JOHN GOTTI
1940 - 2002

John Gotti was thought by many to be the most powerful and most important `Godfather` the 1990`s would ever see. It seemed he was walking free from court cases just as fast as law enforcement could indite him, the inability of the prosecution to successfully secure a conviction gave Gotti the appearance of being untouchable. Gotti was riding high on the crest of a wave, there was only one way he could go,...down. Gotti was from the old school, like Carl Gambino, and before him Albert Anastasia The Chief Executioner of `Murder Inc.` who had always been a hero of john Gotti`s. Gotti was well schooled in the tradition and politics of LCN.

By 1985, Gotti was a top capo in the Gambino crime family, the most powerful of all five NewYork mafia families and indeed of all the families nation wide (at that point in time) he was running the rackets at JFK airport along with other Gambino operations throughout the whole of the New York Metro area he was the protégé of under-boss Aniello `Neil` Dellacroce, who was an old but still lethal mafioso. Dellacroce liked Gotti, but Gambino boss Paul Castellano loathed him, or more to the point feared him, which in the Mafia ultimately means conflict. Both Castellano and Dellacroce were indicted on a number of charges In 1985. With both men in their late 60s, a long prison stretch would put an end to their reigns in the mob and more than likely see both men ending their lives in prison. For Gotti it meant simply waiting it out.

Gotti waited in style, crude in manner perhaps, but suave with it. The press loved John Gotti with his carefully tailored suits at $2000 a throw neatly groomed hair and manicured nails he was every bit the press`s idea of how a mafia capo should look, he looked like he had walked straight off the set of a Hollywood gangster movie. It was a role he loved playing. Gotti worked his way up through the ranks of LCN starting his apprenticeship in crime at a young age. He was one of five brothers He got the rank of capo after doing a `favour` for the boss (at that time Carlo Gambino) Gambino was a wily old fox who was both feared and respected throughout mob circles. In 1972 Gambino's nephew, Manny, was kidnapped the kidnappers demanded a ransom of $350,000.

After receiving part of the ransom money, Manny was killed by the kidnappers and his body hidden among the garbage in a New Jersey waste dump. Two men were arrested by the FBI, Carlo Gambino put out a contract on a third, Jimmy McBratney. McBratney was drinking in a Staten Island bar when three men burst in and shot him where he stood, one of the three was john Gotti, he got seven years for his part in the murder and was sent to Green Haven Prison. He kept his trap shut concerning the background to the killing like the stand-up guy he was. He was no stranger to prison life , he had earlier done time for hijacking and was picked up on numerous occasions on gang related crime when younger.

Gotti was released on July 28, 1977, he had served just under two years. He was welcomed back to the fold by Gambino on his release, he made sure that Gotti moved through the ranks rapidly by way of a `thank-you` for services rendered. Around 1978 Gotti was named a capo and became a top associate of Neil Dellacroce. Gotti felt that Dellacroce deserved to be the head of the family instead of Paul Castellano, who was named boss on Carlo Gambino`s death this thought was shared by many others . Dellacroce kept Gotti in line he would not let Gotti go against the very politics and traditions of LCN that he himself had spent a lifetime religiously following. Dellacroce knew his own end was drawing close he had terminal cancer. He made Gotti be patient, patience however was not Gotti`s forte . Nor was gentility or humility for that matter. Gotti was staying in line but only out of respect for Dellacroce`s wishes, he felt `Our Thing` was becoming way too soft, too civilized.

The law was always watching Gotti waiting for him to make a mistake any error of judgement that would allow them to move in and put him away. In 1981 john Gotti`s son Frank who was just 12 years old had been playing in the street outside the family home on a kids motorcycle, a car driven by a neighbor (John Favara) hit the young boy and killed him instantly. John Gotti and his family were distraught with grief and totally heartbroken. After a police enquiry Favara was found to be blameless for the accident, the inquiry finding that it had been no more than a very tragic and unavoidable accident. Four months later after returning home from work Favara was bundled into a van by four men. He was never seen again.

After the death of young Frank, the Favara family were deluged with threatening mail and intimidating phone calls, The word "murderer" was marked on their car with spray paint. Rumours abounded that Favara had been tortured, chain-sawed into pieces, the sliced up remains of his body left in a car that was then driven to a scrap-yard and put through machinery that minced the car and its gory contents into a tangled mass of flesh,bone, and metal finally ending as a nice neat square cube.

Meanwhile trouble was brewing in the Gambino family. Dellacroce was so ill he might never stand trial, but many of the younger mafia guys were having doubts as to whether Paul Castelanno had what it took to keep his lips sealed, which would subsequently lead to him spending the remainder of his years in a prison cell. There was concern he would give the family`s secrets up in court in exchange for living out his golden years in freedom courtesy of the witness protection program.

