10 Facts about La Cosa Nostra boss John Gotti

John Gotti Mugshot

John Gotti was the most prominent Boss of the Gambino crime family and at the same time became the worst boss of the Gambino Crime family.  Gotti was raised in East New York a section in the Bronx. At a very young age he became involved with crime and street thugs.  Gotti started working for Carmine Fatico’s crew.  At the time the Fatico crew belonged to the Mangano family, who was led by Albert Anastasia.  Soon after Anastasia’s demise, the Fatico crew became part of the Gambino family.  At the age of 18 Gotti was an active member of the Fatico crew, where he first met Aniello Dellacroce who the Fatico crew reported to. Gotti ruled the streets of New York with an iron fist, he demanded homage from the members of the family.  Gotti beat the government in court three times in the 80s earning the nickname the Teflon Don.  He often wore very expensive suits and thus he was dubbed the Dapper Don. In the 70s and 80s Gotti rose through the ranks of the Gambino family, became boss, and eventually was sent to prison for life where he died of throat cancer.   

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          1.  Gotti meets the mob

John Gotti was introduced to the mob at a very young age.  At 12-years, old he was running errands for Carmine Fatico who ran a crew in the Mangano Crime family, who had Albert Anastasia as the boss.  He was raised in East New York in the Bronx; this area was a haven for crime activity.   A few years later he was running a local gang called the Fulton-Rockaway boys. It was as a member of the Rockaway boys where Gotti met Angelo Ruggiero.  Gotti and Rugiero would go on to become lifelong friends and criminals.  After the Rockaway boys, Gotti became an enforcer for the Fatico crew, that was run out of the Bergen Hunt and Fish club in Queens.  The Bergen Club was a store front bar with a small office in the back.  In 1972 Carmine Fatico was indicted by the feds, Gotti was named acting capo and he was to report directly to Aniello Dellacroce, a Captain in the Gambino Crime family.

2. Gotti gets his button

John Gotti became a made-man in the Gambino Crime family by murdering the leader of a crew that was responsible in murdering Carlo Gambino’s nephew.  Angelo Ruggiero, Ralph Galione and, John Gotti found James McBratney (Irish Mobster) in a bar called Snoopes in Staten Island.

The three posed as cops, and when McBratney put up a fight some bystanders attempted to help him, Galione fired a shot into the ceiling, ordered the bar patrons to stand against the wall, but a waitress slipped out and called police.   McBratney was a very tall guy and a weightlifter, and he could drag the three around the bar.   At this point Galione shot McBrtaney at point blank range killing him instantly.

The contract for the killing was given to Aniello Dellacroce by the Gambino boss Carlo.  Gotti idolized Dellacroce and it was through him that he received the contract.  Gotti went on to serve two years in jail and earn his bones.  Gotti was paroled from prison in the summer of 1977, Carlo Gambino died that year.  Shortly after Carlo’s death, Castellano, Carlo’s successor opened the books and Gotti finally became a made-member of the family. 

3. Gotti Cops a plea

John Gotti was given an attorney Roy Cohn to set up a plea deal for the murder of James McBratney.  The attorney was paid for by Carlo Gambino because he successfully completed the contract on James McBratney.  The problem with the Gambino Family was that the trigger man, Ralph Galione committed the hit in a bar full of people.  That is not the way the mob would prefer for a hit to happen.  Gotti and Ruggiero were identified as two of the three assailants in the bar by witnesses.  In 1974 Gotti was arrested by the New York Police Department.  Galione the trigger man was taken out on the orders of the Gambino family because he botched the hit. Gotti, and Ruggiero agreed to plead guilty to manslaughter, and received 4-year jail sentences. 

4. Gotti orders Castellano hit

Aniello Dellacroce kept the peace in the Gambino crime family, he defended Gotti when Boss Paul Castellano wanted to get rid of his crew.  Gotti was upset when Aniello Dellacroce passed away and Paul Castellano and did not attend the funeral.  Many members of the Gambino family felt disrespected.  Subsequently, Castellano named Thomas Bilotti the underboss to replace Dellacroce.  Gotti believed that neither Castellano nor Bilotti had earned the positons that they held within the Gambino Crime family.  Gotti’s crew was into drug dealing, a big no-no in the Gambino family.  The problem with the drug business and the mafia was that it is a big money maker.  It was against the rules but the bosses sometime choose to overlook as long as the money is coming in.  Castellano chose to overlook the drug dealing by Gotti's crew, but when law enforcement gets involved then it becomes an issue.  
Aniello Dellcroce was the buffer keeping Gotti's crew together and alive.  Aniello died on December 2^nd, 1985, at the time he was the owner of the Ravenite Social Club located in New York’s Little Italy.  Gotti inherited the club and it would go on to play a vital role, but Castellano wanted to shut the social club down and split up Gotti’s crew. Castellano was a more business like leader who kept his distance from the Gambino soldiers. Gotti feared that Castellano would find out about his brother’s heroin dealing during the pre-trial discovery of Castellano’s RICO trial.  Castellano suspected Gotti was in the drug business and he did not like his gambling ways. Gotti and Castellano did not like each other, Gotti deliberately defied the orders of Castellano because his crew drug dealing. Gotti along with 4 other members of the Gambino family assassinated Castellano in front of Sparks Steak House in mid-town Manhattan.  Gotti and Gravano waited nearby in a car and watched the hit go down, as Castellano and Bilotti were gunned down.  The assassination of Castellano did not sit well with the other four families in New York City because permission is needed from the commission to take out a boss, which Gotti seek.  The Genovese family who was run by Vincent the Chin Gigante ordered the assassination of John Gotti, but they were unsuccessful.

