Domenico Cefalu
Encyclopedia
Domenico "Italian Dom" Cefalu, also known as Greaseball and Dom from 18th Avenue (born 1947) is the boss of the Gambino crime family
and leader of the organization's Sicilian
faction.
Cefalu was born in Sicily
in 1947. After moving to the United States, Cefalu got involved in organized crime and started smuggling heroin for the Gambino crime family. In 1982, he was convicted of heroin smuggling and served six years in prison. In 1991, Gambino boss John Gotti
inducted Cefalu as a made man
, or full member, into the Gambino family. Cefalu was a member of the Sicilian "Zip
" crew headed by captain
Pasquale Conte
and based in Queens
and Brooklyn
.
In 1992, a New York grand jury summoned Cefalu to testify in an investigation of Conte. After answering a few questions, Cefalu refused to testify. The judge sentenced Cefalu to 18 months in jail for civil contempt. On February 23, 1993, Cefalu was summoned to testify in Conte's trial, but again refused. On February 6, 1994, Cefalu was released from jail. However on February 6, 1994, Cefalu was indicted on criminal contempt for refusing to testify at Conte's trial. In 1996, convicted of criminal contempt, the court sentenced Cefalu to 33 months in prison.
In 2005, Cefalu was named family underboss
by street boss and former ally of John Gotti, Jackie D'Amico
. One of his main responsibilities was over seeing the Sicilian faction of the Gambino family.
On February 7, 2008, Cefalu was indicted on multiple charges of racketeering conspiracy and extortion
as part of the Operation Old Bridge
investigation of the Gambino family. The extortion charges came from the trucking industry, which hauls away dirt excavated from construction projects. Cefalu accepted a plea agreement from the prosecution in exchange for a guilty plea that could have resulted in his spending up to three years in prison. Cefalu was sentenced to 33 months in prison. On November 3, 2009, Cefalu was released from federal prison. Cefalu currently resides in Brooklyn and lives with his mother. His legitimate employment is as a salesmen for a bakery.
In July 2011, Cefalu became the official boss of the Gambino crime family. His ascension was seen as a return to the old-fashion way of running a Mafia family. He replaced Peter Gotti
, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment in 2002 while a series of acting bosses and ruling panels was used to run the family. This also marked the end of the John Gotti
era of the Gambino family. Gotti had been in charge of the Gambino family since 1986 and when imprisoned used several close criminal associates and blood relatives to run the Gambino family before and after his death. Cefalu is the first person since Gotti went to prison to lead the family who was not a Gotti ally.
Gambino crime family
The Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
and leader of the organization's Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
faction.
Cefalu was born in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
in 1947. After moving to the United States, Cefalu got involved in organized crime and started smuggling heroin for the Gambino crime family. In 1982, he was convicted of heroin smuggling and served six years in prison. In 1991, Gambino boss John Gotti
John Gotti
John Joseph Gotti, Jr was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. Gotti grew up in poverty. He and his brothers turned to a life of crime at an early age...
inducted Cefalu as a made man
Made man
A made man, also known as a Mafioso , made guy, man of honor, or uomo d'onore , is someone who has been officially inducted into the Sicilian or American Mafia . They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy...
, or full member, into the Gambino family. Cefalu was a member of the Sicilian "Zip
Zips
Zips is a slang term often used as a derogatory slur by Italian American and Sicilian American mobsters in reference to newer immigrant Sicilian and Italian mafiosi...
" crew headed by captain
Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
Pasquale Conte
Pasquale Conte
Pasquale Conte , also known as "Patsy", is a New York mobster who became a caporegime with the Gambino crime family.-Background:Born in Sicily, Conte is a resident of Roslyn, New York. He was at one time a board member of Key Food Cooperative Supermarket Chain, an association of small supermarkets...
and based in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
and Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
.
In 1992, a New York grand jury summoned Cefalu to testify in an investigation of Conte. After answering a few questions, Cefalu refused to testify. The judge sentenced Cefalu to 18 months in jail for civil contempt. On February 23, 1993, Cefalu was summoned to testify in Conte's trial, but again refused. On February 6, 1994, Cefalu was released from jail. However on February 6, 1994, Cefalu was indicted on criminal contempt for refusing to testify at Conte's trial. In 1996, convicted of criminal contempt, the court sentenced Cefalu to 33 months in prison.
In 2005, Cefalu was named family underboss
Underboss
Underboss is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss...
by street boss and former ally of John Gotti, Jackie D'Amico
Jackie D'Amico
John "Jackie the Nose" D'Amico is a New York mobster that served as street boss of the Gambino crime family from 2005 to 2011. "Street boss" had been the family's number one position ever since official Boss Peter Gotti started serving a life sentence in prison.-Early life:D'Amico stands 5'11" ...
. One of his main responsibilities was over seeing the Sicilian faction of the Gambino family.
On February 7, 2008, Cefalu was indicted on multiple charges of racketeering conspiracy and extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
as part of the Operation Old Bridge
Operation Old Bridge
Operation Old Bridge is the code name for the February 7, 2008 arrests in Italy and the United States that targeted the Gambino crime family. Among the indicted were the reputed acting bosses Jackie D'Amico, Nicholas Corozzo and Consigliere Joseph Corozzo of the Gambino crime family...
investigation of the Gambino family. The extortion charges came from the trucking industry, which hauls away dirt excavated from construction projects. Cefalu accepted a plea agreement from the prosecution in exchange for a guilty plea that could have resulted in his spending up to three years in prison. Cefalu was sentenced to 33 months in prison. On November 3, 2009, Cefalu was released from federal prison. Cefalu currently resides in Brooklyn and lives with his mother. His legitimate employment is as a salesmen for a bakery.
In July 2011, Cefalu became the official boss of the Gambino crime family. His ascension was seen as a return to the old-fashion way of running a Mafia family. He replaced Peter Gotti
Peter Gotti
Peter Gotti, also known as "One Eyed Pete", "Petey Boy", "One Eye" , is a New York mobster who is the former boss of the Gambino crime family and the older brother of deceased Gambino boss John Gotti.-Background:...
, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment in 2002 while a series of acting bosses and ruling panels was used to run the family. This also marked the end of the John Gotti
John Gotti
John Joseph Gotti, Jr was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. Gotti grew up in poverty. He and his brothers turned to a life of crime at an early age...
era of the Gambino family. Gotti had been in charge of the Gambino family since 1986 and when imprisoned used several close criminal associates and blood relatives to run the Gambino family before and after his death. Cefalu is the first person since Gotti went to prison to lead the family who was not a Gotti ally.