Behind the Gangster: The Angelo "Quack Quack" Ruggiero Story

Today, on Crime & Entertainment, we present another installment of "Behind the Gangster." On this show, we will deep dive into a particular gangster's life that has been portrayed on-screen. As audience members, we often wonder about the validity of story lines within organized crime movies. Well, "Behind the Gangster" will allow you to get the answers. Today, alongside Anthony Ruggiano Jr. we will give a perspective of Angelo "Quack Quack" Ruggiero.

Angelo Ruggiero was a member of the Gambino Crime Family and a friend of John Gotti's. Once Gotti became leader of the family he made Ruggiero a Capo. Although he showed little organizing or money making ability, anyone questioning Ruggiero's suitability for a top position in the hierarchy did so at their peril; the FBI regarded Ruggiero as an unpredictable psychopath not amenable to confrontational tactics.  Ruggiero was also heavily involved in narcotics trafficking.  Before John Gotti took over the Gambino Family, then Boss Paul Castellano, made it clear that he didn’t want his men dealing in drugs. This was bad news for Gotti and Ruggiero, who were already heavily involved in trafficking heroin by the early 1980s. It would have been a good time for Ruggiero to keep his mouth shut and do as he was told. Sure enough, one of Ruggiero’s crew was soon arrested in connection with dealing heroin, and it came out during the ensuing police investigation that Ruggiero had been caught on tape discussing both his criminal operations and his distaste for Castellano and other senior leaders of the Gambino family. In most cases, this would have been enough to get Ruggiero killed. However, his uncle, Aniello Dellacroce, happened to be the underboss of the Gambino family and was able to protect him. The Ruggiero tapes also gave the police cause to bug the homes of a number of Gambino family associates, giving them enough evidence to arrest Castellano himself. When he got out on bail, he was furious with Ruggiero, but Dellacroce was still able to protect his nephew — until the old man eventually died of cancer in 1985. With Dellacroce dead, Ruggiero in a world of trouble, and Castellano’s no-drugs policy cutting into potential profit, Gotti decided the time had come to take Castellano out. On Dec. 16, 1985, gunmen acting on Gotti’s orders murdered Castellano as he left a New York restaurant. Ruggiero was waiting with the backup team of shooters, never called into action, down the street. This was largely planned out by Ruggiero. However, more tapes would surface and a series of bad decisions and arrest eventually led to Gott shelving Angelo for good from the family. While awaiting another trial after 2 previous ones that ended in a hung jury, Angelo Ruggiero succumbed to terminal lung cancer in 1989. Gotti had refused to visit his old friend on his deathbed. Let us know your thoughts on the effect Angelo had on the mob.

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