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John Gotti - Audio Biography
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John Joseph Gotti Jr. was born on October 27, 1940, in the Bronx, New York City, to Italian-American parents John and Fannie Gotti. Growing up in a poor, crime-ridden neighborhood, Gotti quickly became involved in street gangs and petty crimes. He dropped out of school at 16 and began working odd jobs while continuing his criminal activities.

In the 1960s, Gotti caught the attention of Gambino crime family soldier Aniello Dellacroce, who took the young man under his wing. Gotti started as a low-level associate, engaging in hijacking, theft, and illegal gambling. His charisma, toughness, and willingness to use violence to achieve his goals helped him rise through the ranks.

Gotti's reputation grew when he was involved in the 1973 killing of James McBratney, a man who had kidnapped and murdered the nephew of Carlo Gambino. Although Gotti was not the triggerman, his role in the hit solidified his standing within the crime family. After serving a brief prison sentence for the McBratney murder, Gotti returned to his criminal activities and continued his ascent in the organization.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Gotti's influence within the Gambino family grew significantly. He became known for his flashy lifestyle, expensive suits, and magnetic personality. Media outlets began referring to him as the "Dapper Don" due to his well-groomed appearance and confident demeanor.

Gotti's rise to power was not without controversy. In 1980, his 12-year-old son Frank was killed in a tragic accident when a neighbor's car struck him while he was riding a minibike. The neighbor, John Favara, received death threats and was ultimately abducted and presumed murdered several months later. While Gotti was never charged in connection with Favara's disappearance, many speculated that he had ordered the retaliation.

Despite this personal tragedy, Gotti's criminal career continued to flourish. He became a capo, or captain, in the Gambino family and oversaw a crew engaged in various illegal activities, including extortion, gambling, and loansharking. Gotti's street-level operations were highly profitable, and he gained a reputation as a shrewd and ruthless businessman.

In the mid-1980s, tensions within the Gambino family began to escalate. The family's boss, Paul Castellano, was facing federal indictment and was perceived by some as out of touch and ineffective. Gotti, along with several other ambitious underlings, saw an opportunity to seize control of the organization.

On December 16, 1985, Gotti orchestrated the brazen assassination of Castellano and his underboss, Thomas Bilotti, outside Sparks Steak House in Manhattan. The hit was carried out by a team of shooters, including Gotti's trusted lieutenant Sammy "The Bull" Gravano. The Castellano murder marked a significant turning point in Mafia history, as it violated the traditional rules against killing a boss without the approval of the Commission, the governing body of the Five Families.

With Castellano out of the picture, Gotti quickly moved to consolidate his power. He took over as the new boss of the Gambino crime family, with Gravano as his underboss and Frank DeCicco as his consigliere. Gotti's ascension to the top spot marked a generational shift in Mafia leadership, as he represented a younger, more aggressive breed of mobster compared to the old-school bosses of the past.

The Gambino Crime Family Under Gotti's Leadership:

As the boss of the Gambino family, Gotti oversaw a vast criminal empire involved in a wide range of illegal activities. The family's primary sources of income included extortion, labor racketeering, gambling, loan-sharking, and drug trafficking. Gotti's crew, in particular, was known for its tight control over the construction industry in New York City, using threats and violence to secure lucrative contracts and union concessions.

Gotti's leadership style was marked by his charisma, his penchant for media attention, and his willingness to use violence to maintain control. Unlike previous bosses who preferred to operate in the shadows, Gotti reveled in his notoriety and cultivated a public image as a glamorous, untouchable figure. He regularly granted interviews to journalists and was often seen strutting the streets of his neighborhood in expensive suits and surrounded by an entourage of loyal henchmen.

This high-profile approach would ultimately prove to be a double-edged sword for Gotti. While his celebrity status helped to burnish his reputation and intimidate his enemies, it also attracted the unwanted attention of law enforcement and the media. Federal authorities, long determined to bring down the Mafia's top bosses, began to focus their efforts on building a case against the "Dapper Don."

Legal Troubles and the "Teflon Don" Nickname:

Gotti's legal troubles began in earnest in 1984, before his rise to the top of the Gambino family, when he was indicted on federal racketeering charges related to his involvement in illegal gambling and loansharking operations. However, in a stunning courtroom victory, Gotti was acquitted of all charges in 1987, thanks in large part to the strategic efforts of his high-powered defense attorney, Bruce Cutler.

This acquittal, combined with two other successful defenses against criminal charges in the late 1980s, earned Gotti the nickname "The Teflon Don." The moniker suggested that no criminal charges would stick to him, much like the non-stick properties of Teflon cookware. Gotti's seeming invincibility in the face of legal challenges only added to his mythic status in the public eye.

However, law enforcement officials remained determined to bring Gotti to justice. They continued to gather evidence against him and his associates, using a variety of tactics including undercover operatives, informants, and electronic surveillance. In 1990, Gotti was arrested and indicted on multiple charges, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, loansharking, illegal gambling, obstruction of justice, bribery, and tax evasion.

Gotti's legal troubles reached a crescendo in the early 1990s, as he faced a series of high-profile trials that would ultimately lead to his downfall. The first trial, which began in January 1990, ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury. The second trial, which commenced in February 1992, would prove to be the most consequential.

In the months leading up to the trial, federal authorities had scored a major breakthrough in their case against Gotti. Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, Gotti's longtime underboss and confidant, had agreed to turn state's evidence and testify against his former boss. Gravano's decision to cooperate was a stunning development, as he had been one of Gotti's closest allies and had played a key role in many of the family's criminal activities.

Gravano's testimony proved devastating to Gotti's defense. Over the course of several days on the witness stand, Gravano provided intimate details of Gotti's involvement in a wide range of criminal activities, including the murders of Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti, as well as the Gambino family's extensive racketeering operations. Gravano's account was corroborated by a wealth of surveillance evidence, including damning wiretap recordings of Gotti discussing illegal activities with his associates.

On April 2, 1992, after a lengthy trial, the jury returned with a verdict: John Gotti was guilty on all charges. The conviction marked a stunning fall from grace for the once-untouchable "Dapper Don," and a major victory for federal prosecutors who had long sought to bring him to justice. On June 23, 1992, Gotti was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Gotti spent the remainder of his life behind bars, serving his sentence at the United States Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois, one of the nation's most secure federal prisons. Despite his incarceration, Gotti initially sought to maintain control over the Gambino crime family from behind bars, using his son John "Junior" Gotti as a conduit to relay orders to his subordinates.

However, Gotti's grip on power began to slip as his health declined and as other members of the family jockeyed for control. In 1998, Gotti was diagnosed with throat cancer, and his condition steadily worsened over the next several years. He underwent surgery and radiation treatment, but the cancer ultimately