by agreeing to testify as a government witness against him and other mobsters. As part of the agreement, Gravano confessed to his involvement in at least 19 murders, although he was responsible for several other crimes.
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Sammy the Bull's role as an FBI informant
Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano was an American former mobster and underboss in the Gambino crime family of New York City. He confessed to committing at least 19 murders, including that of his brother-in-law, and was also responsible for numerous other crimes.
Gravano's criminal activities began at a young age, starting with minor shoplifting. He was a childhood friend of Colombo crime family associate Gerard Pappa, and his father's brother, Alphonsio Gravano, was a "made" member of the Sicilian Mafia. Gravano first became associated with the Mafia in 1968 through his friend Tommy Spero, whose uncle was an associate of the Colombo family. He committed his first murder in 1970, killing Colombo associate Joe Colucci, who had been plotting to kill another Colombo associate without permission.
Gravano's role as an FBI informant began when he agreed to testify as a government witness against John Gotti, the boss of the Gambino crime family, and other mobsters in exchange for a deal. Gravano confessed to his involvement in at least 19 murders and served only five years in prison due to his cooperation. His testimony played a major role in prosecuting Gotti and brought the powerful Gambino crime family to its knees.
Despite breaking the Mafia's cardinal rule, Gravano managed to elude retribution from his former associates for over 25 years. He has expressed regret for his actions and the impact they had on his family. Gravano's cooperation with the FBI and his public testimony against the Gambino family marked a dramatic betrayal that brought down one of the most powerful mob bosses in the country.
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Sammy the Bull's criminal activities
Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano was a notorious gangster and hitman for the Gambino crime family. He confessed to 19 murders, although he was responsible for other crimes and is thought to have killed many more people.
Gravano's first murder was in 1970, when he shot Colombo associate Joe Colucci. Gravano had earned a reputation as a "good earner" and someone who was prepared to brutally murder anyone he was asked to. Gravano described the killing in detail, comparing it to the famous scene from The Godfather. He said he felt like a madman after the Colucci murder, and he never stopped stealing. Never stopped robbing. Gravano's crimes were not limited to murder and robbery, as he was also involved in drug dealing and arms trafficking.
In 1971, Gravano married Debra Scibetta, and they had two children. Gravano's daughter, Karen, has since appeared on reality television and written a book about her experiences as the daughter of a mobster. Later in his mob career, Gravano was ordered to arrange the murder of his brother-in-law, Nicholas "Little Nicky" Scibetta. Scibetta was a Sicilian American mobster and the nephew of Joseph and John Zicarelli. He was also an alcoholic with a cocaine habit. Gravano met with Scibetta at his drywall business and pulled the ladder from under him, but his gun jammed. Scibetta pleaded for his life, but Gravano pushed some drywall onto him and then shot him.
In addition to the murder of his brother-in-law, Gravano confessed to killing his best friend, Louis Milito. He also admitted to the 1977 murder of 16-year-old Alan Kaiser, who witnessed Gravano and an associate carry out a drive-by shooting. Gravano was initiated into the Gambino family in 1976, and he rose to the position of underboss. He played a major role in prosecuting John Gotti, the crime family's boss, by agreeing to testify as a government witness. As part of his agreement, Gravano served only five years in prison.
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Sammy the Bull's testimony against John Gotti
Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano was an American former mobster and hitman for the Gambino crime family. He rose to the position of underboss in the Gambino crime family of New York City before becoming a government witness. As part of his agreement with the government, Gravano confessed to his involvement in at least 19 murders, including that of his brother-in-law.
In 1991, Gravano agreed to turn state's evidence and testify for the prosecution against John Gotti, the boss of the Gambino crime family. Gravano was among the highest-ranking members of the Five Families but broke his blood oath and cooperated with the government. Gravano's testimony was crucial in securing a conviction against Gotti, who was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in 1992. Gravano confessed to 19 murders, implicating Gotti in four of them.
During the trial, prosecutors played tapes showing Gotti discussing Gambino family business, including murders he had approved, and confirming the animosity between Gotti and his predecessor, Paul Castellano, who had been murdered in 1985. Gravano, who had been part of the group that conspired to murder Castellano, described in detail the conspiracy to assassinate him, giving a full description of the hit and its aftermath.
Gravano's cooperation with the government led to a total of 37 convictions, nine people awaiting trial, and eight people resigning from the unions. Gravano himself was sentenced to five years in prison but served only one year due to time already served. Gravano's testimony against Gotti helped him receive a reduced sentence and enter the Witness Protection Program. However, he soon left the program and began giving interviews to the press, appearing in a nationally televised interview in 1997.
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Frequently asked questions
Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano was a notorious gangster and hitman for the Gambino crime family. He confessed to 19 murders and was an FBI informant.
Yes, Sammy the Bull killed his brother-in-law, Nicholas "Little Nicky" Scibetta.
Nicholas "Little Nicky" Scibetta was a Sicilian American mobster and nephew of Joseph and John Zicarelli. He was ordered to be killed by Paul Castellano, the boss of the Gambino crime family, after Scibetta insulted the daughter of George DeCicco.
Sammy the Bull shot and killed his brother-in-law with a pistol after trapping him on a ladder.
Sammy the Bull confessed to his involvement in at least 19 murders, including the killing of his brother-in-law, and served only five years in prison in exchange for his cooperation as an FBI informant. He also agreed to testify against other mobsters, including John Gotti, the boss of the Gambino crime family.
