Mob Wives: Bruno Facciolo, Carla’s Uncle

Carla has been very tight-lipped about her ties to the mob, even though that’s what is supposed to have gotten her on the show. I have been searching for her father, the one who went to prison when she was very young, and have come up empty. However, in a recent interview with Joy Behar, Carla mentions that her uncle Bruno was her connection to the mob, not her father. That brings us one step closer to finding Carla’s daddy.

Bruno Facciolo has a very interesting story. Bruno was allegedly a made man or “soldier” of the Lucchese crime family. He is said to have been a member of Vario’s crew, whose story was told in the “Goodfellas” movie. Bruno is said to have willingly performed hits, collect loans, rig horseracing, and whack rats and witnesses. He also was said to have owned a nice little Italian restaurant in Brooklyn, called “Bruno’s,” where he was a chef.

Unfortunately for Bruno, two NYPD detectives, Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa, who were on the “family” payroll as associates, allegedly accused Bruno of being an informant. Bruno’s murder was ordered based on their word. In August, 1990, Bruno was executed by the detectives and by mobster Louis Diadone, who was eventually found guilty of the murder in 2004. Bruno was led to a garage where Diadone and the two associates stabbed and shot him to death and then stuffed a dead canary in his mouth. The dead canary is a classic mob message, sent as a warning to all mobsters, who think of becoming informants, to let them know anyone who “sings“ to law enforcement will suffer the same fatal ending. Bruno was found in Brooklyn, a few days later, stuffed in the trunk of his car. According to investigators, suspicion that Bruno was guilty of “ratting” was untrue, however in the mob, even the slightest impression of wrong doing can and will get you killed.

Louis "Louie Bagels" Diadone 

Which leads us to the “Daddy” connection. Bruno Facciolo is allegedly the brother of Louis "Louie" Facciolo, who is reported to have been an “associate” of the Gambino crime family. The fact that Louie Facciolo is the brother of Bruno, makes him a viable candidate to be Carla’s father. The allegation that he was an “associate” means, by definition, that he was not a made man or official member of the mob. So, when Carla tells Joy Behar that her father was not a member of the mob, she is technically correct. Therefore, Louis being the brother of Bruno and a mob “associate,” gives us two good reasons to suspect that he may be Carla‘s dear old dad. Hopefully, one day soon, we will be able to put this question to rest.



Mob Wives: Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano

Karen Gravano is one of the “Mob Wives” in VH-1’s new series, but she is not real a mob “wife,” she is more of a mob princess. Her father, Sammy Gravano, is her connection to the mob. Sammy has a long and notorious past, not just because of his involvement in the Mafia, but also because he became an informant for the FBI. It was his testimony in 1991 that convicted John Gotti, the “Teflon Don” and Gambino crime family boss, which resulted in a life sentence for Gotti. Sammy has written a book detailing his extensive activities in the Mob, called Underboss.

Sammy admitted to being involved in 19 murders during his time in the mob. He was born in 1945 and his illustrious career began in 1968 with the Columbo family. Sammy went from committing a long laundry list of various crimes to allegedly committing his first murder, Joseph Colucci, in 1970. Sammy was on the fast track in the Columbo family, which caused some hard feelings in the ranks. In 1970 he was allowed to leave to join the Gambino family. His loyalty to the Gambino family was tested when, for several reasons, it was decided that his brother-in law had to be murdered. At first Sammy was against it, but saw it was no use trying to get the murder called off. No one knows what part Sammy had in this murder, if any.

The most scandalous murder that he was involved in was that of Gambino mob boss, Paul Castellano. In June, 1985 Gravano was approached by John Gotti and another associate, asking for his assistance in Castellano’s murder. After some discussion and planning, the day and location for the execution of the murder was decided. The murder would take place at Sparks Steak House, located in Manhattan on December 16, 1985. When Castellano arrived at the restaurant and got out of his car, six gunmen shot him to death. After his death, the heads of the family agreed to make John Gotti their new boss.

Many “capos” of the family were not happy with Gotti’s leadership. One day the FBI arrested Gravano, Gotti and another man. The FBI played various tapes for Gravano in which Gotti made some very damaging and incriminating statements about Gravano. In 1991 Gravano agreed to testify against Gotti for a lesser sentence of 5 years for acknowledging his participation in 19 murders and Gotti received a life sentence. Sammy got out of jail early and entered the witness protection program which he left a year later, in 1995, to go to Arizona. In 1998, Gravano returned to crime by joining a gang called the “Devil Dogs” that specialized in selling ecstasy to the tune of 25,000 pills a week for millions of dollars. In October 2000 the Arizona justice system convicted Gravano of drug trafficking and he was sentenced to 19 years in prison. His son received a nine year sentence for his involvement. It has been alleged that his own cohorts ratted him out. Gravano is currently serving time in prison.

Following in her father’s footsteps, Karen pleaded guilty to criminal involvement in her father’s drug ring and was sentenced to probation along with her mother. According to the New York Post, Karen is now writing a tell all book. She is currently a make-up artist. Rumor has it that Sammy is going to make a special phone call from prison, to his daughter Karen, during one of her appearances on the Mob Wives. It just makes me want to tear up.

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