Nicholas Scibetta
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Scibetta, also known as "Little Nicky" (died 1978), was a Sicilian American mobster who was the nephew of Joseph Zicarelli and John Zicarelli and is the brother-in-law of Sammy Gravano
and uncle of mafioso Gerard Gravano who was a Gambino crime family
mob associate who was later marked as a stool pigeon by fellow crime family members.
, like his future brother-in-law Sammy Gravano. Nicholas was the son-in-law of Giorlando (Gerry) and Caterina (Kay) Gravano, the parents of Sammy Gravano. He was the only son born to first generation emigrants, a Mr. Scibetta from Cammarata Agrigento, Sicily
and an Italian-American woman Mrs. Zicarelli from Bayonne, New Jersey
. Mr. Scibetta and Mrs. Zicarelli had had two daughters, Debra and Diane, before she gave birth to Nicholas. His mother was a housewife and their father was a "a terrific father, but very strict" man who was a certified electrical engineer who worked the night shift for Western Electric
(now AT&T Technologies
) putting together circuit boards for the telephone company. While it is said that Mr. Scibetta was a strict authoritarian, it is never mentioned in any way that he physically abused his children by the observations made by Gravano.
Sammy later said about the unidentified Mr. Scibetta, "a beautiful guy, a mild-mannered guy, totally legitimate, one of the nicest guys I ever met in my life. His whole thing was looking after his baby daughter (Debra), which is completely understandable to me. I didn't have a problem with that." He only let Sammy court their daughter and keep Debra out late if her sister Diane would go with them. When Sammy Gravano started dating Debra From a young age, his parents knew that Nicholas was a "crazy kid" who was always getting into trouble. This suggests that he suffered from psychiatric problems that at the time were never diagnosed, possibly attention deficit disorder. He was a maternal nephew of Joseph Zicarelli, a notorious capo in the New Jersey satellite faction of the Bonanno crime family
. It is unknown if he is a distant relative of Buffalo crime family
capo Santo Scibetta, who controlled Hamilton, Ontario
. He was a close acquaintance of Gambino crime family mob associates Liborio (Louie) Milito and Joseph (Stymie) D'Angelo Sr. who would both eventually be involved in his murder. It is also suggested that while raised a Catholic along with his sister he was not a devout believer in the Roman Catholic faith and spoke of interests joining a cult
or a "group" of dissidents, somewhere outside the state.
. Around the time Sammy met Nick's sister, his uncle Zicarelli was sentenced to twelve to fifteen years for paying off politicians, allegedly including a U.S. congressman and a local prosecutor. Sammy later said, "He was a good kid, nice as you could want, growing up." But then he started doing cocaine and drinking heavily. He was arrested numerous times for driving while intoxicated with cocaine and alcohol. In Sammy Gravano's autobiography Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia by Peter Maas
, there are no photographs of Nicholas, but there are photos of his other brother-in-law Gambino crime family capos Edward Garofala, Garofala's cousin Edward Garofalo who is the nephew of Emmanuele Garofalo and a distant relative of mob associate Keith Gordon. Although he was raised properly by his parents and the nephew of Joseph Zicarelli, it was obvious by Sammy Gravano and fellow criminal associates in the Gambino crime family and Bonanno crime family that he did not have any real potential as a successful career criminal in organized crime.
When he (Sammy) told Debra's parents that he wanted to marry her there were protest from the mother and father. They would tell him, "She's too young, she's only seventeen. At first they're totally against it. Then they try to postpone it. Finally, they say we should at least wait until she's eighteen, which was in May (of that year)." Sammy agreed. The parents told Sammy and Debra to book a hall for the wedding. They thought that Sammy and Debra wouldn't be able to book a place less than a year in advance, and given enough time, the two would break up.
. Sammy later said of himself, Nick and his young aspring mob associates, "Fucking kids, all dressed up like jerk-offs, running around, doing a little gambling, doing a little this and that and then broke again and it's macaroni and ricotta at home or spaghetti, past e olio, with the oil and garlic." Due to prior situations that arose in the past while Scibetta was alive, and current accusations that arose in court in 2003, it is suggested that Nicholas was a closeted homosexual. During his short life he was never known to have been with female companionship or had been engaged or married.
