John Gotti, whose full name was John Joseph Gotti Jr., was an infamous American mobster and the boss of the Gambino crime family, one of the “Five Families” that dominated organized crime in New York City. He was born on October 27, 1940, in the Bronx, New York, and he died on June 10, 2002, while serving a life sentence in prison.
Gotti rose to prominence in the 1980s and became one of the most powerful and recognizable figures in the American Mafia. He earned the nickname “The Teflon Don” because he managed to avoid conviction in multiple trials until he was finally convicted in 1992. Gotti was known for his charismatic and flashy persona, and he often wore expensive suits and held court at the Ravenite Social Club in Little Italy, New York.
Gotti’s criminal activities included involvement in various forms of organized crime, including loan sharking, illegal gambling, drug trafficking, and murder. He became the boss of the Gambino crime family in 1985, following the murder of Paul Castellano. Gotti’s reign as the boss was marked by a period of internal strife and violence within the Gambino family.
In 1992, John Gotti was convicted of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, racketeering, obstruction of justice, illegal gambling, and tax evasion. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, and he spent the rest of his life in federal custody. Gotti’s imprisonment marked the decline of his criminal empire, and he died of throat cancer while incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois, in 2002.
John Gotti’s life and criminal activities have been the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and films, making him a significant figure in the history of organized crime in the United States.
Get Gotti Cast
Get Gotti released on Netflix on 23 October 2023. The cast of Get Gotti features interviewers that revealed the secret behind mob boss John Gotti’s terrible activities.
George Gabriel (FBI Agent – Gambino Squad)
As an FBI agent sent to investigate the Gambino squad and Paul Castellino’s death, George Gabriel observed that John Gotti’s rule as a mob boss made law enforcement appear inept, stating that “it was a slap in the face of the federal government.”
Gregory Stasiuk (OCTF Special Investigator)
Gregory Stasiuk worked for the Organised Crime Task Force unit as a special investigator. When his crew was able to plant bugs in John Gotti’s office, he was tasked with listening in on the criminal family’s talks.
A. Kirke Bartley (State Prosecutor)
A. Kirke Bartley was the trial counsel in the District counsel’s Office when John Gotti was arrested in 1984 after beating a random bystander in broad daylight.
Jim Kossler (FBI Coordinating Supervisor)
Jim Kossler, the FBI Coordinating Supervisor working on the John Gotti investigation, considered Diane Gacalone’s evidence against the mob boss as a disadvantage, even advising her not to indict him. The FBI was taken aback when Gacalone told the judge that Willie Boy Johnson, a known acquaintance and Gotti supporter, had been an informant for 15 years. This was classified information at the time.
Susan Kellman (Defense Attorney)
Susan Kellman acted as a criminal defence counsel in the Gotti case in 1985.
Sal Polisi (Mobster)
Sal Polisi, a former mobster and Gotti associate, stated that he and the infamous crime leader “came up the ranks together through the ’70s.” He publicly acknowledged that he and Tommy DeSimone robbed vehicles jointly.
Bruce Mouw (FBI Supervisor – Gambino Squad)
Bruce Mouw, an FBI supervisor who investigated Paul Castellano’s death, stated that it was difficult to “try these guys [Gotti and his men] in court and prove it.” Mouw led the FBI’s attempts to conduct surveillance on Gotti and his associates.
Laura A. Ward (Federal Prosecutor)
Laura A. Ward was the federal prosecutor assigned to the case of Paul Castellano. For those who don’t know, Castellano and his bodyguard, Thomas Bilotti, were murdered outside a Sparks Steak House in Manhattan in 1985 by an unidentified hitman hired by John Gotti.
Michael Shapiro (Defense Attorney)
Michael Shapiro was another defence attorney who worked in the Gotti case in 1985. Shapiro talked about his involvement in the case and how the trial went.
Anthony Ruggiano Jr. (Mobster)
Anthony Ruggiano Jr. is a former mobster who recalls the murder of Paul Castellano. He is the son of Anthony “Fat Andy” Ruggiano Sr., a Gambino criminal family caporegime.
Mary Murphy (WPIX Reporter)
Mary Murphy is a WPIX reporter who investigated John Gotti. During her inquiry, she discovered that Gotti was a plumbing supply salesman making $25,000 per year while driving a $60,000 Mercedes.
Andrea Giovino (Gotti Associate)
Andrea Giovino used to be a member of the Gotti crime family. She stated that Gotti’s reign made them believe they owned New York at the time, and that the crime leader was “a man to be feared.”
Frank O’Hara (OCTF Supervising Investigator)
The Organised Crime Task Force, directed by supervisory investigator Frank O’Hara, spearheaded the hunt of John Gotti when the chips were down. They were initially one or two steps ahead of the FBI because they were able to plant bugs inside one of John Gotti’s secret offices, the Bergin Hunt & Fish Club.
Fred Rayano (OCTF Chief Investigator)
The Organised Crime Task Force unit’s chief investigator was Fred Rayano. Rayano devised a scheme to get bugs inside Gotti’s office at the Bergin Hunt & Fish Club.
Eric Shawn (Fox News Reporter)
Eric Shawn is a Fox News reporter who broke the news of Paul Castellano’s death and provided significant coverage of John Gotti in the 1980s.
Barbara Nevins Taylor (WCBS Reporter)
Barbara Nevins Taylor is a WCBS investigative reporter and journalist. John Gotti, she said, was a “Marvel superhero even before the Marvel movies.”
Dave Swanson (FBI Special Ops)
In the 1980s, Dave Swanson worked as a special agent for the FBI. In the United States, he was one of just six professionally trained lock agents. He collaborated with his colleague to try to gain access to the Ravenite Social Club, a well-known mob hangout in New York.
Ron Goldstock (OCTF Director)
During Gotti’s rule in New York, Ron Goldstock was the director of the Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF). They were the primary organisation at the time that attempted to bring down the mob lord.
Diane Giacalone (DOJ Prosecutor)
Diane Giacalone worked as an assistant US attorney in New York’s Eastern District. She worked on the federal trial of John Gotti and eight Gambino family members.
Matt Clifton (FBI Special Ops)
Matt Clifton is a member of the FBI Special Operations unit, which is tasked with installing and developing surveillance devices in order to successfully prosecute criminals. The name, Matt Clifton, is a pseudonym for someone who want to remain unidentified due to the FBI’s secrecy.