Debra Scibetta is an American resident whose personal and professional life attracted public interest after her husband, Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano, was arrested in connection with the Gambino mafia family crimes.
Debra Scibetta married Sammy in 1971, and the duo stayed together as husband and wife for over 25 years. They eventually ended things in 1996, and their union was blessed with the birth of two children.
Summary of Debra Scibetta’s Biography
- Full Name: Debra Scibetta
- Gender: Female
- Nationality: American
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Marital Status: Divorced
- Debra Scibetta’s Husband: Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano
- Debra Scibetta’s Children: Gerald and Karen Gravano
- Siblings: Nicholas “Little Nicky” Scibetta
- Famous For: Being the ex-wife of Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano
- Debra Scibetta’s Instagram: @debragravano
When Was Debra Scibetta Born?
Since she is no celebrity, Debra Scibetta’s birth details have never been disclosed, but reports said her parents were identified as first-generation immigrants. Debra is one of her parents’ three children, but her exact position in the family was not specified. The only other member of the Scibetta family that is known already passed away in 1978; he was called Nicholas “Little Nicky” Scibetta.
There is no clue about Debra’s academic journey, but reports said she spent her growing up years in Bensonhurst, part of Brooklyn, New York. The man who would later become her husband, Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano, also grew up there.
She Was Into Restaurant Business
Before she went in for her crime, Debra owned and ran a restaurant, aided by her son Gerald. However, her imprisonment led to the closure of the eatery, and it has been speculated that the place may have been taken over by another person.
Debra Scibetta and Sammy Gravano’s Relationship
Sammy Gravano and Debra Scibetta’s story became a matter of public interest when the duo was enmeshed in the Gambino Mafia family crime; thus, the details of their love life never attracted attention. People only became interested in knowing about them after they were arrested.
Consequently, no one can tell how they met or how many years they dated. The only certainty about the Debra/Sammy relationship is that they tied the nuptial knot sometime in 1971.
A while after their wedding, the couple started having kids, and reports revealed that Debra Scibetta and her husband, Sammy share two children – a son called Gerald Gravano and a daughter who goes by the name Karen Gravano.
Gerald Followed in His Father’s Footsteps
Apart from Sammy, Debra Gravano’s Son, Gerard was also linked to the illegal activities of the Gambino family. During the latter part of the 1990s, he got involved with the kingpin of a local juvenile gang called the “Devil Dogs.”
At 24, he was apprehended for his numerous crimes and was arraigned before the New York authorities. He pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges, illegally conducting an enterprise, including proposing to peddle and transport hard substances in Arizona.
Debra Scibetta and Sammy Gravano’s Union Ended in a Divorce
We were never intimated about how the couple’s marriage went. Still, it is common knowledge that they separated around the early 1990s, which was when the true story of the brutal murder of Nicholas “Little Nicky” Scibetta came to light.
Sammy had to enter the United States Federal Witness Protection Program in a well-laid-out plan to help the authorities in nabbing the kingpins of the mafia family. The couple finally divorced in 1996 after two and half decades together as man and wife.
At this stage, Debra Scibetta was still struggling to come to terms with the disappearance of her brother, and there was the mind-boggling fact that the police were only able to locate one of his dismembered arms.
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Before long, she took the conscious decision to move from Sammy’s Tempe, Arizona house to a distance that is nine miles away, reportedly for the sake of her children. It was at this stage that she got entangled in the criminal activities of the family; ultimately, her move ended in all the Gravanos, alongside nearly 40 other individuals,’ being arrested on state and federal charges of drug-related offenses in February 2000.
Sammy also flipped on John Gotti – the Gambino family’s boss leading to his arrest, and even after his cooperation with the authorities, Sammy still got a 19-year jail term which landed him in Arizona state prison. He was found guilty of the possession and distribution of the hard substance ecstasy in October 2002.
Despite a dramatic betrayal that turned Sammy "The Bull" Gravano against "the family" and brought down powerful Gambino boss John Gotti for good, no regret loomed as large as the ones about his real family.
Watch TONIGHT on @ABC. https://t.co/cUGl2s3Bkc pic.twitter.com/nUFRkqXsmD
— ABC News (@ABC) January 27, 2022
This May be the True Reason Debra Scibetta Divorced her Husband, Sammy
While they were married, Debra Scibetta was unaware that her spouse, Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano, was gay. The dubious man was involved in a same-sex relationship with a guy even before he moved up the ranks within the circle of the Gambino mafia family.
According to reports, the man whom Sammy had a secret affair with was called Jack Russo. Following Sammy’s wedding with Debra in 1971, the man heard that his wife’s brother, Nick knew his secrete and was aware of his homosexual escapades. Sammy also got information that Nick may have already exposed all to his sister, including the part about Ruso.
When Debra Scibetta’s brother, who was involved in alcohol and substance abuse, was eventually murdered in 1978, it was speculated that he insulted a Gambino boss’ daughter and fought a second one.
Talking about Nick, Sammy always maintained that he met his untimely death out of his bad behavior, which he described as Out of control,” and the fact that he was a liability. However, the truth was that Sammy wanted Nick dead because he threatened to expose him. When Sammy later admitted to committing 19 murders, Nick’s inclusive, his plea deal provided that the details of Nick’s murder be concealed.
Former mafia underboss Sammy Gravano is tied to 19 murders before becoming a protected government witness. Now, daughters of Gravano's victims recall the impact of losing their fathers.
Watch "Truth and Lies: The Last Gangster" Thursday at 8/7c on @ABC. https://t.co/2zyAirJ2FV pic.twitter.com/q6KDV1oxeS
— 20/20 (@ABC2020) January 26, 2022
Where is Debra Scibetta Now?
Debra Scibetta got several years on probation for her role in what was described as a multi-million dollar ecstasy ring that operated from Arizona to NY. This resulted from her guilty plea to unlawfully conducting an enterprise in 2001.
After her sentence, she probably decided to live her life away from the piercing eyes of the media and the general public. However, it is common knowledge that she currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and is already a grandmother.