Sammy Gravano did not involve Nicholas in his own personal criminal activities but it is suggested that Nick was making a living as an independent criminal with associates of the Gambino crime family.
Another incident involved the son of Tony Jets, a Gambino crime family mob associate. Nick and the son had gotten into a fight and the son had beaten him up. Nick went to the police and the son was arrested for assault. Following this arrest, Sammy said that following this incident, "he was being marked as a rat (stool pigeon)."
In another incident, Nick had apparently insulted the daughter of George DeCicco
, the uncle of Frank DeCicco. Sammy Gravano later said,
"Now Frank (Frank DeCicco
) did not get into this, but the girl's father went bananas. He goes to Toddo (Salvatore Aurello). He wants Nick roughed up. I step in and say I'll take care of it, let me handle it. I talked to Nick and slapped him in the face pretty hard. But it was better than getting his arms and legs broken. There are other situations with the kid. I'm trying to figure out what to do. Maybe get him the hell out of Bensonhurst. But unbeknownst to me, Paul Castellano is hearing about all of this. It's being put on record with Paul, the incidents with the recreational drug use and alcoholism, the thing with Tony Jets's son, George DeCicco's daughter and many other incidents. Paul Castellano told Frank DeCicco to get Sammy Gravano's crew to murder Nick. Frank gave the murder contract to mob associates Liborio (Louie) Milito and Joseph (Stymie) D'Angelo Sr. They felt sorry for Gravano and told him of the murder contract that had been handed down. Frank DeCicco discussed the planned murder with Castellano and convinced Paul to let Gravano know of his murder that was to be carried out. Sammy would later say,
The police discovered one of his hands somewhere. There was a memorial held for him but his body was never found". He was declared legally dead
in 1985. It is unknown exactly how or where his body was disposed of.
, supporters of John Gotti filed allegations to New York City newspapers that Sammy Gravano was involved in homosexual relationships with several young men, at least one of which was alleged to have been Nicholas. The accusations are unsubstantiated and have not been proven to the public.
, Nicky is portrayed by actor Kirk Acevedo
. He is allegedly a real life inspiration for HBO prison drama serioes Oz
characters father and son, Nino Schibetta
and Peter Schibetta
.
, portrayed by William Forsythe
, murders Nicholas by himself in a construction supply warehouse, while in his autobiography Underboss he states that members of Gravano's own crew, allegedly Liborio Milito and Joseph D'Angelo and Frank DeCicco
, carried out the murder contract for Paul Castellano
and not Gravano. The Gravano character also states that his wife Debra, the sister of Nicholas, would be divorcing him after he testified in court about being an accomplice in both before and after the fact of Nicholas' gangland execution, Debra did not. She would later join him in the Witness Protection Program with their two children, Gerard and Karen.
Sammy Gravano
Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano 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 become a Federal Bureau of Investigation informant and turn state's evidence.Originally a mobster for the Colombo crime...
and uncle of mafioso Gerard Gravano who was a Gambino crime family
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...
mob associate who was later marked as a stool pigeon by fellow crime family members.
Biography
Nicholas Scibetta was born and raised in Bensonhurst, BrooklynBensonhurst, Brooklyn
Bensonhurst is a neighborhood located in the southwestern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn.-Geography:Sometimes erroneously thought to include all or parts of such neighborhoods as Bath Beach, Dyker Heights, and Borough Park, or to be defined by the streets where the concentration of...
, like his future brother-in-law Sammy Gravano. Nicholas was the son-in-law of Giorlando (Gerry) and Caterina (Kay) Gravano, the parents of Sammy Gravano. He was the only son born to first generation emigrants, a Mr. Scibetta from Cammarata Agrigento, 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,...
and an Italian-American woman Mrs. Zicarelli from Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is a peninsula that is situated between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east...
