[4][5] Gentile was also the first director of the Major Offense Bureau established by Mr. Merola in 1973, a task force office designed to prosecute career criminals and organized crime entities.
[2] When Merola died suddenly in October 1987 of a cerebral hemorrhage, Gentile was appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo to the position of Acting Bronx County District Attorney to serve out the rest of his term.
[2] After his appointment as the Acting Bronx County District Attorney, Gentile, a Democrat, decided to seek a full term in the 1988 election.
However, alongside reluctance of party leaders to endorse him, personal revelations surfaced that he and his first wife filed for divorce when she was nine months pregnant and put their son up for adoption, raising questions into his electability.
[7] Despite a backing from Bronx Borough president Fernando Ferrer, Gentile no longer enjoyed enthusiastic support from key parts of the party and withdrew from the race.