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John Gotti, Sr. a.k.a. "The Teflon/Dapper Don"
Years as Boss: 1985-1996
John Gotti is included in this otherwise "historic"
who's who of mobsters simply because he was probably the last remaining
Mafia Don to possess the "mystique", of a Lucky
Luciano, or Al
Capone. Like Luciano, Gotti's methods were businesslike, and
like Capone, he made a career of manipulating, and sometimes charming
the press. But make no mistake, Gotti's rise to the top was as
littered with shady deals, and dead bodies, as any of the aforementioned
crime lords, and his downfall is symbolic of the slow erosion of
organized crime. Gotti was intrigued by the works of Italian
philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli, whom he'd been introduced to during his
many visits to aging family patriarch Don
Carlo Gambino; he learned to recite Machiavelli's writings as
if they were the holy scripture, probably in the hopes of better
understanding, or gaining favor with Don Carlo. Alas, things did
not turn out as planned, when Gotti was incarcerated, and Don Carlo
named Big Paulie Castellano as his successor. Gotti later made his
move, orchestrating Big Paulie's demise, and taking over as Don.
Throughout the 80s, Gotti earned
the nickname, the "Teflon
Don"; for none of the charges brought against him would stick... At
least until the early 90s, when he was indicted and tried on a RICO
(Racketeer Influenced, and Corrupt Organizations) case; this time facing
a prosecution armed with mobster turned informant Sammy "The
Bull" Gravano, who had been Gotti's own underboss, and who provided
damning testimony against his former boss, particularly about
about the Castellano murder. Gotti was sentenced to life
imprisonment, and later made several attempts at a second trial, all of
which were denied. John Gotti died of cancer in the Springfield,
Missouri federal prison hospital, on June 10th, 2002.
For
more information on the rise and fall of John Gotti, Sr., see:
The Gotti Tapes: Including the Testimony of Salvatore (Sammy the Bull
Gravano) -- John Gotti, et al; Mass Market
Paperback.
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