You’ve probably seen the photos. That massive, gleaming white structure perched on the highest point of Staten Island, looking like it was ripped straight out of a DC postcard and dropped onto Todt Hill. People call it the "White House." But for those who know their New York history, it's forever the Paul Castellano house.
Recently, the Paul Castellano house Zillow listing has been doing the rounds again, popping up on "Zillow Gone Wild" threads and real estate blogs with a price tag that feels as heavy as the Carrara marble inside. We’re talking $18 million. In a neighborhood where the record sale is roughly $4.6 million, that’s a bold move. It’s also a house that carries a lot of baggage.
The Ghost of "Big Paul" at 177 Benedict Road
The house wasn't just built; it was commissioned. In 1976, when Paul Castellano took over the Gambino crime family from his brother-in-law Carlo Gambino, he wanted a fortress. He didn't want a suburban ranch. He wanted something that screamed "The Boss."
It took four years to finish. By 1980, the 33,000-square-foot behemoth was ready. Honestly, it’s kinda fascinating how much the architecture tells you about the man. He was insulated. He was powerful. He was, by most accounts, trying to transition the mob into a boardroom-style corporate entity. Building a literal White House replica on 1.75 acres of prime Todt Hill real estate was the ultimate "I've arrived" statement.
But here's the thing about "Big Paul." He barely got to enjoy it. He was gunned down outside Sparks Steak House in Manhattan in 1985—an execution orchestrated by John Gotti. The house, meant to be his eternal seat of power, became a monument to a fallen era.
What’s Actually Inside the Paul Castellano House Today?
If you look at the Paul Castellano house Zillow photos now, you aren't seeing a 1980s time capsule. Not exactly. After Castellano's death, the house eventually sold in 2000 for about $3.1 million to a contractor named Selim "Sam" Rusi.
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Rusi didn't just paint the walls. He basically rebuilt the place. He added wings, extra floors, and enough bathrooms to serve a small stadium. The current specs are dizzying:
- 8 bedrooms (all en-suite, naturally)
- 17 bathrooms
- Two Olympic-sized pools (one indoor, one outdoor)
- A 13-car showroom (for your Ferraris, obviously)
- A commercial-grade chef's kitchen
- A movie theater, a wine cellar, and even a private beauty salon/spa
Basically, it's a private resort. The decor is... intense. We’re talking gold leaf, heavy custom woodwork, and more marble than a Roman temple. It’s the kind of opulence that makes you wonder if anyone ever actually sits down and watches TV in their pajamas there. It feels like a stage set.
The $18 Million Question
Why has it been sitting on the market? It was listed for $16.8 million back in late 2023, sat there for a year, got taken down, and then reappeared at $18 million in 2025.
That’s a big jump.
The reality of Staten Island real estate is that the $15M+ buyer pool is tiny. Most people with $18 million to drop on a house are looking at Manhattan penthouses or Hamptons estates, not Todt Hill. Plus, there's the "mob house" stigma. Even though the current owners have no connection to the Gambinos, the history of the house is its biggest selling point and its biggest hurdle.
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You aren't just buying a house; you’re buying a conversation piece. Every time you have a dinner party, someone is going to mention the FBI bugs or the Sparks Steak House hit.
Living in a Landmark (Unofficially)
The house sits at 177 Benedict Road. It has some of the best views in New York—you can see the Verrazzano Bridge clearly from the massive rear balconies. Because it's on Todt Hill, the highest point on the Atlantic seaboard south of Maine, the privacy is unmatched.
But is it a home?
Some people on Reddit and Zillow forums argue it looks more like a "mob hotel" or a corporate retreat center. The sheer scale—33,000 square feet—is hard to wrap your head around. To put that in perspective, the average American home is about 2,300 square feet. You could fit 14 average houses inside this one.
The maintenance alone must be a nightmare. Imagine the heating bill for a room with a 20,000-gallon aquarium (which was a feature at one point) or the cost of keeping two Olympic pools at the right temperature.
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The Reality of the Paul Castellano House Zillow Listing
If you’re serious about tracking this property, you have to look past the "mob" headlines. Here is what the market actually says:
- Price History: It sold for $3.1 million in 2000. The jump to $18 million reflects the massive renovations, but it also reflects a hope that a very specific kind of trophy hunter will want the "Boss's house."
- Neighborhood Context: Todt Hill is wealthy, sure. But it’s not $18 million wealthy for most of the inventory. This house is an outlier in every sense of the word.
- Modern Appeal: The interior is very "New York Grandeur." If you love minimalist, Scandinavian design, this house will give you a headache. It's built for someone who wants to be noticed.
The Paul Castellano house Zillow listing remains a fascinating look at New York’s intersection of crime history and luxury real estate. It's a house that was built to be a fortress and now stands as a gilded museum of a very specific time in the city's life.
If you're ever driving through Staten Island, you can catch a glimpse of the white facade from certain angles on the hill. It still looks like the White House. It still looks like it’s waiting for a boss to move back in. But for now, it's just the most expensive listing in the borough, waiting for someone with a very deep pocket and an appreciation for "intense" architecture.
For those tracking the property, the move is to keep an eye on the "Days on Zillow" counter. If it hits the two-year mark without a bite, we might finally see that $18 million price tag start to drift back toward reality. Until then, it remains the ultimate piece of Staten Island eye candy.
Next Steps for Potential Buyers or History Buffs:
- Verify Taxes: On a property of this scale, property taxes can easily exceed $100,000 annually. Always check the public tax records linked in the Zillow listing.
- Research Zoning: If you're thinking of a "commercial use" like a hotel or museum (as some have suggested), check Staten Island's R1-1 zoning laws. They are notoriously strict about keeping Todt Hill residential.
- Virtual Tours: Most high-end listings like this offer 3D walkthroughs. Use them to see the layout of the "entertainment wing" versus the living quarters, as the flow of a 33,000-square-foot house is often disjointed.