5 key details about the Gambino crime family
The Sons of Ecstasy, which premiered on HBO Max on January 9, shines a light on the connection between the Gravano family and the infamous Gambino crime family. The Gambino family is one of the Five Families that have dominated organized crime in New York City. They have a storied history of criminal activities, from racketeering to drug trafficking.
Salvatore Sammy the Bull Gravano, once underboss to the Gambino family, would be known to the world in the 1990s as the underboss who betrayed his organization and shared deep secrets of the mafia.
The documentary chronicles the legacy of the Gravano family with Gerard Gravano, the son of Sammy, playing an important role in the Arizona ecstasy trade in the 1990s.
The series contrasts Gerard's involvement in organized crime with that of Shaun Attwood, an English stockbroker turned ecstasy empire leader.
Sons of Ecstasy combines firsthand accounts and archival footage to explore the violent underworld of the ecstasy drug trade, offering a gripping narrative about loyalty, betrayal, and survival.
5 key details about the Gambino crime family
1) Historical origins of the Gambino crime family
The Gambino crime family is one of the Five Families of the Italian-American mafia in New York City. It has its origins in the early 1900s and eventually developed into a major organized crime syndicate. The family is named after Carlo Gambino, under whose leadership they gained enormous power in the mid-20th century.
Famous for racketeering, loan sharking, and other forms of illegal activity, the Gambino family remains infamous in mafia history. Their influence extended beyond New York, including connections that tie into the events depicted in Sons of Ecstasy.
2) Sammy The Bull Gravano's role in his family
Sammy Gravano, once the Gambino family's underboss, became one of its most notorious members. Known as The Bull, Gravano was involved in several crimes, some of which included organizing murders on behalf of the family.
Later, he became an informant for the authorities, testifying against his boss, John Gotti, who subsequently received a guilty verdict.
Sons of Ecstasy brings out Sammy's son, Gerard Gravano, as one of the prominent characters, reflecting the family's continued involvement in criminal activities, especially in the ecstasy trade in Arizona.
3) Expansion to Arizona and the ecstasy trade
The Gambino family's legacy isn’t confined to New York. In Sons of Ecstasy, Gerard Gravano spearheads an operation in Arizona during the 1990s to dominate the burgeoning ecstasy drug trade. This marked a new chapter for the Gambinos, reflecting their adaptability in infiltrating different illegal markets.
The documentary reveals how Gerard’s ambitions and criminal tactics continued the family’s legacy while branching into modern drug trafficking.
4) The Gambino family's modern legacy
While the Gambino crime family’s power diminished in the 21st century due to law enforcement crackdowns, their influence lingers in popular culture and criminal history.
Sons of Ecstasy delves into Gerard Gravano's life, showing how the family adapted to changing times, trading in the underground rave scene and ecstasy empire.
Gerard's story offers a glimpse into how the family sought relevance beyond traditional mafia activities.
5) The influence of the Gambino family
The Gambino Crime family's dark history has inspired countless movies, books, and series. Sons of Ecstasy is another testament to the enduring fascination with Mafia families and their influence on society.
It explores the modern-day consequences of the Gambino legacy, focusing on Gerard Gravano's role in Arizona's ecstasy trade.
The documentary also sheds light on how the family balanced its criminal enterprise with public notoriety, solidifying its place in history.
The connection between the Gambino family and the Gravano family
The Gravano family would haunt the infamous Gambino crime family, one of the most powerful organized crime syndicates in the United States. The connection was shaped by Salvatore Sammy the Bull Gravano, an ex-underboss of the Gambino family.
Sammy earned notoriety for his participation in a string of crimes orchestrated by John Gotti, the family's boss. The two became estranged, however, when Gravano became a state's witness, testifying against Gotti and helping to break up the Gambino family in 1991.
Gerard Gravano, Sammy's son, received the dark notoriety left by his father's legacy. Gerard operated behind the scenes of his father's organized crime empire but began his own illicit business, such as participating in the ecstasy trade.
The bond between the Gambino and Gravano families represents how loyalty, betrayal, and legacy all work hand in hand with organized crime.
Watch the story of the Gambino Crime Family featured in Sons of Ecstasy on HBO.
