The FBI conducted a phone interview in May 2026 with Salvatore Gravano, the former underboss of the Gambino crime family known as “Sammy the Bull.” Agents asked Gravano whether former FBI Director James Comey likely knew the meaning of the slang term “86,” which prosecutors allege signifies a call to kill.
Background of the case
Comey is charged in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina with threatening President Donald Trump and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. The charges stem from a May 2025 Instagram post that displayed seashells arranged to read “8647.” Prosecutors argue the “86” portion is mob slang for killing, while “47” refers to Trump as the 47th president.
Gravano’s testimony
During the 25‑minute recorded interview, Gravano told the FBI that, as a “gangster,” he understood “86” to mean “to get rid of” or “to kill.” He said Comey “had to know” the term’s meaning given Comey’s role as lead prosecutor in the 1990s United States v. John Gambino trial. Gravano, however, did not recall ever discussing the term with Comey, and FBI searches of Gambino case files found no reference to “86.”
Legal implications
Comey’s defense team plans to cite the interview to challenge the prosecution’s claim that Comey’s past work with the Gambino case proves he understood the slang as a violent threat. Gravano also stated he believed the Instagram post was a call for violence against the president, but he did not assert that Comey intended to carry out such violence himself.
Comey’s response
Comey has maintained that he found the seashell arrangement and did not intend any violent message. In a May 2025 interview with MSNBC, he said he removed the post after learning it was being interpreted as a threat and emphasized that he has never been associated with violence.
Next steps
The case remains pending, with a new assistant U.S. attorney taking over after the original prosecutor stepped down. Both sides are expected to present additional evidence on the meaning of “86” and the intent behind the Instagram post as the trial proceeds.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