Gotti did`nt seem unduly concerned. Castellano then elevated a mobster close to him (Tommy Bilotti) to the position of capo, the same position Gotti held. Rumour had it that if Dellacroce died Castellano would give Tommy Bilotti the rank of Underboss, and if he, (Castellano) went to prison, Bilotti would then takeover the reigns as boss. Now gotti was concerned. This move would leave him way down the pecking order. Dellacroce passed away on December 2, 1985. Two weeks later Paul Castellano and his protégé Bilotti were shot to death outside Starks steak house in Manhattan. John Gotti gave the order for the hit. The Don was dead long live the Don. John Gotti assumed the position of boss of the Gambino family. It took Gotti around a week to take charge of the largest mafia crime family in the land. He was the center of attention at a party held in a favorite meeting place for him and his crew, the Ravenite Social Club at 247 Mulberry Street in Little Italy.

In 1986, Gotti faced federal prosecution on racketeering charges, if found guilty Gotti could find himself locked away for some considerable time. Gotti was the start of what appeared to be a rethink of mafia policy, using younger bosses, like in the 1920s and 1930s. The thinking behind these changes being that with the government hitting the mobs hard and going after the leaders, there was worry whether the older aged dons could take the heat. It would only take one to talk, and the damage would be devastating. Younger bosses had a different outlook. A 20-year sentence could mean getting out in six or seven years with good behavior. They could do that amount of time standing on their heads... they could hang tough. John Gotti was toughness personified. Gotti had an air of calmness and coolness around him when he appeared in public, even at his frequent appearances in court. Gotti was often likened to Al Capone the Chicago mobster who was notoriously tough but had that same elegance about him that Gotti seemed to inherit when he took over as boss.

Gotti faced intensive federal prosecutions in the late 1980s, It seemed ever probable that John Gotti was going to be convicted and be put behind bars for a long period, if this happened a replacement for the `Dapper Don` would have to be found. It soon became evident that even from behind bars Gotti was not about to sit back while he was replaced as boss. Knowing Gotti`s predisposition toward violence there was no great throng of candidates lining up to take Gotti`s place as the head of the Gambino Family. While he was in prison Gotti left the running of business on the streets in the capable hands of his brother Peter and a childhood friend, Angelo Ruggerio they would hold things together till he went to trial. Then in early 1987, to the disgust of government attorneys, Gotti beat the rap.

Next they tried to get Gotti on Rico charges (1970 Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act) charges. Diane Giacalone was prosecutor, but her case was badly prepared and had little chance of success. Gotti and his co-defendants were acquitted, the mob leader's reputation was now truly made. He had a new name the "Teflon Don", the don against whom criminal charges could`nt stick. It made great press for Gotti, but his joy was to be short lived. The FBI produced a solid RICO case against him based on 100 hours of incriminating tapes. And they convinced Gotti's under-boss, Sammy "the Bull" Gravano, to flip and testify against his chief. Gravano, who confessed to 19 murders, was out to save his own neck, and some criticized the government for granting him almost complete immunity, since Gotti was beaten on Gravano`s taped evidence alone. The FBI also let Gravano hear tapes of his boss and longtime friend Gotti bad-mouthing him, this only added to gravano`s desire to help put Gotti away. The prosecution team did`nt want any slip ups, Gotti had already embarrassed the government before, they did`nt want a repeat performance. A loss for the Government would leave Gotti free of any future prosecutions under the RICO law. Gravano's testimony therefore was vital.

John Gotti was convicted in 1992 and sentenced to life without parole. By the late 1990s John Gotti Jr had stepped up to take the mantle and acted as boss in his fathers absence. John J. D'Amico, a top Gambino capo and close friend of Gotti also had some influence. Whether he would remain loyal to Gotti though was questionable.

The doubts rose from the fact that the Gambino family membership had dwindled since Gotti had become boss, the family had gained a reputation for being high profile, And with Gotti being on tv screens almost nightly the crews and capo`s in particular were coming under close scrutiny from law enforcement. Gotti constantly ordered his men to meet at the Ravenite headquarters on Mulberry Street, the street was under constant surveillance from FBI cameras. Many of the wise guys knew that a lower profile was needed under the circumstances; however, their frustrations were kept to themselves and they continued to show up at the Ravenite club, failure to turn up meant death under Gotti`s leadership. Sammy `the bull`Gravano was despised by all the crews for his ratting, although in private many shared the opinion that Gotti`s arrogance was as much to blame for his own predicament and turmoil the family was now in. John Gotti would spend the next 10 years in Marion Federal prison, locked in solitary for 23 hours a day. He asked no favours from the prison authorities and received none.

While in prison John Gotti became seriously ill with cancer of the throat, some say this was due to an abscess in his mouth that had been left untreated by prison staff. Gotti`s lawyers and family had asked on several occasions if the specialist John had seen on the outside could be allowed in to attend to his badly infected mouth.This specialist had carried out dental work on johns teeth before his incarceration, and had pioneered the technique used to cap John`s teeth.Access was denied by the prison authorities. John Gotti died of throat cancer in Marion federal prison on June 10th 2002 at approximately 12-30pm. John Gott was 61 years old. Till his death in prison Gotti remained unrepentant and unbowed. A true Toughguy.

Article: Kenny Torro

Sources:

• Mob Star - Jerry Capeci & Gene Mustain
• Organized Crime 25 years after Valachi

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