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John Gotti

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Jimryan (talk | contribs) at 20:15, 17 March 2011 (→‎Early life: per Vincent Gotti (John's youngest Brother) Mother's name was/is Philomena, nick name Fannie.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For his son, see John A. Gotti.
"Teflon Don" redirects here. For Rick Ross album, see Teflon Don (album).
John Gotti
John "Teflon Don" Gotti
Born(1940-10-27)October 27, 1940
The Bronx, New York City, New York, United States
DiedJune 10, 2002(2002-06-10) (aged 61)
Springfield, Missouri, United States
Other namesDapper Don, Teflon Don, Johnny Boy
SpouseVictoria DiGiorgio
ChildrenAngel Gotti
Victoria Gotti
John A. Gotti
Frank Gotti (1968-1980)
Peter Gotti, Jr.
Parent(s)John and Philomena Gotti
Criminal chargeMurder, conspiracy to commit murder, loansharking, racketeering, obstruction of justice, illegal gambling, tax evasion
PenaltyLife in prison without parole

John Joseph Gotti, Jr (October 27, 1940 – June 10, 2002) was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. Growing up in poverty, he and his brothers turned to a life of crime at an early age. Operating out of the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens, Gotti quickly rose in prominence, becoming one of the crime family's biggest earners and a protege of Gambino family underboss Aniello Dellacroce.

After the FBI indicted members of Gotti's crew for selling narcotics, Gotti took advantage of growing dissent over the leadership of the crime family. Fearing that his men and himself would be killed by Gambino crime family Boss Paul Castellano for selling drugs, Gotti organized the murder of Castellano in December 1985 and took over the family shortly thereafter. This left Gotti as the boss of the most powerful crime family in America, which made hundreds of millions of dollars a year from construction, hijacking, loan sharking, gambling, extortion and other criminal activities. Gotti was the most powerful crime boss during his era and became widely known for his outspoken personality and flamboyant style, which eventually helped lead to his downfall. While his peers would go out of their way to shun attention, especially from the media, Gotti was known as the "The Dapper Don" for his expensive clothes and personality in front of news cameras. He was later given the nickname "The Teflon Don" because because several attempts to convict him of crimes in the late 1980 resulted in either a hung jury or an acquittal (i.e. the charges wouldn't "stick").

Gotti's underboss Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano is credited with the FBI's success in finally convicting Gotti. In 1991, Gravano agreed to turn state's evidence and testify for the prosecution against Gotti after hearing Gotti on wiretap make several disparaging remarks about Gravano and questioning his loyalty. In 1992, Gotti was convicted of 13 murders, conspiracy to commit murder, racketeering, obstruction of justice, illegal gambling, extortion, tax evasion, and loansharking. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole and was transferred to United States Penitentiary, Marion. Gotti died of throat cancer on June 10, 2002 at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri.

Early life

John Gotti was born on October 27, 1940.[1] He was the fifth of the thirteen children of John Joseph Gotti Sr. and his wife Philomena (referred to as Fannie).[1][2]

Gotti grew up in poverty. His father worked irregularly as a day laborer and indulged in gambling, and as an adult Gotti came to resent him for being unable to provide for his family.[2] In school Gotti had a history of truancy and bullying other students and ultimately dropped out, while attending Franklin K. Lane High School, at the age of 16.[3][4]

Gotti was involved in street gangs associated with New York mafiosi from the age of 12.[3] When he was 14, he was attempting to steal a cement mixer from a construction site when it fell, crushing his toes; this injury left him with a permanent limp.[3] After leaving school he devoted himself to working with the Fulton-Rockaway Boys, where he met and befriended fellow future Gambino mobsters Angelo Ruggiero and Wilfred "Willie Boy" Johnson.[3][5]

Gotti married Victoria DiGiorgio on March 6, 1962. The marriage produced five children—two daughters (Angel and Victoria) as well as three sons (John, Frank and Peter). Gotti attempted to work legitimately in 1962 as a presser in a coat factory and as an assistant truck driver. However, he could not stay crime free and by 1966 had been jailed twice.

