Gambino crime family kingpin Frank “Franky Boy” Cali was rubbed out in front of Staten Island mansion in 2019.
But his murder wasn’t at the hands of underworld rivals. The killer was closer to home: His niece’s dumped paramour, a devotee of QAnon.
Now, the FBI has released files revealing how Cali, 53, climbed the underworld ladder. The New York Post obtained the files on a Freedom of Information Act request.
In gangland and among the cops gunning for him, Cali was known as “a ghost” for his ability to keep a low profile. He was arrested just once on a 2008 extortion bid.
“He’s basically a ghost,” the official said.
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In the files:
Cali first became known to the feds for a 1996 phone card fraud scam, selling counterfeit telephone travel cards. The crimes included: Money laundering, income tax violation, mail fraud and wire fraud.
“It goes without saying that the telephone card industry is one of the most important sources of illegal income for the Gambino LCN Family,” an FBI official wrote.
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At that time, Cali had not even become a “made man,” although he had been put up for membership in the Gambinos. The $94-million phone card scam would grease his ride to the top.
“The method was to sell as many phone cards as possible on the street by charging the best price per country and offering the best discount to the distributors,” one report said. “(Redacted) paid Worldcom only a small percentage of his outstanding balance throughout the ten-month scheme.”
The report added: “Gambino members such as (redacted) Frank Cali and others lined their pockets with millions in cash from the aforementioned scheme.”
In the end, the gangsters fleeced the telecom company out of millions.
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By 1997, Cali was a made man and charges were never brought in the massive scam. On the hook though, was Mob scion John Gotti Jr., the alleged Gambino boss at the time. Charges were later dropped.
During his 2008 extortion trial, Cali — by this time a Gambino captain — it was noted by prosecutors, was a successful criminal because of his low profile. And he should be locked up.
“Cali, like other members of the family, has sworn a blood oath to the organization to commit criminal activity,” the prosecution said. “Cali has been successful in fulfilling that oath, in large part because he’s been careful.”
Cali had been born in Palermo, Sicily and his Mafia ties ran deep to the underworld’s homeland.
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One Italian gangster was caught on wire saying of Cali: “He’s everything over there.”
The feds reveal that Cali was named boss of the Gambinos in 2015 after the acting boss, Domenico Cefalu, stepped down.
However, his stay at the top of the underworld didn’t last long.
Cali was allegedly shot and killed by conspiracy believer Anthony Comello on March 13, 2019. Comello was deemed mentally unfit to stand trial.
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