Traditional ‘hits’ were usually performed with a knife (knife fights to first blood or to the death were fairly common in the early mafia, and are still popular in The Camorra in southern Italy to this day) for example Salvatore Maranzano ‘the Boss Of Bosses’ in 1931 was stabbed to death. ‘the garotte’ – a rope to strangle someone with – was also popular, for example Jimmy Burke & Tommy deSimone (associates of the Luchesse crime family, immortalised in the film Goodfellas) used a garotte to strangle ‘Remo’ to death as late as the 1970s, which they don’t show in the film. Important to add though, that guns were still used frequently! Sometimes, they simply beat you to death – with clubs & bats – William ‘billy batts’ Bentvena got his nickname by beating a bookie to death with a baseball bat, only in turn to be beaten to death by Jimmy Burke & Tommy D (shown in the film Goodfellas) – how ironic!

As ‘the mob’ became more Americanised they preferred to use guns, usually pistols but often shotguns & machine guns as well – in the 1900s the Morello crime Family liked to dispatch their victims into barrels “the barrel murders” were very high profile. By the 20s & 30s Tommy guns (machine guns) had become common place (for example Capone’s men used them in the St Valentines Day massacre and killed 7 men in 1929, Capone’s men also took out Chicago Sicilian gangster Joe Aiello with 58 shots! ‘bloody’ Angelo Genna was massacred in a similar way, but these attacks often ended in innocents being killed as well – for example Vincent ‘mad dog’ Coll, who was dubbed ‘child killer coll’ after accidentally killing 2 little girls (and a cop) during a hit gone wrong with a tommy gun. Coll was later killed (in a tommy gun attack) on orders from Owney Madden & Dutch Schultz, in 1932.

As they became increasingly modern, by the 1980s, they began to break several of their own taboos and started using cyanide (poison, literally referred to by them as a “women’s weapon”) which was particularly popular with mafia hitmen like Richard Kuklinski – as well as using other sneak attacks like car bombs or nail bombs (Phil Testa, Boss of the Philly Family was killed with a nail bomb under his front porch, John Gotti was meant to be killed in a car bomb which ended up killing his underboss Frank deCicco – it’s worth adding car bombs were already popular in Sicily & south Italy but had been seen as “too hot” and “too brazen” in America, until Cleveland (and later Philadelphia) popularised using them in big gang wars.

Everything I’ve mentioned so far has been a ‘brazen hit’ but it’s important to add that often the mafia will just ‘make you disappear’ – they may trick you into arriving somewhere, shoot you with a silencer or slit your throat, and then dismember you and bury you in the middle of nowhere. Many times mobsters get into cars ‘with friends’ and are simply never seen or heard from again. They might tie cements to your boots and throw you in a river or in the sea, to drown “cement shoes” – they might torture you first for information in various heinous ways. Roy deMeo (Gambino Family) and Tommy Pitera (Bonnano Family) were both very adept at killing and then disappearing the body, through dismemberment – they were responsible for 100+ and 70+ murders respectively. deMeo was later found dead in a trunk, and Pitera is doing multiple life sentences. The Spilotro Brothers, Anthony & Michael (immortalised as Nicky & Dom Santoro in the film Casino) were famously buried alive!

Nowadays the mafia (in America) sees murder as expensive (it’s bad for business/ brings a lot of law enforcement heat) and use it as a last resort, when they do use it they prefer to make the victim ‘disappear’ – but they do still perform ‘brazen hits’ for example Francesco ‘franky boy’ Cali (Gambino Family Boss) was shot & killed outside his own home, this year!

My final comment on ‘mafia hits’ is this – whilst it’s easy to get caught up in how ‘cool’ and ‘exciting’ the mafia is, one should never celebrate / aspire to be like them – the biggest lesson to learn from mafia hits, is that the majority of them are performed for financial gain, and usually involve a betrayal of someone who’s been in your confidence for dozens of years – most mobsters know the men who kill them

“ when you get sent for it’s a death sentence, and it’s your best friend that does it”

For example, Nicky Scarfo was Boss of the Philly Family, and had become very jealous of Salvatore ‘salvie’ Testa, who was only 29 but already a captain / millionaire. Salvie’s dad Phil had been Boss before Scarfo, so he had a faction loyal to his old man, and it was pretty much assumed he’d one day be Boss. He was a good earner, never caused trouble, and was extremely proficient killer. Nicky decided he didn’t like or trust Salvie, egged on by his under boss (who was a drunk) Salvatore ‘chuckie’ Merlino & his nephew / future under boss Philip ‘crazy phil’ Leonetti – Both Chuckie and Phil were childhood friends of Salvie, but were jealous of his success – so they had Salvie’s best friend Joseph “Joey Pung” Pungitore lure him to a meeting in a basement, and after Salvie shook hands with another friend Salvatore ‘John wayne’ Grande, he turned to talk to Joey Pung, wherein Grande stood up and shot Salvie in the back of his head. Murders like that sum the mafia up in a nutshell, they all back stab each other in the end. Chuckie Merlino would later be demoted for being a drunk (he was then arrested and died in prison), his brother Lawrence Merlino turned states evidence, yet his son Joey Merlino managed to become the Boss…. Salvatore Grande would later flip in the late 80s and snitch on everyone, as would Phil Leonetti (who had become the underboss) whilst Joey Pung and his older brother Anthony Pungitore were both murdered (separately, both times by friends) not too long after Salvie.