Gambino crime family

Associate

Gotti's criminal career began when he joined Carmine Fatico's crew, which was part of what became known as the Gambino family after the murder of Albert Anastasia.[6] Gotti's first nine arrests were in the company of Angelo Ruggiero.[7] Together with his brother Gene and Ruggiero, Gotti carried out truck hijackings[8] at Idlewild Airport (subsequently renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport); which was the territory of The Vario Crew and during this period, he was given the nicknames "Black John" and "Crazy Horse."[8]

In February 1968, United Airlines employees identified Gotti as the man who had signed for stolen merchandise; the FBI arrested him for the United hijacking soon after. Two months later, while out on bail, Gotti was arrested a third time for hijacking—this time for stealing a load of cigarettes worth $50,000, on the New Jersey Turnpike. Later that year, Gotti pleaded guilty to the Northwest Airlines hijacking and was sentenced to three years at Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary.[8] Prosecutors dropped the charges for the cigarette hijacking. Gotti also pleaded guilty to the United hijacking and spent less than three years at Lewisburg.

After he was released from prison, Gotti was placed on probation and ordered to acquire legitimate employment. Meanwhile, he returned to his old crew at the Bergin Hunt and Fish Club, still working under caporegime Carmine Fatico.[9] Fatico was indicted on loansharking charges in 1972 and made Gotti, still not yet a made man in the Mafia, the acting capo of the Bergin Crew, reporting to Carlo Gambino and his underboss, Aniello Dellacroce.[10]

After Carlo Gambino's nephew Emanuel Gambino was kidnapped and murdered, John Gotti was assigned to the hit team alongside Ralph Galione and Angelo Ruggiero for the main suspect, Irish-American gangster James McBratney. The team botched their attempt to abduct McBratney at a Staten Island bar, and Galione shot McBratney dead when his accomplices managed to restrain him. Identified by eyewitnesses and a police Bergin insider, Gotti was arrested for the killing in June 1974.[11] With the help of attorney Roy Cohn, however, he was able to strike a plea bargain and received a four-year sentence for attempted manslaughter for his part in the hit.[12]

Captain

Gotti was released in July 1977 after two years imprisonment. He was subsequently initiated into the Gambino family, now under the command of Paul Castellano, and immediately promoted to replace Fatico as Capo of the Bergin crew.[12] He and his crew reported directly to Dellacroce as part of the concessions given by Castellano to keep Dellacroce as underboss,[13] and Gotti was regarded as Dellacroce's protege.[14]

Under Gotti, the Bergin crew were the biggest earners of Dellacroce's crews.[12] Besides his cut of his subordinates' earnings, Gotti ran his own loan sharking operation and held a no-show job as a plumbing supply salesman.[15] Unconfirmed allegations by FBI informants in the Bergin Hunt and Fish Club claimed Gotti also financed drug deals.[14][16]

On March 18, 1980, Gotti's youngest son, 12-year-old Frank Gotti, was run over and killed on a family friend's minibike by John Favara, a neighbor.[17] While Frank's death was ruled an accident, Favara subsequently received death threats and, when he visited the Gottis to apologize, was attacked by Victoria Gotti with a baseball bat.[18][19] On July 28, 1980, he was abducted and disappeared, presumed murdered.[17] While the Gottis were on vacation in Florida at the time, John Gotti is still presumed to have ordered the killing,[20] an allegation considered probable by his son John Jr. while denied by his daughter Victoria.[21][22]

In his last two years as the Bergin Capo Gotti was indicted on two occasions, with both cases coming to trial after his ascension to Gambino Boss. In September 1984 Gotti was in an altercation with refrigerator mechanic Romual Piecyk, and was subsequently charged with assault and robbery.[23][24] In 1985 he was indicted alongside Dellacroce and several Bergin crew members in a racketeering case by Assistant US Attorney Diane Giacalone.[4][25] The indictment also revealed that Gotti's friend "Willie Boy" Johnson, one of his co-defendants, had been an FBI informant.[25]

