Peter Gotti and the current Boss of the Gambinos

[newera_212]

Do you know if Pete makes any policy decisions/directives for the family, or is he just a figurehead at this point?

Peter Gotti has no say over the family anymore. Cefalu is technically only acting boss but for all intents and purposes he's the ultimate authority behind the brugad. Gotti only holds onto the title because it is his right to do so. If this were twenty or thirty years ago the other families might have sent word to suggest he resign as boss, but the landscape of New York isn't what it used to be.
I'm interested to know if his family still gets tribute. With Gene still alive the Gottis might get something every now and again.

If he has no say over the Family anymore like you stated, then he is not the Boss. His Title then is only out of respect and in reality maybe he is more like a senior advisor in the background?

It's not out of respect, Peter having the official boss title can help the likes of Cefalu and Cali if they get indicted

i never understood this line of thinking, especially in this day and age. the feds arent dumb. The Lucchese boss position is still being held by Amuso but the entire admin got indicted. whether or not madonna and crea were calling shots on their own or involving Amuso is unclear, but Amuso wasnt in the indictment. I dont think title has much weight on charges or sentencing at a conviction; murder is still murder, scams are still scams...whether you're a street boss or titular boss.

i mean, if we're on here, out of all people saying "pete is boss because they're using him as a lightning rod, its a smart ploy" and everything else out there says the same, the feds are the only one not in that secret?

i think in this day and age its a combo of letting him keep the title to allow him to keep his dignity, and out of respect, combined with him probably refusing to give up the title.

has there ever been an instance where a family "voted out" someone as boss? a situation where someone was disposed as boss, but he wasnt actually killed and didnt step down himself? the only one i can think of was Massino and its because he ratted

[newera_212]

I'd say he has the title because it's in the rules that he can hold onto it for as long as he wants unless he is deposed by the Commission. Because there isn't much of a Commission anymore, I'd say Gotti is still the 'official' boss as a technicality, and the Sicilians would be happy to keep him as such so they could avoid the heat that comes with the title.

but they have a lot more heat regardless, being active and out on the street. gottis in jail, thats as cold as it gets. cali, cefalu, dimaria, whoever is running things, is gonna have more heat on them than anyone who would be locked up, title or not

[Frank]

Maybe with Gene out we will find out more about Peter Gotti, concerning tribute and if he has any say in who is acting boss, underboss and consigliere.

[Frank]

Don't want to get off topic, but speaking of past leaders of the Family, is Jackie Damico still active or is he in retirement?

[thekiduknow]

Do you know if Pete makes any policy decisions/directives for the family, or is he just a figurehead at this point?

Peter Gotti has no say over the family anymore. Cefalu is technically only acting boss but for all intents and purposes he's the ultimate authority behind the brugad. Gotti only holds onto the title because it is his right to do so. If this were twenty or thirty years ago the other families might have sent word to suggest he resign as boss, but the landscape of New York isn't what it used to be.
I'm interested to know if his family still gets tribute. With Gene still alive the Gottis might get something every now and again.

Thanks for the reply. Could you go into a little more detail about the difference between now and twenty-thirty years ago? I know that the Commission doesn't meet anymore, but do you know if the other NY bosses have any influence on each other? Or meet at all?

[Pogo The Clown]

i never understood this line of thinking, especially in this day and age. the feds arent dumb. The Lucchese boss position is still being held by Amuso but the entire admin got indicted. whether or not madonna and crea were calling shots on their own or involving Amuso is unclear, but Amuso wasnt in the indictment. I dont think title has much weight on charges or sentencing at a conviction; murder is still murder, scams are still scams...whether you're a street boss or titular boss.

i mean, if we're on here, out of all people saying "pete is boss because they're using him as a lightning rod, its a smart ploy" and everything else out there says the same, the feds are the only one not in that secret?

Yeah I never understood that myself. It is totally illogical.


Pogo

[chin_gigante]

Thanks for the reply. Could you go into a little more detail about the difference between now and twenty-thirty years ago? I know that the Commission doesn't meet anymore, but do you know if the other NY bosses have any influence on each other? Or meet at all?

For example, if I'm remembering correctly then the last time the Colombos made a bunch of guys they didn't even pass around a list of members to the other families. I'd say at that's evidence that at this point everyone just does their own thing when it comes to Cosa Nostra but they still co-ordinate and co-operate when it comes to business

[chin_gigante]

i mean, if we're on here, out of all people saying "pete is boss because they're using him as a lightning rod, its a smart ploy" and everything else out there says the same, the feds are the only one not in that secret?

i think in this day and age its a combo of letting him keep the title to allow him to keep his dignity, and out of respect, combined with him probably refusing to give up the title.

has there ever been an instance where a family "voted out" someone as boss? a situation where someone was disposed as boss, but he wasnt actually killed and didnt step down himself? the only one i can think of was Massino and its because he ratted

I think, excluding Massino, the New York families have only successfully removed bosses during the sixties and seventies. The Commission obviously deposed Bonanno and then possibly replaced DiGregorio (unless he resigned). After Joe Colombo's shooting he was incapable of running the family and also incapable of deciding to step down so he was removed as boss.
Other times they have used a softer approach. DiBella stepped down for Persico with the backing of the Commission so they probably suggested he step down (rather than ordering, just like they suggested Profaci step down) and DiBella took the message.
There have been instances where the Commission refused. In 76/77 a faction of the Colombos went to request that DiBella be removed as boss but the other families declined to intervene. Same thing happened again with Persico in the early 90s. I think the louc there was that the Commission wouldn't act unless the rebels had the support of the majority of the family. There's also the conversation when Salerno discusses the Bonannos in the early 80s and says that Rastelli will stay boss for as long as his family wants him to but that he wont get a Commission seat until he sorts his brugad out.
When they were considering dissolving the Colombos in the late 90s they decided not to partly out of respect for Persico.
I'd say at least one reason for Pete Gotti still being a boss is because there isn't much of a Commission left to go to and request his removal. If he has no say over the family (though it's currently unclear whether he still gets tribute - the position would entitle him to it) then I don't think it would bother the sicilians that much if Cefalu is 'only' an acting boss, because they all know he's the ultimate authority.

