John Gotti: Biography of the Dapper Don
Quick answer
John Gotti (1940–2002) was the boss of the Gambino crime family from 1985 to 1992. He seized power by having boss Paul Castellano shot dead outside Sparks Steak House, became famous as the “Dapper Don” and the “Teflon Don” for his suits and his acquittals, and was finally convicted of murder and racketeering in 1992 after his underboss Sammy Gravano testified against him. He died in prison in 2002.
John Gotti: quick facts
| Born | John Joseph Gotti Jr., 27 October 1940, the Bronx, New York |
|---|---|
| Died | 10 June 2002, U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners, Springfield, Missouri (aged 61) |
| Nicknames | The Dapper Don, the Teflon Don |
| Organisation | Boss of the Gambino crime family, 1985 to 1992 |
| Headquarters | The Ravenite Social Club, 247 Mulberry Street, Little Italy |
| Convicted | April 1992, murder and racketeering, life without parole |
Early life
John Gotti was one of thirteen children born to a poor family in the Bronx. The family moved to East New York, Brooklyn, and as a teenager Gotti was running errands for the local Gambino crew that met at the Bergin Hunt and Fish Club in Ozone Park, Queens, under Carmine Fatico and, above him, underboss Aniello Dellacroce. Hijacking trucks at Idlewild (later JFK) airport earned him his first prison sentence in the late 1960s.
Made man
In 1973 Gotti was part of the team that killed James McBratney, one of the men blamed for kidnapping and murdering Carlo Gambino’s nephew. He pleaded guilty to attempted manslaughter and served about two years. In 1977 he was formally inducted into the Gambino family and took over the Bergin crew.
In 1980 his twelve-year-old son Frank was killed when a neighbour, John Favara, hit him with his car. Favara disappeared a few months later and was never found.
The hit at Sparks
When Carlo Gambino died in 1976 he passed the family to his brother-in-law Paul Castellano, not to Dellacroce. Gotti despised Castellano and feared he was about to be broken up over drug dealing in his crew. Two weeks after Dellacroce died of cancer, on 16 December 1985, gunmen shot Castellano and his driver Thomas Bilotti dead outside Sparks Steak House on East 46th Street. Gotti watched from a car across the street. Within weeks he was boss.
The Dapper Don and the Teflon Don
Gotti loved the cameras. He held court at the Ravenite Social Club on Mulberry Street, wore expensive double-breasted suits and threw huge Fourth of July parties in Ozone Park. Three trials in the late 1980s ended in acquittals, and the press called him the Teflon Don because nothing would stick. Later it emerged that a juror in his 1987 trial had been bribed.
Sammy the Bull and the 1992 conviction
The FBI bugged an apartment above the Ravenite and recorded Gotti discussing murders and family business. On 11 December 1990 he was arrested with his underboss Sammy “the Bull” Gravano. Facing the tapes, Gravano agreed to testify. On 2 April 1992 Gotti was convicted on all thirteen counts, including the murder of Castellano, and sentenced to life without parole.
Prison and death
Gotti served his sentence mostly in solitary confinement at the federal penitentiary in Marion, Illinois. He died of throat cancer on 10 June 2002 at the federal prison medical centre in Springfield, Missouri. For his money, see John Gotti’s net worth.
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Frequently asked questions
Why was John Gotti called the Teflon Don?
Because he was acquitted in three trials in the 1980s; charges never seemed to stick. One of those verdicts was later found to have involved a bribed juror.
Who killed Paul Castellano?
A hit team organised by John Gotti shot Castellano outside Sparks Steak House in Manhattan on 16 December 1985.
Who testified against John Gotti?
His underboss, Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano, in 1992.
How did John Gotti die?
From throat cancer, in a federal prison hospital in Springfield, Missouri, on 10 June 2002.
Walk into the Ravenite Social Club the night the FBI came: the Ravenite escape room is free on Five Families.