Assault trial

In September 1984, Romual Piecyk, a repairman in New York, became angry that his truck was blocked in by a parked vehicle belonging to Gotti's associate Frank Colletta, who was out with Gotti that day. Colletta soon returned to the vehicle, resulting in Piecyk and Colletta's engaging in a physical altercation.[26] Gotti then entered the physical altercation by allegedly striking Piecyk. After the altercation, Piecyk called the police, who arrived on the scene and arrested Gotti for felony assault. Several days later, Piecyk testified in front of a grand jury, which formally indicted Gotti. A year later, days before the trial was set to begin, Piecyk contacted a police sergeant involved in the case and informed him that he wasn't going to testify against Gotti.[27] The police sergeant wrote in a report concerning the contact with Piecyk that Piecyk had stated he had received threatening phone calls and that his vehicle's brakes had been cut. Several days later, Piecyk told a New York Daily News reporter that he had not been receiving threatening phone calls and that his vehicle was never tampered with. Piecyk then stated that he would appear as a witness for Gotti. Piecyk was quoted as stating, "I am not going to go against Mister Gotti, I'm going in his behalf. I don't want to hurt Mister Gotti."[26] The day the trial began, Piecyk did not show up and could not be immediately located by the district attorney's staff. Days later, Piecyk was located in Long Island's Mercy Hospital, where he had undergone surgery on his shoulder. Piecyk then checked out of the hospital and was taken into protective custody by Queens, NY, detectives as a material witness.[26] When Piecyk reached the trial, he stated that he did not see the person who assaulted him in the courtroom and that he couldn't remember who had assaulted him. The charges against Gotti were subsequently dismissed. After the trial, Piecyk held a press conference outside the courthouse and stated that "Gotti was being treated unfairly by the media."[26] Piecyk then submitted an affidavit to Gotti's lawyers stating that Gotti had never intimidated or threatened him. The New York Daily News then covered the event with the famous headline "I Forgotti!" [26]

Taking over the Gambino family

Gotti rapidly became dissatisfied with Paul Castellano's leadership, considering the new boss too isolated and greedy.[28][29]

In August 1983 Ruggiero and Gene Gotti were arrested for dealing heroin, based primarily on recordings from a bug in Ruggiero's house.[30][31] Castellano, who had banned made men from his family from dealing drugs under threat of death, demanded transcripts of the tapes,[30][32] and when Ruggiero refused he threatened to demote Gotti.[33]

In 1984 Castellano was arrested and indicted in a RICO case for the crimes of Gambino hitman Roy DeMeo's crew.[34][35] The following year he received a second indictment for his role in the American Mafia's Commission.[33] Facing life imprisonment for either case, Castellano arranged for John Gotti to serve as an acting boss alongside Thomas Bilotti, Castellano's favorite capo, and Thomas Gambino in his absence.[36][37] Gotti, meanwhile, began conspiring with fellow disgruntled Gambino family members Sammy Gravano, Frank DeCicco, Robert DiBernardo and Joseph Armone to overthrow Castellano.[38]

After Dellacroce died of cancer on December 2, 1985, Castellano revised his succession plan: appointing Bilotti as underboss to Thomas Gambino as the sole acting boss, while making plans to break up Gotti's crew.[39][40] Infuriated by this, and Castellano's refusal to attend Dellacroce's wake,[39][40] Gotti resolved to kill his boss.

Gotti agreed to a meeting with Castellano and Bilotti at Sparks Steak House on December 16, 1985.[41] When the boss and underboss arrived, they were ambushed and shot dead by assassins under Gotti's command.[42][43]

Gotti was proclaimed the new boss of the Gambino family at the meeting of the family's capos on December 30, 1985.[44] He appointed his co-conspirator DeCicco as the new underboss while retaining Castellano's consigliere Joseph N. Gallo.[45][46]

Gambino boss

Identified as both Paul Castellano's likely murderer and his successor, John Gotti rose to fame throughout 1986.[47][48]

Prosecution by Law Enforcement

FBI Surveillance and Evidence

Gotti was under electronic surveillance by the FBI; they caught him on tape in an apartment discussing a number of murders and other criminal activities. The FBI also caught Gotti questioning why his underboss, Sammy Gravano, had so many guys who were close to him winding up dead. On December 11, 1990, FBI agents and New York City detectives raided the Ravenite Social Club and arrested Gotti, Gravano, and Gambino Family consigliere Frank Locascio.[citation needed]

Federal prosecutors have credited Gotti himself with assisting them in imprisoning all 23 family capos (in 1990) because Gotti ordered that all family capos had to meet him each Wednesday at the Ravenite Social Club, allowing the feds to establish the existence of a criminal enterprise.[citation needed]

Charges and final trial

Gotti was charged with 13 counts of murder (including those of Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti), conspiracy to commit murder, loansharking, racketeering, obstruction of justice, illegal gambling, and tax evasion.[citation needed]

Gotti was tried in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York before United States District Judge I. Leo Glasser. John Gotti's attorney, Bruce Cutler, was barred from defending him in this case because the court ruled that Cutler was "in-house counsel" for the Gambino crime family and was too closely tied to organized crime. The federal prosecutor's evidence was overwhelming. Not only did they have Gotti on tape, but several witnesses testified against Gotti. Philip Leonetti, a former underboss in the violent Philadelphia crime family, was going to testify that Gotti had bragged about ordering Castellano's execution.

