John Gotti Essay, Research Paper

John Gotti: The American Mobster

This is a story about a New York mobster, who was the

Godfather of the Gambino Family. Today he is serving a life

sentence in Marion Federal Penitentiary on 43 counts of

racketeering, multiple murders, loan sharking, gambling, and

even jury tampering. John Gotti was born October 27, 1940

in the Bronx. John Gotti had 12 other brothers and sisters.

He had 2 parents, Fannie and John Joseph Gotti Sr. John

Gotti started school in 1945. In 1950 The Gotti family

moved to Sheepshead Bay, where John attended P.S. 209.

In 1952, the family moved to East New York; John

attended P.S. 178. While he was in school Gotti had his first

brush with the law when he was caught with friends stealing

and vandalizing with portable cement mixer that tipped over

and crushed the toes of his feet. He had to be hospitalized

for awhile as a result, and is reportedly missing a toe or two.

>From then on John Gotti joined a youth gang called

FULTON-ROCKAWAY BOYS. While he was in the gang

he dropped out of school. In the gang he got in a lot of

trouble. He got arrested for the first time in 1957 after a

gang fight. From then on he got arrested a lot in 1958 he

was Convicted of burglary and given probation. In 1959

arrested for the first time as an adult for unlawful assembly in

a raid at a gambling location. He received a 60 day

suspended sentence. Also in the late 50?s, he assaulted a

smalltime hood who owed him money, met and worked for

Carmine Fatico, killed two black gamblers with Willie "Boy"

Johnson, and was caught stealing copper from a construction

site. In 1960 he met Victoria DiGiorgio and falls in love with

her. In 1961, his daughter Angela was born. In 1962 John

married Victoria DiGiorgio. Things were going good for a

year when in 1963 John got arrested in a car reported stolen

from AVIS. He went to jail for the first time and served 20

days. In 1965, he was arrested for unlawful entry and

possession of bookmaking records, in March, Caught

breaking into a tavern on Long Island, in October, Accused

of attempted petit larceny in Brooklyn. In 1966, John

allegedly associated with a gang reporting to Carlo

Gambino. He was jailed for unlawful entry and grand

larceny. Then in 1967, he was arrested on federal hijacking

charges in an FBI sting operation at Kennedy Airport. Then

in 1968, he was arrested in state hijacking case; he pleaded

guilty but receives no prison time. In 1969, he pleaded guilty

in a federal hijacking case; gets three years at USP

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. While in prison, he was indicted

on a second federal hijacking charge; however his indictment

was dismissed because police used illegal wiretap. In the

beginning of the 70?s Gotti spent time in Green Haven

Prison. After being released from jail Gotti was indicted for

murder after James McBratney was shot and killed by Ralph

"Ralphie Wigs" Galione (May 22nd) in a barroom fight.

While John was at a bar in Queens, New York he was

arrested for the murder of McBratney. In 1975, John

pleaded guilty to attempted manslaughter in McBratney

case; he was incarcerated in Green Haven state prison. In

1976 Carlo Gambino dies. Paul Castellano allegedly became

boss of the Gambino Fami. In July 28 1977 John is released

from Green Haven early after proving himself to be a model

prisoner. Later that summer, he was allegedly inducted into

the Gambino Family. March 18, 1980 John’s 12 year old

son, Frank Gotti, is tragically killed in an accident when a

neighbor hit the mini-bike Frank was riding with his car. In

1981 Diane Giacolone began her investigation of Gotti. Then

in 1984 Romual Piecyk accuses John Gotti and another of

assaulting him after a scuffle over double parking. Gotti is

arrested on assault and robbery charges. Aniello Dellacroce,

Gotti’s friend and mentor, dies of brain cancer. On

December 16th, Paul Castellano and Thomas Bilotti are

murdered outside of Spark’s Steak House in Manhattan.

Then Gotti is arrested on federal racketeering charges. On

January 16, 1986 John allegedly becomes boss of the

Gambino family. In March of 1986, the assault case is

dismissed after Piecyk can’t remember who assaulted him. In

April, Federal racketeering trial begins, Frankie DeCicco

(alleged underboss) is murdered in a car bombing apparently

meant for both him and John. The trial is postponed. In May

of 86 a lot of things happened. Carpenter union official John

O’Conner is shot in the rear, allegedly for ordering the

trashing of a Gambino run joint which was being built with

non-union labor. Gotti’s bail was revoked, and Gotti

surrendered six days later to the MCC. In August Federal

trial began again. March 6, 1987 Diane Giacalone presents

her summation of the case, which lasts five hours and

contains several mistaken names and some errors of fact. On

March 13, 1987 the jury reaches the verdict of not guilty on

all counts. In 1989 Gotti was arrested on charges of

conspiracy to commit assault in the shooting of John

O’Conner. In 1989 John is acquitted of the assault charges,

also 13 count RICO Fed indictment brought against Gotti

for conspiring to murder Paul Castellano. John Gotti, alleged

underboss Salvatore Gravano, and consigliere Frank

Locascio are all arrested at the Ravenite social club in Little

Italy. They are held without bail at the MCC in Manhattan.

In 1991 Bruce Cutler, the lawyer who helped Gotti beat his

previous three trials, is barred from representing him on the

grounds that he (Cutler) is allegedly acting as "house

counsel" for the Gambino crime family. Also, in November

Sammy Gravano, facing a life sentence behind bars, is

coerced into switching sides and testifying against Gotti and

Locascio in exchange for a greatly reduced sentence (ends

up serving only 3 years for admitting to 19 murders). Sammy

"The Bull" became Sammy "The Rat" and Sammy "The

Liar". In 1992 The trial began, Gravano first testifies. Gotti is

found guilty all 13 counts, and he is delivered to Marion

Penitentiary in Illinois. In 1993 Gotti’s appeal (that his

lawyer, Bruce Cutler, was unfairly disqualified from

representing him in the case) is rejected. In 1994 Bruce

Cutler was sentencted to 90 days house arrest, fined

$5,000, barred from NY’s Eastern District courts for six

months, ordered to perform 600 hours of community

service, and placed on probation for three years for

speaking out in defense of John to reporters during the last

trial. John Gotti has now been in jail since 1992 serving a life

sentence without parole. He has appealed since the trial has

been over, and every time he has it has been rejected. The

Gambino Family is still in New York and John Gotti?s

son(John jr.) is now the god father of the Gambino Family,

and is still strong. The Gambino Family I think in the future is

going to be very strong even without John Gotti. The FBI is

still watching the family so it looks as if the family might even

be as strong as when John Gotti ran the family.

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