The Rise of Frank DeCicco

In Bensonhurst, Brooklyn… the Mafia wasn’t a story. It was the rhythm of the streets.

And for Frank DeCicco, it was the family business. Born in 1935, Frank grew up in

a home already connected to the Gambinos. His father, his uncles — all men who understood

the life. Frank learned early that in this neighborhood, respect wasn’t claimed… you earned it.

While other kids chased noise and trouble, Frankie built a different reputation:

Quiet. Reliable. A kid who listened more than he spoke. His real schooling

came under Jimmy Brown Failla, a powerful Brooklyn capo who ran the trucking and waste-hauling

rackets. Failla was old-school, a man loyal to underboss Aniello Dellacroce —