1969 NYPD Mugshot of Thomas Bilotti:
Twenty-nine-year old Bilotti, arrested in Staten Island on a felony charge of possessing stolen property, was then a Gambino Associate believed to be on-record with one of the D'Alessio brothers.
He was inducted into the Gambino Family in October 1977.
By 1980 his older brother Joseph was also a made member, and the two may have been reporting direct to Boss Paul Castellano.
Soldiers under Castellano at the time included Daniel Marino and another pair of brothers, Joseph 'Joe Butch' and Augustus 'Augie' Corrao.
Thomas frequently served as Castellano's driver and was one of his closest associates in the Family.
Castellano promoted Bilotti to Capodecina around Fall 1981.
Members of Bilotti's crew included his brother Joseph as well as Giovanni 'John' Gambino. Possible members included John Santoro and one or more of the D'Alessio brothers.
Bilotti was viewed as Castellano's preferred choice to replace Underboss Aniello Dellacroce, who died of natural causes on December 2, 1985.
Two weeks later Castellano and Bilotti were both shot to death in Midtown, Manhattan.
The following month John Gotti was elected Boss. The late Dellacroce's role as Underboss was filled by one-time Bilotti crew member Frank DeCicco.
