Assassination of Paul Castellano - Sparks Steak House

On December 16, 1985, Gambino family boss Paul Castellano and his underboss Thomas Bilotti were shot and killed outside Sparks Steak House as they exited a car. The hit is widely attributed to a faction led by John Gotti and immediately led to Gotti's rise as Gambino boss. The murders occurred on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant and were extensively covered in contemporaneous news reports.