Francesco Cali, believed to be a high-ranking member of the Gambino crime family, was shot dead outside his Staten Island home on March 13.
According to a local NBC affiliate, police responded to a call at Cali's home at 9:20 p.m. The 911 caller told the dispatcher that Cali had been run over intentionally and shot multiple times.
Cali was widely believed to be a leader in the Gambino organization. He was never charged as a lead in the organization and, in fact, only faced one mob-related charge in his life. 10 years ago, Cali pleaded guilty to extortion after being caught in a scheme to build a NASCAR track on Staten Island.
PIX 11 reports that Cali was standing outside of his SUV in front of his home when he was ambushed by attackers in a blue pick-up truck. Cali was shot six times before the truck ran him over.
The Gambino family's reach had diminished in the decades before Cali's death. The former boss, Paul Castellano, was shot to death in New York City in 1985. Castellano was killed in front of Sparks Steakhouse in Manhattan. The organization was then headed by John Gotti, who was eventually sent to prison after years of seeming unprosecuatable. Gotti was killed in prison in 2002 and Cali was believed to have taken his place, keeping a low profile in stark contrast to his predecessor.
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