In an astonishing turn of events that underscores the surreal reality of Washington D.C.'s deep state machinations, the FBI has reportedly consulted none other than Salvatore Gravano—better known as "Sammy the Bull," the notorious former underboss of the Gambino crime family—to ascertain whether ex-FBI Director James Comey truly understood the grim implications of the term "86." This bizarre development arises as Comey faces serious federal charges for an alleged threat against President Donald Trump.
The revelation, detailed in recently filed court documents, emerged from a May 2026 phone call between Gravano and an FBI case agent. Gravano, intimately familiar with Comey from the former Director's 1990s stint as lead prosecutor in the high-stakes United States v. John Gambino et al. trial, offered a blunt assessment: Comey "had to know" what "86" signified. This testimony directly contradicts Comey's attempts to portray his actions as innocent, raising urgent questions about accountability at the highest levels.
Comey stands accused in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina of threatening President Donald Trump through a May 2025 Instagram post. The post, a photo of seashells arranged to read "8647," prosecutors allege, was a clear reference to assassinating Trump, with "86" being slang for killing and "47" denoting Trump as the 47th U.S. president. It's a shocking charge against a former head of America's premier law enforcement agency, one that demands unflinching scrutiny.
According to the sworn affidavit filed last month by Comey's lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, supporting Comey’s motions to dismiss the case, Gravano conveyed his conviction during their conversation. "During the telephone conversation to discuss the logistics of his forthcoming interview, Mr. Gravano stated his belief that Mr. Comey had to know what the term '86' meant 'as it related to killing someone,'" the court documents state. The idea that a former top G-man could be so oblivious to widely understood mob terminology—especially after prosecuting such figures—strains credulity.
The Department of Justice levied two federal charges against Comey—threatening the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce—in April. While Comey’s defense lawyer cited the FBI’s interview with Gravano, attempting to challenge the claim that Comey’s Gambino prosecution meant he understood the mob meaning of "86," Gravano himself delivered a stark assessment. He specifically told agents he did not recall ever discussing the term with Comey directly, yet remained adamant that Comey, given his background, couldn't have been ignorant of its meaning. Further compounding the issue, FBI searches of the Gambino case materials reportedly found no direct references to "86."
Gravano elaborated during his 25-minute recorded interview: "'86' generally means to 'get rid of' and to him, as a 'gangster,' it means 'to kill.'" He left little room for ambiguity, also adding that he believed Comey's Instagram post was a direct "call for violence against President Trump ('let’s kill Trump')," though he clarified he didn't view it as Comey personally threatening to carry out the act. That's a crucial distinction, but it doesn't diminish the gravity of inciting violence, especially from a former top federal official.
For his part, Comey has repeatedly attempted to dismiss the seriousness of the charges, claiming he merely found—and did not arrange—the seashell display and was oblivious to any violent interpretation of "8647." He even removed the post, telling MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace in May 2025, "I don't see it the way some people are still saying it is, but again, I don't want any part of any violence. I've never been associated with violence, and so that's why I took it down." He later doubled down, insisting he didn't think the post had any "dark intentions."
Comey's defense relies on the idea that he believed the arrangement of seashells was a "clever way to express a political view," an artistic endeavor by "somebody with artistic flair" rather than a coded threat. Yet, the testimony of a man who lived and breathed the world Comey once prosecuted paints a strikingly different picture. It's a damning indictment not just of Comey's judgment, but of the wider establishment's frequent inability or unwillingness to hold its own accountable.
This ongoing legal battle highlights a critical principle: no one, regardless of their past position or perceived influence, is above the law—especially when it comes to threatening a sitting or former President. The fact that the FBI needed a mob boss to clarify the potential intent of a former FBI Director in what appears to be a veiled threat against President Trump speaks volumes about the current state of justice. For the America First movement and all who believe in equal justice, the demand for true accountability for figures like James Comey remains unwavering.