Sammy Gravano, John Gotti's underboss, agreed to testify against Gotti and Locascio, with the promise of being entered into the Witness Protection Program. Gravano subsequently pleaded guilty to a single count of racketeering as part of a plea agreement in which he admitted responsibility for 19 murders. Gravano's testimony against John Gotti was considered to be a large asset to the prosecution's case against Gotti.

On April 2, 1992, after only 13 hours of deliberation, the jury found Gotti and Locascio guilty on all 13 charges.[49] On June 23, 1992, Judge Glasser sentenced Gotti to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.[49]

Incarceration and death

Last photo of John Gotti, taken by the Bureau of Prisons on October 17, 2001.

Gotti was incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary at Marion, Illinois. He spent the majority of his sentence in effective solitary confinement, only allowed out of his cell for one hour a day.[1][50]

While in prison, Gotti offered $100,000 to the Aryan Brotherhood to kill Walter Johnson, a mentally unstable black inmate who had assaulted him. The Aryan Brotherhood accepted Gotti's offer. The prison guards surmised that Johnson was in danger and moved him to a different cell block, ultimately transferring him to another prison.[51][52] Gotti, during a prison visit with his family, was recorded saying: "Being a nigger is an embarrassment, being John Gotti grandson is an honor."[53]

Despite his imprisonment, and pressure from the Commission to stand down,[54] Gotti is believed to have held on to his position as Gambino boss with his brother Peter and his son John A. Gotti Jr. relaying orders on his behalf.[55] By 1998, when he was indicted on racketeering, John Gotti Jr. was believed to be the acting boss of the family.[56] Against his father's wishes, John Jr. pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years and five months imprisonment in 1999.[21][57] He maintains he has since left the Gambino family.[58]

In 1998 Gotti was diagnosed with throat cancer and sent to the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri for surgery.[59] While the tumor was removed, the cancer was discovered to have returned two years later and Gotti was transferred back to Springfield, where he would spend the remainder of his life.[60][61]

Gotti's condition rapidly declined, and he died on June 10, 2002 at the age of 61.[1][62] The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn announced that Gotti's family would not be permitted to have a Mass of Christian Burial but allowed it after the burial.[63]

Gotti's funeral was held in a nonchurch facility.[63] After the funeral, an estimated 300 onlookers followed the procession, which passed Gotti's Bergin Hunt and Fish Club, to the gravesite. Gotti was buried next to his son Frank Gotti. Gotti's brother Peter Gotti was unable to attend owing to his incarceration.[63]

