Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Born in United States · Nationality American — Organised crime / Gambino crime family / RICO / alleged murders / taxation / criminal proceedings

Paul Castellano

Violent crime and serial killers Organised crime and cartels

Documented profile covering 10 controversies, including “1934: Convicted of armed robbery and serves short prison sentence” and “1957–1958: Apalachin, refusal to answer grand jury questions and imprisonment for contempt”.

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Profile No. 1885 · Updated on 12 October 2026

10Documented controversies

9Sources

5Formal charges · all time3 pending · 2 closed without conviction

1Conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

Case · 3 documented stages

1984–1985: Major RICO trial covering car theft, extortion, narcotics, prostitution and murders

Formally charged

30 March 1984–16 December 1985

1984–1985: Major RICO trial covering car theft, extortion, narcotics, prostitution and murders

Formally charged

Castellano was indicted alongside twenty others in an extensive racketeering case covering extortion, theft, drug trafficking, prostitution and a series of murders. At the time of his death, he was being tried on charges relating to a car theft network associated with several murders.

Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 3

[1]
UPI ArchivesPaul 'Big Paul' Castellano, reputed overlord of the powerful Gambino family...PressHigh reliability
[2]
UPI ArchivesPaul 'Big Paul' Castellano: From butcher to reputed mob chiefPressHigh reliability
[3]
Los Angeles TimesReputed Mafia Boss Castellano Slain in New YorkPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

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1979–30 March 1984

1984: Accused of conspiracy in murders of James Eppolito Sr and James Eppolito Jr

Formally charged

The major 1984 federal indictment accused Castellano, among other things, of participating in a conspiracy linked to the 1979 murders of James Eppolito Sr and Jr.

Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
UPI ArchivesPaul 'Big Paul' Castellano, reputed overlord of the powerful Gambino family...PressHigh reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

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1980–30 March 1984

1984: Accused of conspiracy in murder of former son-in-law Frank Amato

Formally charged

The same indictment accused Castellano of involvement in a conspiracy concerning the 1980 murder of his former son-in-law Frank Amato.

Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
UPI ArchivesPaul 'Big Paul' Castellano, reputed overlord of the powerful Gambino family...PressHigh reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

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February–December 1985

1985: Indicted in 'Mafia Commission Trial' for racketeering at highest level of Cosa Nostra

Formally charged

Castellano was among the leading bosses indicted in the federal case targeting the Mafia Commission, with allegations of racketeering and control of organised criminal activities.

Attribution: Accused

Sources · 2

[1]
The Washington Post9 Charged With Mafia ActivitiesPressHigh reliability
[2]
Los Angeles TimesReputed Mafia Boss Castellano Slain in New YorkPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

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Case · 2 documented stages

1975: RICO indictment for loansharking enterprise and collection of unlawful debts

Case dismissed / dropped

30 June 1975–1976

1975: RICO indictment for loansharking enterprise and collection of unlawful debts

Case dismissed / dropped

Castellano was indicted alongside several others for RICO conspiracy and conducting an enterprise allegedly engaged in lending at usurious rates and collecting unlawful debts.

Attribution: Accused

Sources · 2

[1]
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York / JustiaUnited States v. Castellano, 416 F. Supp. 125Court decisionVery high reliability
[2]
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit / JustiaUnited States v. Arthur Berardelli, 565 F.2d 24Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

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November 1976

1976: Loansharking case dismissed after key witness refuses to testify despite immunity

Case dismissed / dropped

At trial, Berardelli invoked the Fifth Amendment and then refused to testify even after receiving immunity and a court order. The government was consequently unable to establish a prima facie case, and the indictments against the Castellanos were dismissed.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit / JustiaUnited States v. Arthur Berardelli, 565 F.2d 24Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

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1975

1975: Four separate income tax fraud counts

Formally charged

The same indictment contained four tax fraud counts personally targeting Paul Castellano. The court ordered these counts severed from the RICO/loansharking charges.

Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York / JustiaUnited States v. Castellano, 416 F. Supp. 125Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

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1960

1960: Convicted of conspiracy to obstruct Apalachin investigation, then conviction overturned and dismissal ordered

Acquitted / conviction overturned

Castellano was among defendants convicted of conspiracy to obstruct the investigation into the Apalachin meeting. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the convictions and ordered the indictment dismissed.

Attribution: Accused

Sources · 1

[1]
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit / JustiaUnited States v. Bufalino, 285 F.2d 408Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

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November 1957–1958

1957–1958: Apalachin, refusal to answer grand jury questions and imprisonment for contempt

Civil / administrative proceedings

After attending the Apalachin summit, Castellano refused to answer certain grand jury questions about the meeting and was imprisoned for contempt.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
Los Angeles TimesReputed Mafia Boss Castellano Slain in New YorkPressHigh reliability
[2]
New York State PoliceOrganized Crime Meeting Broken Up by TroopersOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

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1934

1934: Convicted of armed robbery and serves short prison sentence

Conviction

At 19, Paul Castellano was convicted of armed robbery in Connecticut and served a short prison sentence.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
EBSCO Research StartersPaul Castellano — BiographySecondary sourceMedium reliability
[2]
Los Angeles TimesReputed Mafia Boss Castellano Slain in New YorkPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 13 September 2026

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II. Constellation of documented links

Linked profile (portrait or initials) — click to open it
Line width: number of documented references
Hover over or tap a line: controversies and sources

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

List of documented links (2)

III. Has something changed?

A new court decision, a missing source, a mistake? Tell us what should be updated: every request is read by the editorial team.