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Thomas " Tommy" Bilotti (March 23, 1940 – December 16, 1985) was an American mobster who was briefly underboss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. His promotion helped trigger the 1985 assassination of Gambino boss Paul Castellano; Bilotti was killed as part of the assassination.
Bilotti was a resident of 33 Kensington Avenue on Staten Island in April 1970, when he and an accomplice, Thomas Papanier, were observed discarding firearms and arrested following a shooting in Jamesburg, New Jersey. Bilotti and Papanier were apprehended as they ran from the scene of the shooting, in which African-American teenager Emory Parks suffered superficial injuries when he was struck in the back of the head by birdshot pellets."Jamesburg youth shot, two held" George McCarthy, Asbury Park Press p. 1 (April 29, 1970) The quick arrest of the pair occurred as the Jamesburg area was in the midst of significant racial tension after riots at the local high school, and police from Spotswood and Monroe Township were on alert."Jamesburg quiet after outbreaks" Asbury Park Press p. 1 (April 30, 1970) Although police suspected that the duo were responsible for Parks' injuries, Bilotti and Papanier were initially charged with carrying a concealed weapon, carrying a pistol without a permit and failing to secure a permit to purchase a pistol."Jury to get case of duo in shooting" Asbury Park Press p. 18 (May 20, 1970) A Middlesex County grand jury ultimately indicted the men only for illegal possession of concealed weapons."Two indicted as result of shooting" Asbury Park Press p. 10 (June 1, 1970)
In 1971, John D'Alessio allegedly recruited Thomas Bilotti and his brother Joseph Bilotti to murder Thomas "Tommy Edwards" Ernst, the common-law husband of D'Alessio's daughter Theresa. Ernst, who was in debt to two Staten Island mobsters, survived an initial attempt on his life at a Grasmere diner on August 31, 1971. He then agreed to meet with D'Alessio at the Wild Acres bar in Dingmans Ferry, near D'Alessio's summer home in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, on September 2, 1971. After leaving the D'Alessio country mansion on his way to the meeting, Ernst's Cadillac was overtaken by three men in a car who opened fire at him. However, this murder attempt also failed when Theresa D'Alessio, who was not supposed to be present, returned fire with a semi-automatic rifle. Ernst reportedly identified the two shooters to the Pennsylvania State Police before withrawing the identification. Police Discount Gallo Connection In Slaying on S.I. Richard Phalon, The New York Times (April 8, 1972) Ernst was ultimately killed on April 6, 1972 when he was ambushed and shot twice by an unidentified gunman on the porch of John D'Alessio's home at 151 Jumel Street in Great Kills, where he had been making a visit to Theresa D'Alessio.
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Bilotti's first wife Catherine died of cancer in her mid-30s, and he subsequently remarried to Donna, a Brooklyn beauty parlor owner. He had a severely autistic son who had been institutionalized since childhood, and although Bilotti visited the boy regularly, he rarely spoke of him. Bilotti was best man at the wedding of actor Gianni Russo, a fellow native of Staten Island. Gianni Russo had to battle Marlon Brando after snagging Carlo Rizzi role in “The Godfather” Tom Wrobleski, Staten Island Advance (October 3, 2022) Another Bilotti brother, Jimmy, worked for the singer Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas for several years during the 1970s and 1980s.
Following the death of Carlo Gambino, Castellano was elevated to Crime boss of the Gambino crime family in 1976. Gambino's decision to appoint Castellano as his successor essentially split the family into two factions; Castellano's "white-collar" branch, and a "blue-collar" wing led by underboss Aniello Dellacroce. Scars on Mob Boss Paul Castellano’s Reign Ed Scarpo, Medium (December 30, 2016) Bilotti was subsequently inducted as a Made man of the family in October 1977, and his older brother Joseph followed suit in 1980. When Castellano moved into a custom built palatial mansion at 177 Benedict Road atop Staten Island's Todt Hill in 1980, Bilotti moved into a less ostentatious home nearby. He was a regular visitor and dinner guest at Castellano's mansion and was considered a close family friend. However, when Castellano started an affair with his live-in maid Gloria Olarte, Bilotti kept it secret from Castellano's wife Nina. Bilotti, along with Salvatore Barbato, also provided security for Castellano and his estate. Bilotti and Castellano regularly vacationed together at Pompano Beach, Florida. Castellano promoted Bilotti to capo in the fall of 1981, and he oversaw a crew of Soldato ("soldiers") that included his brother Joseph Bilotti and John Gambino.
In addition to maintaining a large loansharking book, Bilotti was granted lucrative new business ventures by Castellano. The pair were partners in Scara-Mix, a concrete-supply company headquartered at 2537 Richmond Terrace in West New Brighton which continuously won profitable contracts. Thomas "Tommy" Bilotti oocities.org The company obtained more than $2 million in subcontracts on city and Transit Authority construction projects between 1984 and 1986 alone. Supplier of Concrete to City Had Link to a Crime Figure Selwyn Raab, The New York Times (September 14, 1986) Paul's son Philip Castellano was installed as president of Scara-Mix, and Bilotti served as the company's vice president, overseeing day-to-day activities on various construction projects in New York City and New Jersey in which the Gambino crime family had an interest. He was also heavily involved in the Steam Fitters Local 638 of the Plumbers Union that was represented by George Daly, an associate who belonged to Bilotti's crew. Indictment Of Reputed Mobsters Struck Blow to Gambino Family Vera Haller, Associated Press (June 21, 1986) Court aide and 15 others indicted in move against Gambino group Selwyn Raab, The New York Times (June 21, 1986) Daly served as Local 638's business agent until his 1987 conviction for soliciting bribes to ensure labor peace. United States of America v. George Daly and Louis Giardina Justia (October 13, 1987) Supreme Court lets Giardina conviction stand United Press International (October 3, 1988)
Gravano suggested killing both Castellano and Bilotti while they were eating breakfast at a diner.Blum p. 115 However, when DeCicco tipped Gotti off that he would be having a meeting with Castellano and several other Gambino mobsters at Sparks Steak House on December 16, Gotti and the other conspirators decided to kill him then.Blum p. 128
As Castellano was exiting the car at the front of the restaurant at around 5:26 pm EST, the gunmen ran up and shot him several Allegedly, Carneglia was the gunman who shot Castellano in the head. as he exited from the driver's door; before leaving the murder scene, Gotti drove past to view
Five years after Castellano's murder, Gotti was arrested by the FBI in late 1990 on racketeering and denied bail 10 days with the help of Gravano becoming a government witness, Gotti was convicted of numerous racketeering charges, including the 1985 Castellano and Bilotti Gotti was sentenced to life in federal where he died of throat cancer a decade later
Bilotti is portrayed by Richard Foronjy in the TV movie Boss of Bosses, Ron Gabriel in the 1996 made-for-TV movie Gotti, and Jerry Grayson in the NBC network TV movie Witness to the Mob.
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