The Tape That Unbinds© Ron Lombard
Feb 9, 2000
The Tape That Unbinds
The first thing to go was the honor of Castellano. It became a well-known fact that his wife had left home because of his advances toward one of their housekeepers. While the code of the Family allowed for involvement with a mistress or girlfriend, it did not look with favor upon one who brought dishonor to his own wife. If one would dishonor her would he not also be willing to dishonor his own Family.Big Paul also made himself look ridiculous in the manner in which an older man can in the pursuit of a younger woman. Though not to his face his men began to joke about the "Pope" living in the "White House" with his Hispanic girlfriend.
Big Paul had always tried to be careful in relation to speaking where federal agents could possibly bug him. He had a great deal of security around his estate and felt secure in meeting with Family members around a table in his kitchen to discuss Family business. Agents knew the meeting were taking place but needed to find some way to gain entrance into the home if they wanted to pick up evidence to connect Big Paul with the Family business. Then a simplistic idea was hit upon when agents became aware that complaints were being issued from the home in relation to poor TV reception. One of the TV's was located right next to the kitchen table where the Family meetings took place. The interference was actually being caused by the agents who sought to use the problem as a possible means to gain entrance. An agent assuming the role of a TV repairman gained entrance and managed to place a bug in the light above the table. The agents began taping the conversations and collecting evidence that linked Castellano to major crimes and murder. Castellano was unaware that he was digging his own grave through every word that he uttered. As more and more organized crime members were picked up and their attorneys became aware of the evidence against them, it was apparent where the information had been coming from.
To make matters worse, other tapes had been collected relating to some of his Family members dealing in drugs. Big Paul had issued a warning that no Family member should be dealing in drugs and if caught could be put to death. Younger Family members resented Castellano's stand against drugs. He could afford to be against them living in his big house and collecting a cut of the money they made in the street. He was cutting them off form the big profits that could be made through the sale of drugs. A tape was made of some of Gotti's crew discussing dealing in drugs. Also on the tape were some unkind remarks directed toward Big Paul himself. Big Paul demanded the tapes be handed over to him since he was under indictment and information on the tapes could either help or hurt him. Gotti's crewmembers did all possible to stall the release of the tapes and Big Paul was putting pressure on Gotti to force his men to meet his demands. The big problem was that one of the crewmembers was Gotti's own brother. There was no doubt in Gotti's mind that he would be held responsible for any discretion carried out by his men.
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