5. Gotti walks with a limp 

Gotti received his limp because his toes where crushed by a cement mixer.  He was attempting to steal the truck when the incident happened.  The crushed toes caused Gotti to walk with a unique gait.  FBI surveillance footage shows Gotti walking up and down Mulberry street in New York’s Little Italy with a limp or a gait.  The gait that Gotti made him look like a tough guy, and he could back it up.

6. Gotti’s mouth gets him in trouble

The trial that convicted Gotti once and for all began in 1992.  The most damaging evidence in that trial was Gotti’s own mouth.  FBI surveillance teams wire tapped the Ravenite Social club and the apartment located just above the Social club.  FBI surveillance could not make out any voices in the Ravenite because the music was very loud.  The FBI discovered that when he needed to talk about big issues he would use the apartment upstairs.  The FBI waited for the old lady that lived in the apartment to go away and on Thanksgiving in 1989 they bugged the apartment.  Gotti spoke of crimes he committed and ones that he was going to commit, he mentioned whacking his own Gambino soldiers, especially Sammy the Bull Gravano if he did not follow Gotti’s orders. Gravano eventually turned state’s evidence against Gotti once he heard the tapes.  Gravano felt that Gotti would set him up as the fall guy.  Gravano aided the government by filling in pieces of information that was not on the tapes.  On April 1, 1992 John Gotti was convicted and subsequently sentenced to live in prison. 

7.    Flamboyant ways-Teflon Don

John Gotti was not the traditional mobster, he had an authoritarian style of leadership, it’s my way or the highway.  Gotti loved expensive haircuts, suits, and pampering himself.  Gravano warned Gotti for years to be more discreet but Gotti never listened to his underboss.  Gotti loved being in the media, he loved it when he was being recorded and getting his picture taken.  He loved the limelight so much that he gave out autographs when people asked.  Little did these people know that he was a murdering godfather with no sympathy.  John Gotti was a flashy dresser and that earned him the nickname of the Dapper Don.  During the 1980s John Gotti managed to beat the government in 3 separatetrials.  Later, after Gotti was sentenced to life in prison it was discovered that in all three trials the Jury was tainted.  Beating the Government is what earned the nickname of John Gotti the Teflon Don.  Unfortunately, the way Gotti and his crew beat the government was by bribing Jurors. Sammy the Bull Gravano was instrumental in aiding the federal government in to finding out how the Gambino family beat the government in the 80s. Gotti was a big fan of the Godfather movies, that is how he would dress in business suits.  Mobsters do not dress like they do in the Godfather film. 

8.     Lufthansa Heist

The Lufthansa Heist occurred on December 11, 1978 and an estimated 5 million dollars and 875, 000 thousand dollars in jewelry were taken.  As a Captain in the Gambino Crime family, Gotti had a stake in everything that went in and out of JFK airport.  Lufthansa was an airline that regularly flew valuables in and out of JFK airport.  Paul Vario’s crew needed to inform Gotti that they planned this heist, and needed his blessing, and to give him his cut.  200000 dollars was promised and given to Gotti who never informed his bosses that he received it.

 

9.    Thomas DeSimone gets whacked

Thomas DeSimone was a soldier in The Lucchese Crime family, he was also part of the Lufthansa heist, he belonged to Paul Vario. Shortly after the Lufthansa heist he was told by Paul Vario to kill Pernell “Stack” Edwards because he failed to get rid of the heist van. The van was found by Police and turned over to the FBI.  DeSimone was a hot head and the smallest things would upset him. He killed Billy Bats because he became upset when Batts asked DeSimone if he stilled shined shoes.  Bats was kept at the bar by Vario’s crew where he was killed later in the evening by DeSimone.  The crew drove the body out to a field to bury it, and it was reported that while they were driving a banging could be heard coming from the trunk.  DeSimone stopped the vehicle, opened the trunk, and stabbed Bats a few more times killing him. 

John Gotti long suspected that DeSimone was responsible for the murder of Gambino Captain William "Billy Batts" Bentvena, a close friend of John Gotti.  Gotti asked permission from Vario to kill DeSimone for revenge, it was granted.  DeSimone understood that he was going to become a made member of the Lucchese family and was led into the basement of a restaurant. On January 14,1979 Gotti whacked DeSimone. 

10. John Gotti Bribes

During the 1970s while he was incarcerated at the Green Haven Correctional facility it is believed that Gotti often bribed the officials and guards to let him out of prison so he could meet with mobsters and see his family.  During this time inmates at the correctional facility where allowed to set up dentist appointments in New York City.  While serving his time at GreenHaven it is believed that three trips were made to New York City.  Gotti took advantage of this, gave the guards money and he would go on and conduct his business, when it was time to return to prison he would simply return to the dentist office.  Gotti’s son Junior recalls seeing his dad coming home on certain days in a prison suit, then a few hours later he would leave.