The Gambino family was founded in 1910 by Salvatore "Toto" D'Aquila. He overlooked a gang of transplanted Mafiosi from Sicily after their leaders were imprisoned for counterfeiting charges. One of the family's most notorious figure was mobster Albert Anastasia, who was nicknamed "Lord High Executioner." Anastasia's right-hand man was Carlo Gambino. After Anastasia was assassinated, Gambino became the boss of the family. The crime family exerted control over the construction industry as well as Teamsters and unions that managed building materials headed to New York.
Before dying, Gambino appointed his brother-in-law Paul Castellano as the new boss. In 1985, Castellano was infamously assassinated during the Mafia Commission Trial. Fast forward to 2019, reputed boss Francesco Cali was fatally shot outside his home on Staten Island. It is believed that Lorenzo Mannino has taken over his reins as acting boss. The family is likely still active — as of Dec. 2019, several members were arrested on charges of federal racketeering conspiracy, loansharking, and bribery.
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