Salvatore Gravano, born 12 March 1945, is a former underboss of an underground mafia organization called the Gambino crime family. He became known for helping the US Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI) take down John Gotti, the boss of the organization.
So how much is Gravano’s net worth? As of late 2016, it is reported to be $2 million, acquired from his years in illegal underground dealings, and from sales of his book.
Sammy Gravano Net Worth $2 million
Born in Brooklyn, New York City, of Italian descent, Gravano is the son of Giorlando “Gery” Gravano and Caterina “Kay” Gravano, the youngest of three siblings. His father was the owner of a small dress factory in their neighbourhood in Brooklyn.
As a young boy, Gravano was known to have a hard time in school, and at 13 had already become part of a street gang in their neighbourhood, known as the Rampers. At the age of 16, he was kicked out of school for his troublesome behaviour.
In 1964 he was drafted into the US Army, served most of his time as a mess hall cook, and after two years was honourably discharged. Within two years of leaving the Army, he became part of an underground criminal group known as the Cosa Nostra. This began his association with the mafia, and the start of his wealth. Through his small crimes and bravery, he soon became part of the Colombo crime family.
To avoid conflict with other members of the Colombo crime family, Gravano decided to leave, and joined the crime family of the Gambinos. From small-time crimes like gambling, hijackings and loansharking, he soon rose to high-level business operations like constructions, garbage disposal and even plumbing and a drywall business while being involved in the mafia. His business tremendously increased his wealth, and also helped his ranking rise in the crime family.
While continuously manipulating his businesses with the help of his mafia connections, Gravano also simultaneously rose in the ranks of his family, gaining more control. He became well-known in the mafia world when he took down the Gambino family boss, Paul Castellano, with the help of John Gotti, Frank DeCicco, Angelo Ruggiero, and Joseph Armone. The death of Castellano elevated him as an underboss in the family, while John Gotti claimed the rank of being the new boss.
Soon, Gravano came to dislike how Gotti ran the crime family, and decided to cooperate with the government and testify against Gotti. He became one of the highest ranking members in the mafia world to become an FBI informant, and one of the few to ever break the blood oath. His action drew a lot of buzz in the media and also influenced some of his former mafia members to become government witnesses. His testimony lead to Gotti receiving a life sentence, and himself a reduced sentence of five years, but having already served four, he was released in 1994.
Gravano entered the US Witness Protection Program, and lived in Arizona with a new name, and started a new business, however, despite his new, protected life, he disliked the many constraints the government placed under his life and decided to leave the program.
In 1997, he wrote a book entitled “Underboss” with author Peter Mass. His constant television appearances and interviews to promote his book and its sales helped with his net worth. Unfortunately, it was later on discovered that he became part of an ecstasy trafficking organization and was subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison, and Gravano is now serving time in Arizona state prison, set to be released on 2019.
In terms of his personal life, Gravano is married to Debra Scibetta and they have two children.