Why are mafia hitmen used to aiming their guns behind the victim’s ear and not directly into it?

ganglia of nerves behind the ear will cause the body to go paralytic on hard impact. This location also guarantees the bullet will bypass bone and directly enter the brain. Not so with an ear shot

In fact, the round of choice for this is hollow-point 22mag – it’s easy to handle and the bullet will spinter with higher mass and kinetic energy

A direct shot into the eye socket also penetrates the brain. But any deviation might mean it enters bone and stops.

Nine-mill and above however, for any head shot will down if not kill the average target. In a confrontation, with adrenaline high, it’s extraordinarily hard to hit a target as small as the head. Center body mass is recommended.

They actually tend to go for between the eyes or the temple..between the eyes and the temple are rather soft, and their weapon of choice is a.22cal so this provides the surest kill. That said, they’re actually called ENFORCERS and take every step to avoid having to kill. Killing is messy and brings hear, more often they’ll break bones or beat the person until they get what they came for ; usually money that’s owed. It’s not all like the movies portray. That said, I do NOT advise getting involved as they WILL kill to get what they want, or if you cross them.

An “Italian hitman” refers to a criminal hired to kill, often associated with organized crime like the Italian-American or Sicilian Mafia, and some notable individuals include Giuseppe Greco and Filippo Marchese. These individuals are known for their violent roles within these criminal organizations and are often linked to specific crimes like murder, with some becoming infamous for the number of victims or their specific methods. 

Notable Italian hitmen 

• Giuseppe Greco: Also known as “Pino Greco,” this Sicilian Mafia hitman was one of the most prolific killers in criminal history and was affiliated with the Ciaculli mafia family. 
• Filippo Marchese: A leading figure in the Sicilian Mafia, he was a feared killer suspected of dozens of homicides and was a boss of the Mafia family in the Corso dei Mille neighborhood of Palermo. 
• Vito Genovese: A powerful and influential figure in organized crime, he allegedly murdered Gaetano Reina in 1930, a key event in a mob war. 
• Carmine Galante: A notorious hitman and leader in the Bonanno crime family, he was known for his ruthlessness and brutality. 

Characteristics of Italian hitmen 

• Criminal background: Many of these hitmen began their criminal careers in small gangs before rising through the ranks of larger organized crime families. 
• Methods and notoriety: They are known for their violent roles in the criminal underworld, often committing murders for their bosses or families. 
• Associated crimes: In addition to murder, these individuals are often involved in a wide range of other crimes like drug dealing, extortion, and illegal gambling. 
• 
  The term “Italian hit man” generally refers to a 
  mobster or contract killer affiliated with the Italian Mafia or Italian-American organized crime families. These individuals were central figures in historical organized crime activities, often serving as enforcers and carrying out numerous murders on behalf of their crime bosses. 
  Some of the most notorious figures include:
  Giuseppe Greco: A high-ranking member and prolific hitman for the Sicilian Mafia’s Ciaculli family, active during the Second Mafia War in the 1980s. Known by the nickname Scarpuzzedda(“little shoe”) and also U’ scannacristiani (“the people-slayer”), he was convicted in absentia of 58 murders and is believed to have committed many more.
  Giovanni Brusca: A Sicilian mobster known for his major role in the 1992 assassination of anti-Mafia judge Giovanni Falcone via a massive highway bombing. Nicknamed U verru (“the pig”), he admitted to participating in 100 to 200 murders before becoming a government witness (pentito) after his capture.
  Filippo Marchese: A leading figure and feared killer in the Sicilian Mafia who ran the notorious “Room of Death” in Palermo, where numerous victims were tortured, murdered (often by garroting), and then dissolved in acid.
  Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano: An American former mobster who rose to underboss of the Gambino crime family. He played a key role in the murder of family boss Paul Castellano and later became a government witness, confessing to involvement in 19 murders and helping to convict John Gotti.
  Gregory “the Grim Reaper” Scarpa: An American caporegime (captain) and hitman for the Colombo crime family in New York, who was also a long-time FBI informant. He was a ruthless enforcer known for his brutality. 
  These individuals operated within the strict hierarchy and code of silence (omertà) of their organizations, with their actions often tied to internal power struggles, territorial control, and large-scale criminal enterprises. Many were eventually caught due to law enforcement efforts and testimony from former associates who broke the code of silence and became informants. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Mafia hitmen have used a variety of weapons and methods over time, evolving from crude, personal means to more anonymous, efficient techniques designed to minimize forensic evidence
  . 
  
  Common Weapons
  Firearms: These are often used for their range and efficiency. Common types include handguns and shotguns.
  Blunt Objects and Blades: In earlier times, these were sometimes used.
  Explosives and Poisons: These have been used in some instances. 
  
  Common Methods
  Ambush and Betrayal: Victims are sometimes lured to a location and then attacked.
  Disposing of the Body: A method known as “Lupara Bianca” is associated with making the victim’s body disappear to hinder investigations. This has involved various means of concealing or destroying remains.
  Garrote: A method of strangulation has also been used. 
  In modern times, public hits have become less common, with focus shifting to making individuals “disappear” or excluding them from criminal activities. Weapons used in hits are typically disposed of afterwards to prevent identification.