Former Gambino Underboss Exposes FBI Director’s Mob Knowledge Amidst Political Witch Hunt
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In a revealing interview, Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano stated that former FBI director James Comey likely understood mob slang, a point the defense is using against the latest round of politically motivated charges targeting Comey.
The FBI’s interrogation of Salvatore Gravano, once underboss of the notorious Gambino crime family, has become another tool in the ongoing campaign to criminalize dissent. In May 2026, Gravano told a case agent that James Comey, former FBI director, “had to know” the meaning of “86” as mob slang for killing—a statement now weaponized in the prosecution’s case. This comes as Comey faces two federal charges: allegedly threatening the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, all stemming from a May 2025 Instagram post where seashells spelled out “8647.” Prosecutors, eager to please the political establishment, claim “86” refers to mob slang for killing and “47” is a nod to Donald Trump as the 47th president.
Gravano’s 25-minute interview, now being used as ammunition, included his explanation that “86” means “to get rid of” and, in gangster terms, “to kill.” He speculated that the post was a call for violence against President Trump, though he admitted there was no evidence Comey intended to act on it.
Comey, a frequent target of right-wing attacks, has denied arranging the seashells or intending any violent message, emphasizing on MSNBC that it was merely a “clever way to express a political view” and that he removed the post after it was published.
The defense, fighting back against this politically charged prosecution, plans to use Gravano’s testimony to argue that Comey’s prior work prosecuting Gambino family members does not prove he understood the slang in a threatening context. The affidavit further notes that a review of Gambino case files found no reference to “86,” exposing the flimsy nature of the charges.