Sammy Gravano

Sammy Gravano
Sammy Gravano on December 11, 1990
Born	Salvatore Gravano (1945-03-12) March 12, 1945 (age 72) Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Other names	"Sammy the Bull" Jimmy Moran
Known for	Member of the Gambino crime family

Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano (born March 12, 1945) is a former underboss of the Gambino crime family. He is known as the man who helped bring down John Gotti, the family's boss, by agreeing to testify against him and other mobsters.

Originally a mobster for the Colombo crime family, and later for the Brooklyn faction of the Gambinos, Gravano was part of the group that murdered Gambino boss Paul Castellano. Gravano played a key role in planning and executing Castellano's murder, along with John Gotti, Angelo Ruggiero, Frank DeCicco, and Joseph Armone. After Castellano's death, Gotti elevated Gravano to underboss, a position he held at the time he became a government witness. At the time, Gravano was the highest-ranking member of the Five Families to break his blood oath and cooperate with the government, as well as the second confessed underboss of an American crime family to turn informer. His testimony drew a wave of Cosa Nostra members to also become government witnesses.

Salvatore Gravano was born in 1945 to Giorlando "Gerry" and Caterina "Kay" Gravano. He was the youngest of three children, and the only boy. The Gravano family lived in Bensonhurst, a largely Italian American neighborhood in Brooklyn. Early on, one of Gravano's relatives remarked that he looked like his uncle Sammy. From that point on, everyone called Gravano "Sammy" instead of "Salvatore". His father ran a small dress factory and maintained a good standard of living for the family.

At age seven, Gravano started stealing two cupcakes every day from a corner store in Bensonhurst on his way to school. After being caught by a store employee, a distraught Gravano received a stern warning. At age 13, Gravano joined the Rampers, a prominent street gang in Bensonhurst. At an early age, Gravano found a few people that had stolen his bicycle and went to fight the thieves. Made men who were watching from a cafe saw him take on a few people at once, and they gave Gravano back his bike. As he was leaving, one of the Mafia made men remarked on how little Sammy fought "like a bull", and hence his nickname "The Bull".