. Mr. Scibetta and Mrs. Zicarelli had had two daughters, Debra and Diane, before she gave birth to Nicholas. His mother was a housewife and their father was a "a terrific father, but very strict" man who was a certified electrical engineer who worked the night shift for Western Electric
Western Electric
Western Electric Company was an American electrical engineering company, the manufacturing arm of AT&T from 1881 to 1995. It was the scene of a number of technological innovations and also some seminal developments in industrial management...
(now AT&T Technologies
AT&T Technologies
AT&T Technologies, Inc., was created in 1983 in preparation for the Bell System Divestiture, which became effective as of January 1, 1984. It assumed the corporate charter of Western Electric Co., Inc.-Creation:...
) putting together circuit boards for the telephone company. While it is said that Mr. Scibetta was a strict authoritarian, it is never mentioned in any way that he physically abused his children by the observations made by Gravano.
Sammy later said about the unidentified Mr. Scibetta, "a beautiful guy, a mild-mannered guy, totally legitimate, one of the nicest guys I ever met in my life. His whole thing was looking after his baby daughter (Debra), which is completely understandable to me. I didn't have a problem with that." He only let Sammy court their daughter and keep Debra out late if her sister Diane would go with them. When Sammy Gravano started dating Debra From a young age, his parents knew that Nicholas was a "crazy kid" who was always getting into trouble. This suggests that he suffered from psychiatric problems that at the time were never diagnosed, possibly attention deficit disorder. He was a maternal nephew of Joseph Zicarelli, a notorious capo in the New Jersey satellite faction of the Bonanno crime family
Bonanno crime family
The Bonanno 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 ....
. It is unknown if he is a distant relative of Buffalo crime family
Buffalo crime family
The Buffalo crime family, also known as the Magaddino crime family and The Arm, is an Italian American criminal organization based in Buffalo, United States. As part of the American Mafia the family operates throughout Western New York and Canada.The Buffalo crime family, gained power during the...
capo Santo Scibetta, who controlled Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. He was a close acquaintance of Gambino crime family mob associates Liborio (Louie) Milito and Joseph (Stymie) D'Angelo Sr. who would both eventually be involved in his murder. It is also suggested that while raised a Catholic along with his sister he was not a devout believer in the Roman Catholic faith and spoke of interests joining a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
or a "group" of dissidents, somewhere outside the state.
Nick's Family Relationship with Sammy
Among his other criminal endeavours, Zicarelli controlled a vast gambling empire operating from Hudson County, New JerseyHudson County, New Jersey
Hudson County is the smallest county in New Jersey and one of the most densely populated in United States. It takes its name from the Hudson River, which creates part of its eastern border. Part of the New York metropolitan area, its county seat and largest city is Jersey City.- Municipalities...
. Around the time Sammy met Nick's sister, his uncle Zicarelli was sentenced to twelve to fifteen years for paying off politicians, allegedly including a U.S. congressman and a local prosecutor. Sammy later said, "He was a good kid, nice as you could want, growing up." But then he started doing cocaine and drinking heavily. He was arrested numerous times for driving while intoxicated with cocaine and alcohol. In Sammy Gravano's autobiography Underboss: Sammy the Bull Gravano's Story of Life in the Mafia by Peter Maas
Peter Maas
Peter Maas was an American journalist and author. He was born in New York City and attended Duke University. Maas had Dutch and Irish heritage....
, there are no photographs of Nicholas, but there are photos of his other brother-in-law Gambino crime family capos Edward Garofala, Garofala's cousin Edward Garofalo who is the nephew of Emmanuele Garofalo and a distant relative of mob associate Keith Gordon. Although he was raised properly by his parents and the nephew of Joseph Zicarelli, it was obvious by Sammy Gravano and fellow criminal associates in the Gambino crime family and Bonanno crime family that he did not have any real potential as a successful career criminal in organized crime.
When he (Sammy) told Debra's parents that he wanted to marry her there were protest from the mother and father. They would tell him, "She's too young, she's only seventeen. At first they're totally against it. Then they try to postpone it. Finally, they say we should at least wait until she's eighteen, which was in May (of that year)." Sammy agreed. The parents told Sammy and Debra to book a hall for the wedding. They thought that Sammy and Debra wouldn't be able to book a place less than a year in advance, and given enough time, the two would break up.
