Two men. Two legacies. Two very different paths through the American Mafia. On one side was Aniello Dellacroce, the underboss of the Gambino crime family, known for his icy stare, strict adherence to old Mafia rules, and a reputation for ruthless violence.
On the other was John “Sonny” Franzese, underboss of the Colombo family, a suave and calculating figure who outlived nearly every mobster of his era and died at the age of 103. Dellacroce, nicknamed “The Tall Guy” and sometimes called “Father O’Neal” because of his solemn, priest-like demeanor, grew up in New York’s Little Italy, where he was exposed to organized crime at an early age. He became a protégé of Albert Anastasia, the ruthless head of what would later become the Gambino family. After Anastasia was assassinated in 1957, Carlo Gambino took control and promoted Dellacroce to underboss, the second-highest position in the family.
Dellacroce oversaw the Gambinos’ blue-collar rackets, including extortion, drug trafficking, loan sharking, and murder for hire. His authority was respected even by high-profile mobsters like John Gotti. While Carlo Gambino preferred a low profile, Dellacroce embraced the old-school code of omertà and instilled discipline throughout the organization. One of Dellacroce’s most significant legacies was his mentorship of John Gotti, who would later become boss of the Gambino family.
Gotti viewed Dellacroce as a father figure and frequently sought his advice. When Paul Castellano succeeded Carlo Gambino as boss, many members, including Gotti, felt Castellano was unworthy of leadership. That discontent eventually led to Castellano’s assassination in December 1985, a hit orchestrated by Gotti. Dellacroce died of cancer on December 2, 1985.
His death removed a key figure of stability in the Gambino family. Without his restraint, Gotti and his crew felt emboldened to kill Castellano just two weeks later and seize control of the family. Many historians argue that if Dellacroce had lived, Gotti would never have been allowed to carry out the hit on Castellano, as it violated traditional Mafia protocol. John “Sonny” Franzese took a very different path.
Born in Naples, Italy, he moved to Brooklyn as an infant and began his criminal career in the 1930s. He became a made man in the Profaci crime family, later known as the Colombo family, in 1950 and was promoted to underboss by 1963. He was heavily involved in racketeering, extortion, and loan sharking. Notably, Franzese financed the infamous pornographic film “Deep Throat” and the horror classic “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” using these ventures to launder illegal earnings.
Throughout his life, Franzese was arrested multiple times but often evaded long-term imprisonment. In 1967, he was sentenced to 50 years for orchestrating bank robberies but was paroled in 1978. He faced several parole violations and was re-incarcerated multiple times. In 2011, at the age of 93, he was sentenced to eight years in prison for extortion, becoming the oldest federal inmate in the United States at the time.
He was released in 2017 at the age of 100. Franzese’s legacy is marked by his unwavering commitment to the Mafia’s code of silence. Authorities believe he was involved in numerous murders, yet he never cooperated with law enforcement, earning him respect within the underworld. The two underbosses could not have been more different.
Dellacroce was a throwback to the old ways: violence first, questions later. His presence alone was enough to keep Gambino soldiers in line. Street-level associates said he had the eyes of a killer. When John Gotti was just a rising hood, it was Dellacroce he idolized.
Franzese, by contrast, embraced the high life. He wasn’t just about back-room deals; he wanted front-row seats. He mingled with celebrities, financed Hollywood films, and became a fixture in New York’s nightlife. He symbolized the gentleman gangster, using charm as a weapon just as sharp as a knife.
Dellacroce wasn’t just respected; he was feared. As underboss, he ran the Bergen Hunt and Fish Club, a key hub for the Gambino family. His control over John Gotti and other captains made him untouchable. If Carlo Gambino was the godfather, Dellacroce was the executioner.
His influence extended deep into New York’s construction, trucking, and loan sharking rackets. Franzese’s influence went beyond crime. He was a businessman involved in record labels like Buddha Records and famously backed films like “Deep Throat. ” His financial acumen brought the Colombo family legitimate wealth, and unlike Dellacroce, he enjoyed a sense of celebrity status, moving in social circles the Gambino underboss avoided.
Who was more feared? Without question, Dellacroce. His mere presence was enough to freeze a room. His nickname “The Tall Guy” wasn’t just about his height; it was about his larger-than-life presence.
John Gotti himself once said that Neil’s eyes could kill you before his hands did. Franzese didn’t need to lift a finger to inspire fear. He was known for cold, quiet threats. He didn’t bark orders; he whispered them.
One story claims he told a man he would be wearing cement shoes before he finished his drink. People feared Franzese because he didn’t look dangerous until it was too late. Dellacroce’s death in 1985 was the catalyst for John Gotti’s coup. Without his mentor, Gotti moved against Paul Castellano, cementing his own rise to power.
But Dellacroce’s absence left a void that some say destabilized the Gambino family. Franzese’s story didn’t end with his death; it ended with betrayal. In 2010, his own son, John Franzese Jr. , became an informant and sent his father to prison at the age of 93.
Unlike Dellacroce, who died respected, Franzese lived to see his family name tarnished by his own blood. But in true mob fashion, Franzese did his time in silence, never flipping on his crew. So who had the bigger legacy? Dellacroce’s legacy is his reputation as a gangster’s gangster.
His mentorship of John Gotti changed the Mafia forever. Without Dellacroce, there might not have been a “Dapper Don. ” He was the ultimate enforcer, the feared hand of Gambino bosses. Franzese proved that gangsters could thrive in both crime and business.
He lived to be 103 years old, outlasting nearly every other mobster of his era. While Dellacroce is remembered as a warrior, Franzese is remembered as a survivor. Who was more popular? Franzese, who had celebrity status, dined with stars, and even had his son appear on reality TV.
Who was more feared? Dellacroce, without a doubt. His name sent chills down people’s spines. Soldiers who met him knew one thing: you only met Dellacroce once.
Who had the greater impact? In the end, Franzese left behind wealth, connections, and one of the longest lives in mob history, but Dellacroce shaped Gotti, and through Gotti, he changed the image of the Mafia forever. Dellacroce was the face of fear. Franzese was the face of finesse.
Different styles, different legacies, but both cast long shadows on the underworld.