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Gambino Family Member Pays Tribute To Mafia Boss Frank Cali After Deadly Shooting

Gambino Family Member Pays Tribute To Mafia Boss Frank Cali After Deadly Shooting

Frank Cali was shot dead in front of his Staten Island home on Wednesday. Giovanni Gambino said that Cali was a 'good wise guy'

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

A Gambino family member has spoken out after the death of Gambino crime boss, Frank Cali, and paid tribute to the man he says all the kids looked up to.

Giovanni Gambino said that the 53-year-old was a constant feature in the New York charity scene and was a 'good wise guy'.

Frank Cali (otherwise known as 'Franky Boy') was shot and killed on Wednesday night outside his home on Staten Island.

He was found with multiple gunshot wounds to his body just after 9pm and was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Speaking to the MailOnline, Giovanni explained: "He was the good wise guy that went after bad wise guys. The wise guy that showed class. He was the one that had the 'it' factor, growing up with my friends.

"We all looked up to him. He gave a great impression. Nobody gets away with anything. Especially killing a good man."

Police at the scene where Gambino mob boss Frank Cali was fatally shot on Hilltop Terrace in Staten Island.
PA

Cali was believed to be the head of New York's Gambino crime family which was once among the nation's most powerful criminal organisations.

The killing is said to have potentially shattered a 30-year peace between the Five Families in the Big Apple and could lead to more criminal activity.

According to the BBC, the unidentified killer fled the scene in a blue car. Police revealed that the shooter fired at least six times before running him over and fleeing the scene.

Family members rushed outside into the street and were crying next to his body on the floor. Officers say that the motive was not known and a statement claimed: "There are no arrests and the investigation is ongoing."

Frank Cali is said to have taken over the running of the organisation in 2015.
CBS

NYPD Chief of Detectives, Dermot Shea, told a news conference on Thursday that the victim could have possibly been lured outside before he was attacked.

Detective Shea said that Cali's Cadillac SUV, which was parked outside the home, was struck resulting in him rushing outside to investigate.

The BBC reported that after a minute-long conversation, the assassin pulled out a gun and opened fire on him.

Detective Shea added: "Needless to say, with the potential organised crime angle, it gets the utmost importance [of] the NYPD and the entire detective bureau."

Cali's murder is believed to be the first hit on a Mafia boss since John Gotti arranged the assassination of then-Gambino head, Paul Castellano back in 1985.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Mafia, News