Peter Gotti is believed to have formally succeeded his brother as Gambino boss.[64]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Selwyn Raab (06-11-2002). "John Gotti Dies in Prison at 61; Mafia Boss Relished the Spotlight". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 February 2011. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 25-26
  3. ^ a b c d Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 27-29
  4. ^ a b Selwyn Raab (04-02-1989). "JOHN GOTTI RUNNING THE MOB". The New York Times. Retrieved February 19, 2011. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ Davis, p 69
  6. ^ Raab, p. 352
  7. ^ Raab, p. 353
  8. ^ a b c Raab, p. 354
  9. ^ Davis, pp. 155-157
  10. ^ Davis, p. 158
  11. ^ Davis, pp 159-160
  12. ^ a b c Davis, p. 185
  13. ^ Davis, pp. 176-177
  14. ^ a b Davis, pp. 188-189
  15. ^ Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 62
  16. ^ Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 69-70
  17. ^ a b "John Gotti Neighbor Was Dissolved in Acid, Court Papers Reveal". FoxNews.com. Associated Press. 2009-01-09. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  18. ^ Davis, pp 190-191
  19. ^ Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 66-67
  20. ^ Davis, p 192
  21. ^ a b "Gotti Jr. on Living and Leaving a Life of Crime". 60 Minutes. CBS News. 2010-04-11. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  22. ^ "Gottis Break Their Silence on "48 Hours"". 48 Hours. CBS News. 2009-09-24. Retrieved February 25, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  23. ^ Davis, p. 286
  24. ^ "Trial and Terror: A victim's memory is mugged". Time. 127 (9263, 7601860407, 00.html 14). Time Inc. 1986. Retrieved 2011-02-25. {{cite journal}}: External link in |issue= (help)
  25. ^ a b Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 88-89
  26. ^ a b c d e [1]
  27. ^ trutv.com
  28. ^ Davis, p. 187
  29. ^ Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 61
  30. ^ a b Davis, p. 216
  31. ^ Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 77
  32. ^ Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 79-80
  33. ^ a b Davis, p 238
  34. ^ Davis, p 204
  35. ^ Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 82-83
  36. ^ Davis, pp. 254-255
  37. ^ Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 91
  38. ^ Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 92-96
  39. ^ a b Davis, pp. 263-266
  40. ^ a b Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 97
  41. ^ Davis, pp. 268-269
  42. ^ Davis, pp. 272-273
  43. ^ Capeci, Mustain (1996), p 104
  44. ^ Davis, p. 281
  45. ^ Davis, p. 282
  46. ^ Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 115
  47. ^ "Hitting The Mafia". Time. 128 (9263, 7601860929, 00.html 13). Time Inc. 1986. Retrieved 02-26-2011. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); External link in |issue= (help)
  48. ^ Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 111
  49. ^ a b John Gotti–The last Mafia icon; at Crime Library Cite error: The named reference "LIBRARY" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  50. ^ Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 439
  51. ^ Duersten, Matthew."Who'll Stop the Reign?"; LA Weekly, 3 February 2005. Retrieved 02-09-2011.
  52. ^ Hughes, Jim. "Aryan Brotherhood makes home in state"; Denver Post, 24 November 2002. Retrieved 27 October 2006.
  53. ^ "Blowing up Gotti". The Smoking Gun. Archived from the original on 2008-04-12. Retrieved October 15, 2010. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; 2008-04-11 suggested (help)
  54. ^ Selwyn Raab (1996-10-26). "Mafia Seeks To Oust Gotti, Officials Say". The New York Times. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  55. ^ Arnold H. Lubasch (1992-09-16). "Gotti Is Still Crime Boss, U.S. Asserts". The New York Times. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  56. ^ Benjamin Weiser (1998-01-22). "U.S. Charges John Gotti Jr. With Extortion". The New York Times. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  57. ^ David W. Chen (1999-09-04). "Younger Gotti Is Sentenced To Six Years". The New York Times. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  58. ^ Alison Gendar (2010-01-16). "John 'Junior' Gotti finds new calling - writing true crime stories". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  59. ^ Greg B. Smith and Jerry Capeci (1998-09-24). "THROAT CANCER SURGERY FOR GOTTI". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  60. ^ Mike Claffey and Greg B. Smith (2000-09-29). "THROAT CANCER HITS GOTTI AGAIN TUMOR DISCOVERED IN PRISON CHECKUP". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  61. ^ "'Dapper Don' John Gotti dead". CNN.com. Time Warner. 2002-06-11. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  62. ^ Corky Siemaszko (2002-06-11). "JOHN GOTTI DIES OF CANCER AT 61 Mob boss last of the colorful old gangsters". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  63. ^ a b c "Final Farewell To Gotti". CBS News. 06-15-2002. Retrieved 14 February 2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  64. ^ Michele McPhee and John Marzulli (2002-06-11). "GOTTI'S RULE SEEMS OVER Family likely to give way". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 3, 2011.

Bibliography

  • Blum, Howard. Gangland : How The FBI Broke the Mob. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993. ISBN 0671687581
  • Capeci, Jerry and Gene Mustain. Mob Star: The Story of John Gotti. New York: Penguin, 1988. ISBN 0-02-864416-6
  • Capeci, Jerry and Gene Mustain. Gotti: Rise and Fall. New York: Onyx, 1996. ISBN 0-451-40681-8
  • Davis, John H. Mafia Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family. New York: HarperCollins, 1993. ISBN 0-06-109184-7
  • Raab, Selwyn. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. London: Robson Books, 2006. ISBN 1861059523

External links

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Preceded by Gambino crime family
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1985-2002 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Capo di tutti capi
Boss of bosses
1985-1992 		Succeeded by

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