DeCicco, Failla, and the Castellano plot

[B.]

When Paul Castellano was killed, Frank DeCicco, Jimmy Failla, and John Gammarano were inside of Sparks. According to Gravano, Failla became upset when he became aware of the shooting and DeCicco assured him that he had "nothing to worry about" and would talk to him later.

Now, I never really thought about it, but DeCicco was basically admitting guilt to Failla right then and there. If Gammarano was in earshot, he would have known this as well. Has anything ever come out about whether DeCicco did talk to Failla later? I know that DeCicco and Failla went back a ways together, but it seems irresponsible for him to give himself away just to make Failla feel better. What difference does it make to DeCicco if Failla is scared out of his wits?

Failla later collaborated with Danny Marino (who was close to Gammarano) and the Genovese/Lucchese families to take Gotti and DeCicco out. Do you think it's any coincidence that Failla and Marino were the ones set on getting revenge? You have to assume Failla told Gigante what DeCicco had said.

[Lou_Para]

I don't think that DeCicco really gave away too much. Before Paulie was cold,everybody in the Mob knew that Gotti was behind it. DeCicco was already in line to become underboss,and I think that he felt that Failla (as well as most of the Gambinos) would be too scared of Gotti to do anything against him.
Failla had a good little setup under Paul,and Gotti let him keep his rackets and income.However,I believe that Jimmy was of the old school,and that whacking a boss without permission was the cardinal sin. I'm figuring that Chin told him that he would support him and Marino as the new heads of the Gambinos once Gotti and DeCicco were gone.
DeCicco was a bit of a weasel as well. According to Gravano, DeCicco told him that if Gotti screwed up,the two of them would kill him and take over.

[bronx]

I don't think that DeCicco really gave away too much. Before Paulie was cold,everybody in the Mob knew that Gotti was behind it. DeCicco was already in line to become underboss,and I think that he felt that Failla (as well as most of the Gambinos) would be too scared of Gotti to do anything against him.
Failla had a good little setup under Paul,and Gotti let him keep his rackets and income.However,I believe that Jimmy was of the old school,and that whacking a boss without permission was the cardinal sin. I'm figuring that Chin told him that he would support him and Marino as the new heads of the Gambinos once Gotti and DeCicco were gone.
DeCicco was a bit of a weasel as well. According to Gravano, DeCicco told him that if Gotti screwed up,the two of them would kill him and take over.

Well said...decicco made a deadly mistake going along with gotti, he was in a great position even better after paul went to prison.

[B.]

I don't think that DeCicco really gave away too much. Before Paulie was cold,everybody in the Mob knew that Gotti was behind it. DeCicco was already in line to become underboss,and I think that he felt that Failla (as well as most of the Gambinos) would be too scared of Gotti to do anything against him.
Failla had a good little setup under Paul,and Gotti let him keep his rackets and income.However,I believe that Jimmy was of the old school,and that whacking a boss without permission was the cardinal sin. I'm figuring that Chin told him that he would support him and Marino as the new heads of the Gambinos once Gotti and DeCicco were gone.
DeCicco was a bit of a weasel as well. According to Gravano, DeCicco told him that if Gotti screwed up,the two of them would kill him and take over.

It's not that they didn't know who did it, but that he indirectly admitted to being involved. The way mob politics work is that everyone usually knows everyone else's business through gossip and assumption, but they need to have something to grab onto, even if it's small. Telling a loyal old capo "not to worry" after the boss and his top guy just got shot a matter of feet away is basically an admission.

The whole "We're investigating the murder but our family is intact and we're all smooth sailing... in the meantime, we're going to promote John Gotti" thing is a bad line, but it's just typical mob bullshit. If DeCicco really told Failla (and possibly Gammarano) not to worry, he implied that he was involved in the conspiracy and knew the killers' intentions. If Failla was even a little bit shrewd in mob politics, he would have used that to fuel the fire against DeCicco/Gotti... particularly DeCicco who might not have been an obvious suspect in the killing.

And you're right about DeCicco being a weasel. He was one of Castellano's favorites and also had the respect of the other groups in the family, yet he was the lynchpin in the Castellano murder and willing to kill the next boss, too, as you said. There is also a possibility he was an informant. Gus Sclafani claimed to have info that DeCicco was a rat and as a result Sclafani was killed. Sclafani provided worthwhile info from his source to other family members, so why he would start calling one of the most powerful and popular members a rat if he didn't strongly believe it is open for debate.

DeCicco could have been the mysterious Gambino informant who called LE and told them about the Commission meeting that ended up getting photographed. Relatively few members would have known the exact time and location, let alone that a Commission meeting was happening, and DeCicco happened to be the chauffeur who drove all Commission members from their cars to the house. I believe everyone else who was at that meeting was indicted in the case, but not DeCicco. This was probably because he didn't attend the actual meeting and wasn't otherwise known to be connected to Commission crimes, but he was still in a position to report the meeting without hurting himself, which can't be said for the other members we now of who attended.

The other thing is... who was the informant that told the FBI where to place the bugs in Paul Castellano's house? He liked having his guys come over to his house, but next to Tommy Bilotti, DeCicco was a regular at the house and knew Castellano's habits well.

It is speculation but he does find his way right into the center of all of these incidents, and in my opinion he is the type of guy who would secretly inform. Gravano, a government witness who lived in complete denial about what he'd become, talked DeCicco up as an old school no nonsense guy, but he also talked himself up that way. They both conspired to kill their boss, one of the biggest sins in the life. Gravano broke the other cardinal sin of turning government witness, so it's not hard for me to believe that DeCicco had done something similar by giving up info.

[Hailbritain]

Did they not get the floor plans to castellanos house from Julie miron ??

[bronx]

scarpa gave up the commish meeting. watts was thought to be the inside guy for years..he was always at pauls house .

[Hailbritain]

They conned the floor plans out of Julie miron

[B.]

That didn't tell them where to place the bug, though. Joe Watts is another possibility for sure.

Bronx -- where does that info come about Scarpa and the commission meeting? A Gambino informant called agent Joe O'Brien and told him the time and location of the Commission meeting, which was being arranged by the Gambino family. Scarpa wasn't in a position to know any of those details. DeCicco on the other hand was closely involved with the plan and knew those details.

[bronx]

one hint obrien thanks mr. G..as in greg.

[joeycigars]

Didnt they put the bug in the wrong place the first time a TV ? And went back and put it in a lamp or visa versa ,Maybe there was no inside guy sounds like trial and error

[Hailbritain]

Yeah did that not but the TV while billoti watched them do it

[B.]

one hint obrien thanks mr. G..as in greg.

That means nothing.

[bronx]

scarpa is what i believe..you are of your opinion.that is what these boards are about

[B.]

scarpa is what i believe..you are of your opinion.that is what these boards are about

You stated it as fact: "scarpa gave up the commish meeting."

O'Brien wasn't Scarpa's contact agent, Scarpa wasn't in a position to know about the meeting, and the informant was said to be a member of the Gambino family.

Beyond that it's opinion, sure, but it disqualifies Scarpa.