There was a hit — and then a “hit.”

Whoever whacked Francesco “Franky Boy” Cali lured the Gambino crime boss out of his Staten Island home by smashing into the mobster’s car — then ambushed him, police and sources revealed Thursday.

Cali, 53, emerged from his Todt Hill house Wednesday night after a blue pickup backed into his silver Cadillac Escalade SUV — knocking the wiseguy’s license plate off, law enforcement sources said.

Cali had a brief conversation — or possibly an altercation — with the driver, who then picked up the plates and handed them to the mob boss, sources say.

The Gambino don then walked to the trunk of his car to put the plates inside — and that’s when the driver pulled out a 9 mm weapon and started blasting.

Cali hit the ground and the gunman stood over him firing shots — while the Mafia kingpin tried in vain to seek cover under his vehicle, sources said.

“He was trying to get underneath [his SUV] to elude gunfire,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea told reporters at a press conference about the shooting.

The hit man — aged approximately 25 to 40 — fired at least 12 shots, hitting Cali with at least six bullets, Shea said.

“We heard, ‘Pop! Pop! Pop!’ I thought it was fireworks,” said Fred Guinta, who lives directly behind Cali’s home in the quiet neighborhood.

“My wife said, ‘Those are gunshots!’ ”

The killer fled — and Cali’s family came running out of the house weeping, sources said. Cali and his wife have at least two kids, aged 10 to 15, sources say.

“I looked out and saw a blue pickup zoom past my house and fly off the block,” said one neighbor, who didn’t want to be named.

“I looked back and saw a guy and woman screaming. I ran back inside.”

Meanwhile, the blue pickup hasn’t been caught on camera crossing any bridges out of Staten Island since, according to a source.

“You’ll never see that car again,” said the source. “It’s already the size of a stamp.”

Related Video Video length 1 minute 18 seconds 1:18 Gambino crime family boss Frank Cali shot dead outside Staten Island home Gambino crime family boss Frank Cali shot dead outside Staten Island home

Additional reporting by Kevin Sheehan