Francesco “Franky Boy” Cali was shot and killed outside of his home in Staten Island according to reports.
The 53-year-old mobster was a high ranking member of New York’s Gambino crime family. Cali was reportedly shot several times in the torso just after nine last night. According to a police source, a witness that called 911 was said to have heard at least six shots. He was rushed to Staten Island University Hospital North and was pronounced dead. We will update as more details become available.
An investigation is ongoing and police are reportedly looking for a suspect who drove away in a blue pickup truck. It’s still unclear as to the motive behind the attack on Cali and as to whether or not it was a mafia related hit. Frank Cali was a quiet low key old school wiseguy and was considered by many to be a rising star in the New York Mafia for several years now. There have been several reports that Cali had taken over as the Gambino family acting boss replacing aging Mafiosi Domenico Cefalu.
While many of those reports are still unconfirmed as to Cali’s official rank he was no doubt a leading figure within the Cosa Nostra family. Cali has long-standing ties to Italy’s Sicilian Mafia and deep roots back to the old country which made him a leading voice among the Gambino families Sicilian faction. Over the last few years, the Gambino’s zip faction has helped the family to re-emerge as one of the more powerful of New York’s five families.
Frank Cali is the highest-ranking member of the American Mafia to be murdered in New York since Paul Castellano back in 1985.
