The reported crime boss of the New York Mafia’s Gambino family, Francesco "Franky Boy" Cali, has been shot dead on Staten Island.
The 53-year-old was shot multiple times to his body shortly after 9pm local time last night in front of his home, police said.
Media, including the New York Post, reported that Cali was shot at least six or seven times and also hit by a pickup truck driven by the gunman, citing unidentified police sources.
The Gambino crime operation is one of the five historic Italian-American Mafia families in New York, Reuters has previously reported, and it makes money through violence and extortion.
Charges against members of Mafia operations, including Gambino family operatives, have included murder, loan sharking, gambling and illegal drug distribution.
The New York Daily News reported in 2008 that Cali was among 62 people arrested on federal racketeering charges and he later pleaded guilty to conspiring to extort money. He served a 16-month sentence.
There is no known motive for the shooting of Cali, a police commander said.
"There are no arrests and the investigation is ongoing," police said in a statement.
