Mob Hits You Shouldn’t Google

March 13, 2019, Francesco “Franky Boy” Cali, the latest Gambino crime boss, was shot several times and run over in the front of his family home in Todt Hill, New York. His wife and kids were inside the house and, in an act police describe as disrespectful, the suspect drove off in a pick up truck, leaving Cali at the scene.

Cali’s neighbors were shocked by the incident with one source explaining to the New York Post, “I’ve seen the [mob] movies but I’ve never seen any activity that we feel at all that there’s something strange about this area.”

Cali has served as the “Godfather of the Gambinos” since 2015 and was apparently a “real quiet old-school boss,” according to police. New York experienced as increase in mob activity before the hit, but investigators are still unfolding the circumstances of Cali’s demise as of March 14, 2019.

Why shouldn’t you Google this? The hit happened in front of his family home and the photos emphasize the aftermath of police investigating the site. You can see the photos here.

Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, a notorious mobster who brought heaps of success to the Las Vegas Strip, was reading the Los Angeles Times at his girlfriend’s Beverly Hills home on June 20, 1947. As he sat on the sofa, a hitman fired several shots through the window using a semi-automatic .30-caliber military M1 carbine rifle. One of the bullets blew Siegel’s left eye out of its socket. In total, nine shots were fired into the house, and four of them hit Siegel in the head, neck, and torso. He died at the age of 41.

The gunman was never identified, but Siegel’s rival (and former friend), Meyer Lanksy, declared a takeover of Siegel’s Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas within a few hours of the attack on Siegel. Another theory is that Siegel was killed by the lover of his best friend’s wife.

Why shouldn’t you Google this? The crime scene images, including a closeup of Siegel’s busted eye socket, are gruesome. You can see them here.

As a member of Murder, Inc., the mostly Italian-American and Jewish crime syndicate that dominated Brooklyn during the 1930s and 1940s, Albert Anastasia rose from hitman to crime boss relatively quickly. By the early 1950s, Anastasia was head of the Gambino crime family (known as the Mangano crime family at the time).

In 1957, as Anastasia sat in a barbershop chair in the Park Sheraton Hotel (now the Park Central Hotel) in New York City, two masked gunmen entered and fired five bullets into Anastasia’s body.

By some accounts, Anastasia fell out of the chair; other versions insist he stood up and lunged at the men. The hit was likely orchestrated by rival Vito Genovese and Anastasia’s underboss, Carlo Gambino, in a cold-blooded grab for power. Authorities never charged anyone with Anastasia’s murder.

Why shouldn’t you Google this? Authorities took a lot of photos of Anastasia’s blood-spattered, barbershop-cape-covered body. You can see them here.

Throughout the 1950s, New York mobster Carmine Galante trafficked drugs into the US, a move that propelled him to the upper echelons of the Bonanno crime family. In 1962, Galante was sentenced to 20 years in prison for narcotics trafficking. When he was released in 1974, he muscled his way back into the drug trade. By antagonizing the other crime families in the city, namely the Gambinos, and keeping drug profits to himself, Galante didn’t make many friends.

In 1979, Galante was eating lunch at Joe and Mary’s Restaurant in Brooklyn with his security detail and the restaurant’s owner. As Galante, restaurant owner Giuseppe Turano, and bodyguard Leonard Coppola sat on the outdoor patio, masked shooters stormed in and opened fire. All three men died as a result of the attack; Galante flew out of his chair and died with his trademark cigar clenched between his lips.

Why shouldn’t you Google this? The crime scene photos are extensive; there’s still food on the table, and you can see Galante’s cigar in his mouth. You can see them here.

Paul Castellano became head of the Gambino crime family in 1976 after a life of crime that involved more business exchanges than actual hits. Castellano amassed enormous wealth and influence, sequestering himself at his large mansion on Staten Island most of the time.

On December 16, 1985, while facing racketeering charges, Castellano left his lawyer’s office to have dinner with mob associates at Sparks Steak House in Manhattan. As he exited his car, hitmen allegedly hired by John Gotti shot him six times.

Why shouldn’t you Google this? Skid marks, blood stains, and close-up shots of Castellano’s corpse are all featured prominently in the crime scene photos. You can see them here.

Angelo Bruno, head of the Philadelphia mob, didn’t immediately resort to violence during his tenure as head of the Philadelphia criminal syndicate. Known as the “Gentle Don,” Bruno held power for more than 20 years before he died in 1980 as the target of a takeover. Bruno was shot in the back of the head with a shotgun as he sat in his car outside his home. Sitting in the passenger seat, he took the shot at point-blank range while his driver, John Stanfa, suffered minor wounds.

Authorities believe the killing was part of a power grab by New York crime families – they wanted control of Atlantic City, which was part of Bruno’s territory.

Why shouldn’t you Google this? Bruno was shot at point-blank range in the back of the head, and there are closeup photos of his wounds. You can see them here.

Charles “Cherry Nose” Gioe was a member of the Chicago Outfit during the 1930s before being sent to Des Moines, IA, in 1936 to run Chicago mob interests there. Gioe later became involved in what was called “The Hollywood Extortion Case,” which involved mobsters extorting money from Hollywood big-shots. They did this by controlling the IATSE, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. Gioe, along with several others, was convicted in 1943.

After getting out of prison in 1947, Gioe returned to a life of crime, dabbling in the plastics business. After dining with a plastics manufacturer in August 1954, Gioe was shot as he returned to his car.

According to accounts, three gunmen opened fire on Gioe. Gioe may have been killed for interfering in a dispute involving labor racketeer Joey Glimco.

Why shouldn’t you Google this?  The crime scene photos depict Gioe with a gunshot wound on his forehead, slumped across the front bench seat of his car. You can see them here.

Known in Chicago for his boxing, “Machine Gun” Jack McGurn was one of Al Capone’s bodyguards and hitmen throughout the 1920s. McGurn, who used Thompson submachine guns – hence the nickname – was a ruthless killer for Capone and was suspected of being involved in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1929. Police were unable to charge him for his alleged role in the massacre, though, and he avoided prosecution. Afterward, the Chicago Outfit distanced themselves from McGurn, and he tried to become a professional golfer.

On February 15, 1936, a day after the seventh anniversary of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, McGurn was shot in a bowling alley in Chicago. Three hitmen opened fire on McGurn, shooting him in the head and back. There were rumors that a Valentine’s Day card was left at the scene by the assailants, but there’s no evidence to support this claim.

Why shouldn’t you Google this? There are graphic images of McGurn lying in a pool of blood next to a bowling ball return. You can see them here.

Sam Giancana became head of the Chicago mafia in the 1950s and is well-known for his connections to Frank Sinatra and President John F. Kennedy. His high-profile lifestyle led to an investigation of his mob connections during the 1960s. After refusing to participate in a Chicago grand jury investigation, Giancana received a one-year prison sentence.

After Giancana got out of prison, prosecutors subpoenaed him several times, requiring him to testify in at least two court cases. An unknown assailant killed Giancana in 1975 in his Oak Park, IL, home. The assassin shot Giancana once in the back of the head and several times through the chin. Authorities never caught his killer.

Why shouldn’t you Google this? The photos of Giancana’s body are intimate and gruesome; his face is streaked with blood, and the bullet holes through his head are very visible. You can see the photos here.