Frank Cali: Reputed boss of Gambino crime family's murder ‘does not appear to be mob-related’
A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of reputed Gambino crime family mob boss Francesco "Frank" Cali, police in New York said.
The 53-year-old was shot 10 times outside his Staten Island home last week. It is thought the gunman may have crashed a truck into Cali’s car to lure him outside.
Anthony Comello, 24, was detained in New Jersey said Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea, who stressed that the investigation is in its early stages.
“There are multiple, multiple angles that we are exploring,” Mr Shea told a news conference. “Was the person paid to do it? Were others conspiring to do this crime?”
Investigators were still trying to ascertain whether Cali was killed because of his connection organised crime.
An anonymous source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN the killing did not appear to be mob-related.
Mr Shea said police have recovered the truck but have not recovered the gun used in the murder.
Asked about Mr Comello’s arrest record, Mr Shea said he “crossed paths in some limited circumstances with the NYPD”.
He received parking ticket on Staten Island the day Cali was killed, he said.
Mr Comello will be extradited from New Jersey to New York to face charges, Mr Shea said. It was unclear whether he had legal representation.
Federal prosecutors referred to Cali in court filings in recent years as the underboss of the Mafia’s Gambino family, once one of the most powerful crime organisations in the country.
Reports dating back to 2015 suggest had risen to head of the family.
Cali’s only mob-related criminal conviction came a decade ago, when he pleaded guilty in an extortion scheme involving a failed attempt to build a NASCAR track on Staten Island.
He was sentenced to 16 months behind bars and released in 2009.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
