John Gotti: The Dapper Don Who Took Down the Gambino Family
John Joseph Gotti Jr. became boss of the Gambino crime family in December 1985 by having his predecessor shot outside a Manhattan steakhouse. He ran the family for seven years with a visibility and flamboyance that the organization's previous leadership would have considered suicidal. He was acquitted of federal charges three times, earning the nickname "the Teflon Don." He was convicted on the fourth attempt in 1992, largely because his underboss had agreed to cooperate with the FBI. He died in federal prison in 2002. His story is the story of the American Mafia's self-destruction.
The Rise
Gotti grew up in the South Bronx and East New York sections of Brooklyn, the son of a laborer with no mob connections. He encountered the Gambino family's operations in East New York as a teenager and attached himself to the crew run by Aniello Dellacroce — who became his mentor and protector within the organization. He rose through the ranks steadily, earning a reputation for toughness, loyalty to his crew, and a willingness to use violence that the organization found useful.
By the early 1980s, Gotti was running one of the Gambino family's most productive crews out of the Bergin Hunt and Fish Club in Ozone Park, Queens. His ambitions exceeded the crew level, and his relationship with Dellacroce — who served as the family's underboss — positioned him for a move against the boss, Paul Castellano, whom Gotti viewed as disconnected from the street-level operations that generated the organization's money and loyalty.
The Murder of Paul Castellano
On December 16, 1985, Paul Castellano and his driver were shot to death outside Sparks Steak House on East 46th Street in Manhattan. Castellano had been summoned to a dinner meeting by associates; Gotti and his underboss Sammy Gravano observed the shooting from a nearby car. The murder — conducted without Commission approval, a serious violation of organizational protocol — was the most brazen public mob killing since the 1970s and immediately focused federal attention on whoever had ordered it. Gotti's name was known to the FBI within weeks.
The Teflon Don Years: 1986-1992
Gotti's three acquittals on federal charges between 1986 and 1990 earned him the "Teflon Don" nickname and made him, briefly, a celebrity figure in New York. His expensive suits — he was called the "Dapper Don" for his wardrobe — his public persona, and his Queens neighborhood support combined to make him the most publicly visible mob boss in American history. This visibility was, as subsequent events demonstrated, the central liability of his leadership.
The FBI's response to the acquittals was to intensify the investigation. Bugs placed in the apartment above the Ravenite Social Club in Little Italy — Gotti's preferred meeting location — recorded hundreds of hours of conversations, including Gotti discussing murders and discussing the murders of potential witnesses. The recordings provided the evidentiary foundation that three previous prosecutions had lacked.
Sammy Gravano and the Conviction
Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano was the Gambino family's underboss and Gotti's closest associate. In 1991, facing the recorded evidence and the prospect of a lengthy prison sentence, Gravano agreed to cooperate with the federal government — the most significant mob cooperation since Joe Valachi in the 1960s. Gravano testified to 19 murders, including his own participation in them, in exchange for a reduced sentence. His testimony, combined with the recordings, produced Gotti's conviction on all counts in April 1992.
Gotti was sentenced to life without parole. He served the sentence at the United States Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois, developing throat cancer, and died in June 2002.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was John Gotti called the Teflon Don?
John Gotti was called the Teflon Don because federal charges against him failed to produce convictions three times between 1986 and 1990 — the charges seemed unable to stick. The nickname also implied that he had corrupted juries, which federal investigators believed was the case in at least one of the acquittals.
Who killed Paul Castellano?
Paul Castellano was shot outside Sparks Steak House in Manhattan on December 16, 1985, on orders from John Gotti. Sammy Gravano later testified that he helped plan and observe the assassination. The actual shooters were never prosecuted, but Gotti was convicted of ordering the murder as part of his 1992 RICO conviction.