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He had all the ingredients of an old school group: Francesco "Franky Boy" Cali, the alleged head of the Gambino crime family, was shot dead outside his home on Staten Island.
The assassination hit many people, reminiscent of a bygone era, when mafia families fought for control of lucrative rackets. More than three decades have passed since the last targeted assassination of a mafia boss in New York. Nowadays, bosses are more likely to die of old age, as they did behind bars last week.
But Cali's death under a shower of bullets in a quiet block of Staten Island reminded that, although reduced, the crowd in New York has never disappeared.
"It will always exist and New York will probably always be a zero point for the crowd," said organized crime historian Christian Cipollini.
Cali, 53, lived in the hilly part of Todt Hill in Staten Island, a neighborhood that has ties to the Mafia.
The last murdered family head in the city – Paul Castellano, a Gambino family head murdered outside the Sparks Steak House in Manhattan in 1985 – was living just down the street. Two kilometers further, another house was described in The Godfather, replacing the mafia house Don Vito Corleone.
The neighborhood, which offers breathtaking views of New York's skyline, abounds with opulent homes that can cost up to $ 4 million, many with private driveways located behind gates.
The ancient Castellano mansion, known as the White House, is one of the most ornate, decorated with fountains and gold finishes.
But Cali's house was less dazzling, a two-story red brick house on Hilltop Terrace.
"He was a discreet man," said a neighbor, who refused to give his name. "He stays home every day with his family, his wife and his children."
The neighbor said he heard gunshots Wednesday night and then saw a blue car take off. "I hear boom, boom, boom," he said, refusing to give more details. "It's dangerous for me."
The alleged leader of the mafia was shot and wounded at least six times after leaving his house and exchanging words with his attacker, the police said. A van crashed against the Cadillac sport utility vehicle in Cali, a collision that could have been organized to pull him out of the house.
"We thought these days were over," Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday. "I guess old habits die hard."
There has been no arrest, but Cali's links to organized crime are at the center of the investigation, said New York Police Detective Chief Dermot Shea.
A neighbor who gave his name to Thomas said that he was watching TV when he heard gunshots sounding. "I heard 5, 6 or 7 shots," he said.
The neighborhood is home to many mafia-related people, residents said, but they rarely make waves.
"Nobody expected because it's a safe neighborhood," Thomas said.
"There are so many mafia members here … they've been here for over 40 years, even before I was born," he said. "They do not disturb anyone. They do what they do and we do what we do. So, for this to happen yesterday, it was crazy.
Another woman said that she was not surprised to hear about the murder by the crowd.
"They all live up there," she told Todt Hill, recalling that she was the last person to wait for Castellano before his own murder more than thirty years ago. "Please, I've been summoned to appear in court and everything else. I stay out of this, "she says before getting into a car and leaving.
A number of Mafia members moved into the open spaces of Staten Island from overcrowded Manhattan and Brooklyn neighborhoods from the 1950s and 1960s, said Cipollini, much like the middle-class families who made the same thing.
"CEOs never live where they work," he said. "These guys are human, so they raise families and want to keep them out of this job."
In recent times, Staten Island is trying to fight its reputation as a hub of activity for the crowd, which, according to the leaders, is outdated.
When MTV announced a reality show titled "Made in Staten Island", produced by the star of "Mob Wives" and featuring young people trying to avoid the mafia, indignant residents launched a petition against him .
The show described the borough as a "jumble of gangsters, dead heads and minor lives," the petition says. "The idea is that the children of Staten Island all grow up surrounded by the mafia in their lives; it's far from the truth. "
The Gambino family is best known for the exploits of its famous chef John Gotti, who died in 2002.
"John Gotti was the poster for the crowd. Frank Cali was the complete opposite, "said Cipollini, author of Murder Inc .: The Mysteries of the Deadliest Squad of the Crowd. "Frank Cali was the leader of the silent crowd."
Cali is thought to play a role in the restaurant industry, he said, one of the ways that New York's criminals have been able to stay in business long after their heyday.
They have largely been driven out of the formerly used rubbish and concrete transport industries, and Latin American cartels are more in control of the drug trade, while Russian gangsters control cybercrime. Despite everything, the mafia persisted.
"They will always have a hand in the drug trade, and it is always proven that they are trying to impose themselves on the industrial racket. And they will always control the illegal game, "said Cipollini. "There will always be the basic shakedown."
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