Law-enforcement authorities anticipate a possible assassination attempt against the Staten Island man suspected of gunning down mob boss Francesco “Franky Boy” Cali, sources told The Post on Sunday.
Officials haven’t confirmed that the Gambino crime family has posted a bounty on Anthony Comello, but “the general feeling is that there’s an ‘X’ on this guy’s back,” one source said.
“He’s going to have some issues in jail,” a high-ranking NYPD official said.
“Maybe there’s some guys who are wiseguys in jail who will show their allegiance to the Gambinos and say, ‘We’ll take care of this guy.’ ”
Sources said Cali’s gangland cronies would likely wait until Comello, 24, was serving time in an upstate prison before making an attempt on his life.
But that wouldn’t prevent another inmate from taking matters into his own hands to try to score a reward or simply to boost his reputation behind bars, sources said.
Comello is locked up in New Jersey’s Ocean County Jail pending charges in Wednesday night’s fatal shooting of Cali, 53, outside his home at 25 Hilltop Terrace in the Todt Hill section of Staten Island.
Investigators believe the execution-style slaying may have been revenge for Cali preventing his niece from dating Comello, sources have said.