[Wiseguy]

Thanks for the reply. Could you go into a little more detail about the difference between now and twenty-thirty years ago? I know that the Commission doesn't meet anymore, but do you know if the other NY bosses have any influence on each other? Or meet at all?

For example, if I'm remembering correctly then the last time the Colombos made a bunch of guys they didn't even pass around a list of members to the other families. I'd say at that's evidence that at this point everyone just does their own thing when it comes to Cosa Nostra but they still co-ordinate and co-operate when it comes to business

That was one case where we heard a NY family didn't tell the others about making new members. There was mention in an article back in the 1990s about the Genovese family doing this (to conceal it's strength in case of a war) but I'm not sure how much stock in it or the Colombo one. Anyway, I'd wait for more info or examples before concluding this is the new normal.

[newera_212]

i mean, if we're on here, out of all people saying "pete is boss because they're using him as a lightning rod, its a smart ploy" and everything else out there says the same, the feds are the only one not in that secret?

i think in this day and age its a combo of letting him keep the title to allow him to keep his dignity, and out of respect, combined with him probably refusing to give up the title.

has there ever been an instance where a family "voted out" someone as boss? a situation where someone was disposed as boss, but he wasnt actually killed and didnt step down himself? the only one i can think of was Massino and its because he ratted

I think, excluding Massino, the New York families have only successfully removed bosses during the sixties and seventies. The Commission obviously deposed Bonanno and then possibly replaced DiGregorio (unless he resigned). After Joe Colombo's shooting he was incapable of running the family and also incapable of deciding to step down so he was removed as boss.
Other times they have used a softer approach. DiBella stepped down for Persico with the backing of the Commission so they probably suggested he step down (rather than ordering, just like they suggested Profaci step down) and DiBella took the message.
There have been instances where the Commission refused. In 76/77 a faction of the Colombos went to request that DiBella be removed as boss but the other families declined to intervene. Same thing happened again with Persico in the early 90s. I think the louc there was that the Commission wouldn't act unless the rebels had the support of the majority of the family. There's also the conversation when Salerno discusses the Bonannos in the early 80s and says that Rastelli will stay boss for as long as his family wants him to but that he wont get a Commission seat until he sorts his brugad out.
When they were considering dissolving the Colombos in the late 90s they decided not to partly out of respect for Persico.
I'd say at least one reason for Pete Gotti still being a boss is because there isn't much of a Commission left to go to and request his removal. If he has no say over the family (though it's currently unclear whether he still gets tribute - the position would entitle him to it) then I don't think it would bother the sicilians that much if Cefalu is 'only' an acting boss, because they all know he's the ultimate authority.

good stuff, thanks a lot

[Mukremin]

as long as no other Gambino member gets indicted as boss, or a informer has got something on tape which says x person is boss, Peter is still the official boss be it in name, out of respect or whatever.

[CabriniGreen]

The interesting question is why Amuso, but not Gotti.
Like, why Mancuso, even.

The underlying structure of their power, their network of supporters, rackets, ect.... I think it's just politics..

[chin_gigante]

The interesting question is why Amuso, but not Gotti.
Like, why Mancuso, even.

The underlying structure of their power, their network of supporters, rackets, ect.... I think it's just politics..

Amuso proved that he still held some sway over the Lucheses when everyone showed up for his wife's funeral a few years ago. The Amuso situation is very different from the Gotti situation. It's easier to take control of the family from an incarcerated sanitation worker than it is taking it from Amuso the homicidal maniac. Persico is still the boss of the Colombos because he proved he was willing to fight for it. The boss is the boss for life until he says otherwise.
Mancuso is in a halfway house now, so he can soon join Barney Bellomo as an official boss out on the street.

[TommyGambino]

The interesting question is why Amuso, but not Gotti.
Like, why Mancuso, even.

The underlying structure of their power, their network of supporters, rackets, ect.... I think it's just politics..

One's respected and feared, the other is an idiot and not respected

[Mukremin]

The interesting question is why Amuso, but not Gotti.
Like, why Mancuso, even.

The underlying structure of their power, their network of supporters, rackets, ect.... I think it's just politics..

Amuso proved that he still held some sway over the Lucheses when everyone showed up for his wife's funeral a few years ago. The Amuso situation is very different from the Gotti situation. It's easier to take control of the family from an incarcerated sanitation worker than it is taking it from Amuso the homicidal maniac. Persico is still the boss of the Colombos because he proved he was willing to fight for it. The boss is the boss for life until he says otherwise.
Mancuso is in a halfway house now, so he can soon join Barney Bellomo as an official boss out on the street.

has the funeral been covered by the media?