As the passing of the late Francesco “Franky Boy” Cali, hits American and Italian news circuits, part of the disturbing nature of the news has been that Cali had been having dinner with his family, when he was shot outside of his home in Staten Island, fatally. Cali was among one of the most influential members of the Gambino crime family, says news reports.
Readers have sought more about the unfolding news story, including whom some of Cali’s family members, were. Specifically, his wife has come into the fold, and the following covers what much is known about her.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Rosaria Inzerillo, Was the Wife of Mob Boss, Frank Cali, According to Reports
The late Cali who was shot fatally on Wednesday night, married Rosaria Inzerillo, who was related to powerful members of the Sicilian Mafia, according to reports. Inzerillo is the daughter of Pietro Inzerillo, who reportedly owned a restaurant in Bensonhurst.
Inzerillo’s husband, Frank “Franky Boy” Cali, was the “ambassador” of the Sicilian mafia in the U.S., according to BBC reporting. He had been tasked to improve relations across the various families.
Inzerillo’s nuclear family with Cali remained low-key and tight-knit, according to The New York Post’s reports, which say that Cali kept a low profile, in contrast to his former boss, John Gotti. Inzerillo and Cali descended from Palermo, Italy, according to Italian newspaper reports.
2. Rosaria Inzerillo’s Family Was Under Federal Watch, But Her Husband Had Few Run-Ins With the Law
It has been described that Inzerillo and Cali lived a relatively quiet life on Staten Island. The latter did not have as many run-ins with the law as others who were associated with the Gambino family.
While Cali was arrested and charged with federal racketeering over a decade ago, in 2008, as part of “Operation Old Bridge”–a code name the Gambino crime family arrests–PEOPLE reports that he was released shortly after, on April 6, 2009, from prison.
Inzerillo and Cali remained under “the eye” of federal agents who tried to prevent him from meeting and doing business with members of the Sicilian Mafia, according to New York Daily News.
3. One Neighbor Described Inzerillo’s & Cali’s Staten Island Neighborhood as ‘Dead Quiet’
The New York Times reports that Inzerillo and Cali lived in a neighborhood so quiet in Staten Island, NY, that neighbors had not known who lived where. Cali’s shooting was reported, by The New York Times, to have taken place at 25 Hilltop Terrace in the Todt Hill section of Staten Island.
That article describes their home as being a large red-brick, two-story, colonial style house.
One neighbor who spoke to the Times, Prashant Ranyal, said, “Whenever you see nice areas you feel like it’s peaceful.” Then, Rayal added, “When something like this happens you definitely have a second thought about it.”
“Nobody talks to nobody around here; it’s crazy,” another neighbor named Salvatore said, according to The New York Times. “People kind of keep to themselves. They like their privacy.”
The neighbor said their street was quiet and full of old homes. “Dead quiet all the time,” he reportedly told the newspaper.
4. Rosaria Inzerillo Worked at the Popular Nino’s Restaurant When She Was Younger
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As Pietro Inzerillo’s daughter, Rosaria worked at his popular New York City restaurant, Nino’s, before marrying Cali, La Repubblica reports. Reports suggest that the Inzerillo-Gambino clan, had been among the most influential in the Italian mob family. Cali had been a key part of the Gambino family.
According to the Italian newspaper, Corriere, Inzerillo’s father, Pietro Inzerillo, had been exiled to the United States once the Corleone mafia reportedly killed his two brothers, Totuccio and Santo in Sicily, Italy.
“The reason for killing the Inzerillo Pietro is not clear, even though he was involved with heroin trafficking internationally,” the policeman concluded in a report about the above-named events, according to Corriere.
5. Rosaria Inzerillo’s Family Has Seen Respects Publicly Paid on Social Media
Some friends and family have paid respects to Rosario Inzerillo and her family on social media.
Newspaper reports are constantly referring to Cali’s low profile, which could explain the little information posted about his immediate family, and wife, Inzerillo, in the news.
PEOPLE, for example, says: “Unlike other mobsters, Cali had few run-ins with the law.”
Fox News reports, “He was known for keeping a low profile, in stark contrast to the flashy style of the late former boss John Gotti.”