The FBI interviewed Salvatore Gravano, the former underboss of the Gambino crime family, to determine if ex-FBI Director James Comey was aware of the term "86," according to court documents. Gravano, who had previous interactions with Comey during the 1990s prosecution of John Gambino, stated in a May 2026 phone call that Comey "had to know" the meaning of the term, which is associated with killing.
Comey is currently facing charges in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, accused of threatening President Donald Trump through a May 2025 Instagram post featuring seashells arranged to read "8647." Prosecutors allege that this post referenced a threat against Trump, with "86" indicating a slang term for killing and "47" referring to Trump as the 47th president.
Gravano's statements were included in an affidavit supporting Comey's motion to dismiss the case. Although Gravano expressed his belief that Comey understood the term's meaning, he did not recall discussing it with him. The affidavit also noted that FBI searches of case materials found no references to "86."
During the interview, Gravano described "86" as meaning to "get rid of" or "to kill." He suggested that Comey's post could be interpreted as a call for violence but clarified that he did not believe Comey intended to carry out such violence. Comey has stated that he did not arrange the seashell display and was unaware that it could be interpreted as a violent message. He emphasized that he does not associate with violence and removed the post shortly after posting it.