Biography
John Joseph Gotti Jr. (born October 27, 1940), known professionally as John Gotti, is a notorious gangster and the leader of the Gambino crime family. The Gambino crime family, one of the most notorious American mafia groups, is headed by him.
He was frequently involved in murder, attempted murder, loan sharking, heroin trafficking, extortion, obstruction of justice, illegal gambling, use of undercover agents, fraudulent tax returns, etc.
John Gotti, who grew up in a large, poor family in New York, began petty theft at a very young age. He joined the Gambino crime family as one of their protégés as he grew older and made more connections in the criminal underworld, and after taking charge of several organized crime syndicates, he was promoted to the position of family leader.
He quickly became known as a lavish and noisy man throughout the United States. In the United States, John Gotti was also a big name in the press, and he was nicknamed The Teflon Don and The Dapper Don because of his constant evading charges and wearing expensive suits.
However, he was eventually convicted of extortion and murder in 1992, sentenced to life in prison, and died of throat cancer ten years later.
American gangster
John Gotti | |
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John Gotti: History ‧ Biography ‧ Photos | |
Wiki Events & About Data | |
Full name: | John Joseph Gotti Jr. |
Stage name: | John Gotti |
Born: | October 27, 1940 (age 61) |
Place of birth: | Bronx, New York, United States |
Deceased: | June 10, 2002, United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, Springfield, Missouri, United States |
Nationality: | American |
Height: | 1.78 minutes |
Parents: | Philomena Gotti, John Joseph Gotti Sr. |
Siblings: | Peter Gotti, Gene Gotti, Richard V. Gotti, Vincent Gotti |
Wife • Husband/wife: | Victoria DiGiorgio (married 1962–2002) |
Girlfriend • Partner: | Lisa Gastineau (1980-1986) |
The children: | John A. Gotti, Victoria Gotti, Frank Gotti, Peter Gotti, Jr., Angel Gotti |
Job: | Gangster |
Net worth: | $10 million – $12 million |
Early life and education
John Gotti was born to Philomena Gotti and John Joseph Gotti Sr. in the South Bronx, New York, United States. He was the fifth child in a family of 13, and his father, John Joseph Gotti Sr., supported such a large family on a modest salary from a manual labor job.
He has four siblings: Peter Gotti, Gene Gotti, Richard V. Gotti and Vincent Gotti, and his mother is Philomena Gotti.
At the age of 12, John Gotti was a bouncer at a secret club run by Carmine Fatico, head of the Gambino crime family, the largest organized crime family in the area at the time. There, he met Aniello Dellacroce, who later became his tutor. He rose to the position of leader of the Fulton-Rockaway gang through the Gambino family’s influence.
He was involved in carjackings and robberies. He attended Franklin K. Lane High School, but dropped out at the age of 16. By the age of 18, John Gotti was seen hanging out with the Carmine Fatico gang. Although he tried to stay away from crime, working as an ironer at a coat factory and as a side-load truck driver for a while, he quickly returned to that work.
Career
After his involvement with Carmine Fatico, John Gotti began his true crime career. At John F. Kennedy International Airport, he began committing truck robberies with his two brothers, Gene Gotti and Angelo Ruggiero. He was arrested by the FBI in 1968 for the United hijacking. He was arrested again for the New Jersey Highway Robbery even after being released on bail. He served about three years in Lewisburg Federal Prison that same year.
He and his brother Angelo Ruggiero began working with Carmine Fatico at the Bergin Hunt and Fish Club. John Gotti took over the management of Bergin’s illegal gambling operation. In 1972, he was appointed acting capo of the Bergin Crew. He was imprisoned for the murder of mobster James McBratney when Carlo Gambino sent a team to kill his nephew Emanuel Gambino. He received a four-year sentence.
John Gotti joined the Gambino crime family in 1977 after being released from prison and became the capo of the Bergin Crew. He was considered a subordinate of Aniello Dellacroce. He also assisted in drug trafficking and participated in loan sharking activities. His youngest son, Frank Gotti Agnello, was killed in a mini-bicycle accident in 1980, caused by a neighbor named John Favara. Despite apologizing to the Gottis, he was kidnapped and possibly killed. It is believed that he was killed by John Gotti.
He got into a fight with refrigerator repairman Romual Piecyk, and in 1984, John Gotti was charged with robbery and battery. He was also charged with extortion along with Aniello Dellacroce. John Gotti became the acting head of the Gambino family at the same time as Paul Castellano’s arrest. He considered Paul Castellano to be selfish and too powerful; therefore, he wanted to remove him from power permanently.
After Aniello Dellacroce died of cancer in 1985, Paul Castellano appointed Thomas Gambino as sole boss and Thomas Bilotti as second-in-command. John Gotti began plotting to kill him. Under his direction, Paul Castellano was murdered in 1985.
In 1986, John Gotti was officially appointed as the new head of the Gambino crime family. Frank DeCicco was chosen as his new deputy. Under his management, the Gambino family was recognized as the most powerful mafia family in America. Due to evidence that John Gotti had engaged in intimidation in the Romual Piecyk case, his bail was revoked in 1985 and he was imprisoned.
During his absence, he promoted Joseph Armone to deputy director. He was acquitted of all charges in 1987, and his co-defendants were also released. He was never legally charged, which is why the American media dubbed him The Teflon Don.
John Gotti was imprisoned for murder and extortion in 1992 when the FBI turned his case into an organized crime operation, and his new boss, Sammy Gravano, testified against him. He was sentenced to life in prison and transferred to a federal prison in Marion, Illinois. He is not eligible for parole at this time. His eldest son, John Gotti Jr., who pleaded guilty in 1999, was appointed acting boss.
John Gotti was attacked by fellow inmate Walter Johnson while still incarcerated there until 2002. He was also kept in solitary confinement and was only allowed to leave his cell once a day for an hour. Cancer took his life there.
Personal life
After their first child, Angel Gotti, was born in 1962, John Gotti married Victoria DiGiorgio. They had four more children: John A. Gotti, Victoria Gotti, Frank Gotti, and Peter Gotti Jr. Frank Gotti was only 12 years old when he died in an accident.
He dated Lisa Gastineau (1980–1986). His grandchildren include John Gotti Agnello, Frank Gotti Agnello, Carmine Gotti Agnello, Charles Herbert Gotti and Justine Gotti Agnello.
John Gotti died of throat cancer in 2002 at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri. He was buried next to his son, Frank Gotti, and his funeral was held at a non-religious location.
Net worth
According to Gravano’s estimates in his book Underboss, John Gotti earned at least $5 million a year and may have had a net worth of $10 to $12 million during his time as boss.