The Gambino crime family has been one of the five major, most notorious Mafia families in New York City. John Gotti had been the leader of this family from 1986 to 1992. John Gotti sported a flamboyant style and an outspoken personality. This had made him a style icon for mobsters, and he continues to be an icon for them till date.
John Joseph Gotti, Jr. was born to John Sr. and Fannie Philomena Gotti in The Bronx, New York on October 27, 1940. Gotti also had four siblings - Peter, Gene, Richard and Vincent, who were also a part of the Gambino family. John Gotti was 12 years old, when his family moved into a tough neighborhood in Brooklyn. Gotti started off as a mob hit-man. He clambered his way up the ladder and soon captained one of the most powerful crews of the Gambino family. This crew was, however, caught pedaling drugs. Drug-pedaling went against the rules of the Gambino family and hence faced a threat of being disbanded. Captained by Gotti, this team went ahead and shot the Gambino family boss, Paul Castellano and his right-hand man Thomas Billoti. John Gotti, then proclaimed himself as the Godfather of the Gambino family. His Mafioso activities had made him infamously famous to such an extent that tourists visiting the Ravenite Social Club in Manhattan, where he conducted business, wanted to pose for photographs with him.
Gotti and his associates were handcuffed in 1990. Gotti was put to trial in the United States District Court in New York on April 2, 1992. He was sentenced a life imprisonment for 13 cases of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, loan-sharking, racketeering, obstruction of justice, illegal gambling and tax evasion. Gotti succumbed to throat cancer on June 10, 2002 at the United States Medical Center. |
