Gambino family mobster Edward Garafola denied prison release after stroke

 

Edward “Cousin Eddie” Garafola still remains a threat to the community according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons even after a suffering a stroke which left him partially paralyzed. The Gambino crime family soldier is serving a 30 year sentence for conspiring to murder former Gambino underboss Salvatore “Sammy Bull” Gravano and his own cousin. The 77 year old mobster has a rash of health problems and according to reports can no longer speak and is an amputee.

 

Edward Garafola

Edward Garafola

 

Garafola has been a made member in the Gambino family since the 1970’s and plead guilty back in 2007 to his part in the gangland murder of his cousin and suspected rat Edward “The Chink” Garofalo in 1990. He also plead guilty to conspiring with former Gambino family boss Peter Gotti to whack Gravano in 1999 for ratting on the family and former boss John Gotti.

 

Edward Garofalo

Edward Garofalo

 

Although his health problems are vast law enforcement sources say he has not been “put on the shelf” or retired by the Gambino family and could theoretically still give orders to mafia associates if released. The law enforcement sources said about Cousin Eddie “He was a real bastard back in the day,” Garafola is not scheduled to be released until 2028 and even though the Prison Bureau often grants sentence reduction for elderly inmates with chronic illness it doesn’t seem like he will be able to benefit from it.