An infamous Staten Island mansion once owned by Gambino crime family boss Paul Castellano has been relisted for $13.995 million, a significant price reduction from its previous asking prices. The property at 177 Benedict Road, located in the Todt Hill neighborhood, was previously listed at $18 million in early 2024 and $16.8 million in October 2023.
Built in 1980 by Castellano, the estate was designed to resemble the White House, featuring a pillared portico and a circular drive. The mansion now spans approximately 33,000 square feet on a 67,923-square-foot lot. It includes eight en-suite bedrooms, 17 bathrooms, and 25 rooms in total, with two kitchens. The property also boasts indoor and outdoor Olympic-sized swimming pools, a 13-car garage, a home theater, a gym with a sauna, a beauty salon, a wine cellar, and a solarium.
Paul Castellano, who succeeded Carlo Gambino as the crime syndicate's leader, commissioned the residence in 1976 and lived there until his assassination outside Sparks Steak House in Manhattan in 1985. The property has undergone significant expansion and renovation since Castellano's time. The current owner, Selim “Sal” Rusi, an immigrant from Albania and self-made entrepreneur, purchased the home for $3.1 million in 2000 and has spent years transforming and expanding the estate.
According to listing agent Rob Nixon of PreReal Real Estate, the current price is intended to align more closely with the market. Nixon also noted that the estimated replacement cost for an estate of this scale and caliber would exceed $30 million. The previous single-home sales record on Staten Island was set by a property across the street at 176 Benedict Road, which sold for $8.5 million in 2025.
The listing agent acknowledged the property's notorious history, stating that it "can't be ignored" but highlighted the extensive modern upgrades made by the current ownership, which have more than doubled the original footprint and lot size. A recent renovation of the lower-level kitchen alone cost over $1 million. Despite the typical summer slowdown in real estate, the agent expressed confidence that this unique property is not subject to conventional market seasonality.