Criminal Life
Nicholas's life was financially unstable, along with Sammy Gravano's. Sammy Gravano later said, "For one week he (himself) would be flush with cash, but two weeks later he would be broke. He never saved any money. He shopped for clothes, picked up tabs at restaurants and night clubs, handed out huge tips and dined on champagne and filet mignon at the CopacabanaCopacabana (nightclub)
The Copacabana is a famous New York City nightclub. Many entertainers, among them Danny Thomas, Pat Cooper and the comedy team of Martin and Lewis, made their debuts at the Copacabana. The 1978 Barry Manilow song "Copacabana" is named after, and is about the nightclub. Part of the 2003 Yerba...
. Sammy later said of himself, Nick and his young aspring mob associates, "Fucking kids, all dressed up like jerk-offs, running around, doing a little gambling, doing a little this and that and then broke again and it's macaroni and ricotta at home or spaghetti, past e olio, with the oil and garlic." Due to prior situations that arose in the past while Scibetta was alive, and current accusations that arose in court in 2003, it is suggested that Nicholas was a closeted homosexual. During his short life he was never known to have been with female companionship or had been engaged or married.
Sammy Gravano did not involve Nicholas in his own personal criminal activities but it is suggested that Nick was making a living as an independent criminal with associates of the Gambino crime family.
Falling out with the Gambino crime family
Nicholas was the source of much anxiety, grief and stress of Gravano from the time he married his sister, to the time of his murder in 1978. One day, Liborio Milito phoned Sammy to report that somehow Nicholas had ended up in a gay nightclub owned by Gambino crime family capo John Rizzo. A major brawl had erupted. The police had been called to the scene. Sammy later stated, "I got down there right away and got him out of the joint before the cops started pulling people in."Another incident involved the son of Tony Jets, a Gambino crime family mob associate. Nick and the son had gotten into a fight and the son had beaten him up. Nick went to the police and the son was arrested for assault. Following this arrest, Sammy said that following this incident, "he was being marked as a rat (stool pigeon)."
In another incident, Nick had apparently insulted the daughter of George DeCicco
George DeCicco
Gregory "Big Georgie" DeCicco is a New York mobster and longtime Caporegime in the Gambino crime family. DeCicco is one of the last capos of the old John Gotti regime in the 1980s who haven't been under any indictment until now...
, the uncle of Frank DeCicco. Sammy Gravano later said,
"Now Frank (Frank DeCicco
Frank DeCicco
Frank DeCicco also known as Frankie D and Frankie Cheech was a New York mobster and labor racketeer for the Gambino crime family...
) did not get into this, but the girl's father went bananas. He goes to Toddo (Salvatore Aurello). He wants Nick roughed up. I step in and say I'll take care of it, let me handle it. I talked to Nick and slapped him in the face pretty hard. But it was better than getting his arms and legs broken. There are other situations with the kid. I'm trying to figure out what to do. Maybe get him the hell out of Bensonhurst. But unbeknownst to me, Paul Castellano is hearing about all of this. It's being put on record with Paul, the incidents with the recreational drug use and alcoholism, the thing with Tony Jets's son, George DeCicco's daughter and many other incidents. Paul Castellano told Frank DeCicco to get Sammy Gravano's crew to murder Nick. Frank gave the murder contract to mob associates Liborio (Louie) Milito and Joseph (Stymie) D'Angelo Sr. They felt sorry for Gravano and told him of the murder contract that had been handed down. Frank DeCicco discussed the planned murder with Castellano and convinced Paul to let Gravano know of his murder that was to be carried out. Sammy would later say,
- "I couldn't talk to Toddo (Salvatore Aurello) about this. Paul has purposely kept him out of the loop. This piece of work is off the record. If I talk to him, he's involved, too."
