Who Was Neil Dellacroce? Gotti's Mentor, the Underboss in the Ravenite Basement
Mobsters DailyNeil Dellacroce was the Gambino underboss who mentored John Gotti, ran his crew from the Ravenite Social Club in Little Italy, and held the family together between Paul Castellano and Gotti until cancer killed him on December 2, 1985. Born Aniello Dellacroce in 1914, "the Tall Guy" was feared for violence, respected for old-school discipline, and died just two weeks before the hit that made his protégé boss.
The Ravenite underboss
Dellacroce rose under Albert Anastasia — the era of the barbershop murder — and became Carlo Gambino's underboss, a bridge between the Sicilian boss and the street crews. From the Ravenite at 247 Mulberry Street he ran hijacking, loansharking and gambling, and took young John Gotti under his wing. When Gambino died and named Castellano boss, Dellacroce swallowed the insult, kept his rank, and prevented an immediate war inside the Gambino family.
Dellacroce dressed sharp, spoke softly in public and terrified people in private — the underboss as neighbourhood fixture, holding court while the city changed around Mulberry Street. That is exactly the energy behind the Tony Soprano Ugly Christmas Sweater — a holiday nod to the boss who ran a crew from a pork store, not a boardroom, and the perfect gift as the season closes in.
Mentor, shield, and the end
As long as Dellacroce lived, Castellano could not move against Gotti's crew over drug dealing, and Gotti could not move against Castellano. Dellacroce was convicted on tax charges late in life and battled lung cancer; he died at Mary Immaculate Hospital in Queens on December 2, 1985. Fourteen days later Gotti ordered the Castellano hit outside Sparks — the event, with Gravano's later testimony, that defined the next era. The Commission system from Luciano's time never recovered its balance.
His real legacy
Dellacroce was the last man both Gambino factions obeyed. His death did not just remove an underboss; it removed the lock on the door.
Frequently asked questions
What was Neil Dellacroce's nickname? He was called 'the Tall Guy' and 'the Polack' in some accounts; his first name Aniello was often shortened to Neil.
When did Dellacroce die? December 2, 1985, of cancer — two weeks before the Castellano murder.
Where was the Ravenite Social Club? At 247 Mulberry Street in Little Italy, Manhattan, later made famous by surveillance of John Gotti.
Keep reading: The Castellano hit Dellacroce's death unlocked · Gravano and Gotti's fall · The Five Families
From the shop: Shadows of the Underworld — the real-mafia history behind the bosses, crews and hits in this story.
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