Who Was Sammy "The Bull" Gravano? The Confessed Mafia Hitman Turned Informant
For decades, the mafia thriller series "Organized Crime" (formerly known as "Power Book IV: The Come Up") fascinated audiences worldwide with its riveting stories of gang warfare, corrupt law enforcement, and bloody power struggles within the organized crime families of New York City. A central character in this ongoing saga is Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, a notorious Mafia hitman who turned into one of the most powerful sources of evidence against his own organization, the Lucchese Crime Family.
Sammy’s Early Life and Criminal Past
Before delving into Sammy Gravano’s Mafia heyday, it is crucial to understand his turbulent background. Born Salvatore Gravano in 1945, in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Gravano hailed from an Italian-American family with ties to the traditional organized crime syndicates.
The Lucchese Years
As a teenager, Gravano associated with the Lucchese Crime Family, founded by Gaetano "Luchesse" Lucchesi in the early 1920s. Quickly rising through the ranks due to his temperament and loyalty, he became one of Paul Vario’s closest lieutenants and formed a partnership with his underboss, Roy DeMeo. Sammy’s position within the outfit granted him access to vast criminal profits, fueled the commission wars, and catapulted him to an estimated net worth of several million dollars by his mid-thirties.
The Murders and Consequences
DeMeo’s murder was a significant turning point for Gravano, allegedly orchestrated by Vario with the blessings of John Gotti. Enraged by his friends’ betrayals and fed up with the organization’s constant in-fighting and power struggles, Sammy’s loyalty started waning. During Operation Donnie Brasco, conducted by the U.S. government and an undercover agent, Joe Massino (aka Donnie Brasco), infiltrating the Lucchese Crew, Sammy’s misstep was undeniable.
In April 1989, authorities arrested Sammy Gravano, now 46 years old, following allegations of various crimes, including narcotics trafficking and murder-for-hire. Painfully honest, refusing a plea bargain in exchange for a sentence significantly less harsh, he continued to speak candidly and share critical information. When questioned, "Why don’t you deny it?", Gravano replied simply, "Lying don’t get me a better deal." That admission helped seal the mafia’s downfall within the U.S. Attorney’s office and sparked a tidal wave of FBI investigations into organized crime cases.
The Ticking Time Bomb
Following months of internal conflicts within his own ranks, Gotti, along with John Pappa Jr. (Mafia assassin), faced court-martial and death-by-firing-squad style execution from the imprisoned inmates of a federal maximum security prison (Attica or Dannemora).
Within the late 1990s and early 2000s, organized crime figures saw Mafioso factions splinter under intense internal pressure and fear of reprisals resulting from informants within these groups. Those convicted, mostly in association with Gravano, started to accept plea agreements before trial and cooperate fully or, worst-case, choose government witness programs.
In 2016, Paulie Gherity’s son "Poundcake" Vario’s associate arrested and then tangibly, he snatched his mouthpiece lawyer Michael Pizzuto as ordered! This shows Vario did not kill Donnie Brasco during its Operation for a hit with his friends.
Sammy’s incredible testimony had numerous consequences within the Italian crime families.
Judgments and Controversies
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