Aniello DellaCroce led an insurrection to wrest power away from Gambino crime family boss Carlo Gambino. The underboss was a protege of the late Mafia enforcer Albert Anastasia. DellaCroce was a prominent figure in mob history from the early 1970s until his death from cancer in 1985. He was a fierce opponent of Paul Castellano, who succeeded Carlo Gambino. DellaCroce and his associates dealt in murder, gambling, racketeering, loansharking and tax evasion.