Torn between family relations and the Mob
Sammy Gravano later said,- "So now I got an option. It's to die with Nicky. I chose against Nicky. I took an oath that Cosa Nostra came before everything. I never thought it would come down to this. But it did. I was devastated. I was thinking of my wife and in-laws, what good people they are, and how devastated they would be.":
Nick's gangland slaying and cover up
Sammy Gravano stated,- "I was hoping that it would be like he just disappeared. It would be better for his mother and father. They knew he was a crazy kid. Maybe he had met somebody, some group of people, and run off. The bottom line is that I let it happen. That makes me just as guilty. I didn't know the body would be chopped up afterwards. That's not me."
The police discovered one of his hands somewhere. There was a memorial held for him but his body was never found". He was declared legally dead
Death in absentia
Death in absentia is a legal declaration that a person is deceased in the absence of remains attributable to that person...
in 1985. It is unknown exactly how or where his body was disposed of.
Alleged homosexual relations
In 2003, during the damaging testimony of former Gambino crime family capo Michael DiLeonardoMichael DiLeonardo
Michael "Mikey Scars" DiLeonardo is an Italian-American New York mobster who formerly belonged to the Gambino crime family and is now a government informant.-Background:...
, supporters of John Gotti filed allegations to New York City newspapers that Sammy Gravano was involved in homosexual relationships with several young men, at least one of which was alleged to have been Nicholas. The accusations are unsubstantiated and have not been proven to the public.
In popular culture
In the made for television HBO movie Gotti, Scibetta is portrayed as "Nicky Scibetta" by actor Frank Crudele. In the film Witness to the MobWitness to the Mob
Witness to the Mob is a made for TV film which premiered on May 10, 1998.-Plot:Film follows the rise of Sammy Gravano in ranks of NY Cosa Nostra, his turning to government witness in legal trials of John Gotti and his life in Witness protection program....
, Nicky is portrayed by actor Kirk Acevedo
Kirk Acevedo
Kirk Acevedo is an American actor. He is primarily known for his portrayals of Miguel Alvarez in the HBO series Oz, Joe Toye in Band of Brothers and FBI Agent Charlie Francis in the science-fiction series Fringe....
. He is allegedly a real life inspiration for HBO prison drama serioes Oz
Oz (TV series)
Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...
characters father and son, Nino Schibetta
Nino Schibetta
Antonino "Nino" Schibetta, played by Tony Musante, is a fictional character in the HBO series Oz.-Character overview:Prisoner #95S604. Convicted December 12, 1995 - Two counts of conspiracy to commit murder...
and Peter Schibetta
Peter Schibetta
Peter Schibetta is a fictional character on the HBO series Oz, portrayed by Eddie Malavarca.-Character overview:Prisoner #98S112. Convicted May 19, 1998 - Five counts of extortion: money laundering. Sentence: 35 years, eligible for parole in 20....
.
Discrepancies in film
In the television movie Gotti, Sammy GravanoSammy Gravano
Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano 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 become a Federal Bureau of Investigation informant and turn state's evidence.Originally a mobster for the Colombo crime...
, portrayed by William Forsythe
William Forsythe (actor)
William Forsythe is an American actor, known for playing "tough guy" roles. He is also a writer, and has several short stories that are set to be published.-Early life:...
, murders Nicholas by himself in a construction supply warehouse, while in his autobiography Underboss he states that members of Gravano's own crew, allegedly Liborio Milito and Joseph D'Angelo and Frank DeCicco
Frank DeCicco
Frank DeCicco also known as Frankie D and Frankie Cheech was a New York mobster and labor racketeer for the Gambino crime family...
, carried out the murder contract for Paul Castellano
Paul Castellano
Constantino Paul "Big Paul" Castellano , also known as "The Howard Hughes of the Mob" and "Big Paulie" , was an American Mafia boss in New York City. He succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the Gambino crime family, at the time, the nation's largest Mafia family...
and not Gravano. The Gravano character also states that his wife Debra, the sister of Nicholas, would be divorcing him after he testified in court about being an accomplice in both before and after the fact of Nicholas' gangland execution, Debra did not. She would later join him in the Witness Protection Program with their two children, Gerard and Karen.