He almost slept with the fishes too!
A burglar who broke into the former Staten Island mansion of murdered mob boss Paul “Big Paul” Castellano narrowly avoided being shot dead himself earlier today after the homeowner fired off several warning rounds as the bandit fled, The Post has learned.
The thief slipped into the sprawling, white, columned home at 177 Benedict Road on Tony Todt Hill at around 3:35 a.m. by removing a sliding glass door on a rear veranda, law enforcement sources said.
He crept up to the third floor master bedroom and started rummaging through a walk-in closet and removing luxury watches, creating a ruckus that awakened homeowner Selim Rusi, the sources continued.
Rusi, 55, went to check on the commotion and was shocked to discover a black-clad burglar in his residence, sources said.
Also home at the time were Rusi's wife, his son and daughter-in-law.
The busted bandit sprinted off as Rusi ran to fetch his registered Smith and Wesson handgun, sources added.
By the time Rusi ran outside, the suspect had dashed into the nearby woods.
To make sure the culprit didn’t return, Rusi squeezed off at least three bullets into the air, sources said.
Investigators are currently poring over the home and surveillance video in an effort to identify the suspect.
Rusi will face no charges for firing his gun, sources said.
Rusi purchased the home, valued at $2.25 million, in 1999, records show.
Castellano – the former head of the Gambinos – lived in the home until he was gunned down on Dec. 16, 1985 outside the Sparks Steak House in Midtown, Manhattan.
The rubout was executed by four assassins working for John “The Teflon Don” Gotti, who then took control of the crime family. In 2002, Gotti died in federal lockup from throat cancer.
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