Junior Gotti
Encyclopedia
John Angelo Gotti III or "Junior" Gotti (born February 14, 1964) is a former New York City mobster who in the 1990s, according to law enforcement claims, led the Gambino crime family
of Cosa Nostra for his imprisoned father John J. Gotti
, who died in 2002. Between 2004 and 2009 Gotti has been a defendant in four racketeering
trials which all ended in mistrials. In January 2010, Federal Prosecutors announced that they would no longer seek to prosecute Gotti for those charges. He is also referred to as "Teflon Jr." for evading conviction like his father.
ancestry on her mother's side., grew up in the Italian-American neighborhood of Howard Beach, a section of Queens, New York
and attended New York Military Academy
. He has two sisters,Victoria and Angel and two brothers Peter and Frank (deceased). After leaving the school, Gotti's father helped him start a trucking business, Samson Trucking Company and after the business failed, helped him get a position in the Carpenters Union. In 1990 he married Kimberly Albanese, daughter of alleged Gambino crime family associate Phillip Albanese. They have six children and live in Oyster Bay Cove on Long Island's North Shore
.
In a 1997 search of the basement of a property owned by Gotti, the FBI found a typed list of the names of the "made
" members of his organization, $348,700 in cash, a list of the guests who attended his wedding, along with the dollar amount of their wedding gifts (totaling more than $350,000), and two handguns. The discovery enraged Gotti's father and earned him the nickname 'dumbfella' in the New York media.
In 1999, Gotti pleaded guilty to racketeering crimes including bribery, extortion, gambling and fraud. Many of the charges related to attempts to extort money from the owners and employees of Scores, an upscale strip club
in Manhattan. He was sentenced to 77 months in prison and was released in 2005. Federal prosecutors say his uncle, Peter Gotti
, became head of the Gambino organization after his nephew was sent to prison.
, founder of the Guardian Angels
, as well as securities fraud, extortion and loansharking. A radio talk show host for WABC
, Sliwa had allegedly angered the family by denouncing the elder Gotti as "Public Enemy #1" on his show. During the trial, two former associates, Michael DiLeonardo
and Joseph D'Angelo testified against Gotti. Through his attorney, Gotti admitted that he had been involved in the Gambino crime family in the 1990s, and had even been slated to lead the organization after his father was sent to jail in 1992, but claimed he had left criminal life behind after his conviction in 1999. Three juries eventually deadlocked on the charges, the last in 2006, and federal prosecutors decided not to pursue a fourth trial.
. The charges stemmed from an alleged drug trafficking ring Gotti operated along with former associate-turned informant John Alite
and others, and with the murders of two men associated with the ring. Prosecutors charge that the ring distributed at least five kilograms of cocaine
in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Gotti's trial was later moved to New York, where he pleaded not guilty, and began in September 2009.
In January 2008, Alite pleaded guilty to two murders, four murder conspiracies, at least eight shootings, and two attempted shootings as well as armed home invasions and armed robberies in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida, stemming from his alleged involvement in a Gambino crew in Tampa, Florida. Alite agreed to testify in the trial of Gambino family enforcer Charles Carneglia, who was found guilty of four murders and is now serving a life sentence. He then served as a key prosecution witness against Gotti.
During the trial, Gotti allegedly threatened Alite by mouthing the words "I'll kill you", and engaged in a shouting match with his former associate. After the incident, Victoria Gotti
told The New York Daily News that Alite was "a pathological liar - a rat caught in a proverbial trap, caught in his own lies..." Alite testified that Gotti was responsible for at least eight murders, among other crimes.
On December 1, 2009, the 12 jurors announced that they had failed to reach a unanimous verdict on all the charges and the judge declared a mistrial. Federal prosecutors have indicated that they will not seek another trial against Gotti. After the trial, jurors said that they did not find witnesses, particularly Alite, to be credible. Gotti, Federal Bureau of Prisons
Register # 00632-748, was released on December 1, 2009.
is expected to star as Gotti's father, and Travolta's wife, Kelly Preston
will play his on-screen wife, Victoria Gotti.
Gambino crime family
The Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
of Cosa Nostra for his imprisoned father John J. Gotti
John Gotti
John Joseph Gotti, Jr was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. Gotti grew up in poverty. He and his brothers turned to a life of crime at an early age...
, who died in 2002. Between 2004 and 2009 Gotti has been a defendant in four racketeering
Racket (crime)
A racket is an illegal business, usually run as part of organized crime. Engaging in a racket is called racketeering.Several forms of racket exist. The best-known is the protection racket, in which criminals demand money from businesses in exchange for the service of "protection" against crimes...
trials which all ended in mistrials. In January 2010, Federal Prosecutors announced that they would no longer seek to prosecute Gotti for those charges. He is also referred to as "Teflon Jr." for evading conviction like his father.
Early life
Gotti is one of five children born to John Joseph Gotti Jr and Victoria DiGiorgio Gotti, who is of RussianRussians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
ancestry on her mother's side., grew up in the Italian-American neighborhood of Howard Beach, a section of Queens, New York
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
and attended New York Military Academy
New York Military Academy
New York Military Academy, or NYMA, is an American private boarding school located in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York. It was founded in 1889 by Charles Jefferson Wright, a Civil War veteran and former school teacher from New Hampshire who believed that a military structure provided the best...
. He has two sisters,Victoria and Angel and two brothers Peter and Frank (deceased). After leaving the school, Gotti's father helped him start a trucking business, Samson Trucking Company and after the business failed, helped him get a position in the Carpenters Union. In 1990 he married Kimberly Albanese, daughter of alleged Gambino crime family associate Phillip Albanese. They have six children and live in Oyster Bay Cove on Long Island's North Shore
North Shore (Long Island)
The North Shore of Long Island is the area along Long Island's northern coast, bordering Long Island Sound. The region has long been the most affluent on Long Island, as well as the most affluent in the New York metropolitan area, which has earned it the nickname "the Gold Coast." Though some...
.
Leadership of the Gambino crime family
According to federal prosecutors, Gotti was inducted into the Gambino crime family in 1988 and became a captain in 1990. In April 1992, his father, John J. Gotti, received a life sentence for racketeering and related offenses while associate Frank J. Antetomaso was brought up on 3 counts of racketeering and extortion charges but was let off due to a hung jury. Prosecutors say he made his son the head of family operations with a committee of captains to assist him. As a family member, he was one of the few people allowed to visit his father and Gotti is believed to have relayed his father's orders to the organization from prison.In a 1997 search of the basement of a property owned by Gotti, the FBI found a typed list of the names of the "made
Made man
A made man, also known as a Mafioso , made guy, man of honor, or uomo d'onore , is someone who has been officially inducted into the Sicilian or American Mafia . They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy...
" members of his organization, $348,700 in cash, a list of the guests who attended his wedding, along with the dollar amount of their wedding gifts (totaling more than $350,000), and two handguns. The discovery enraged Gotti's father and earned him the nickname 'dumbfella' in the New York media.
In 1999, Gotti pleaded guilty to racketeering crimes including bribery, extortion, gambling and fraud. Many of the charges related to attempts to extort money from the owners and employees of Scores, an upscale strip club
Strip club
A strip club is an adult entertainment venue in which striptease or other erotic or exotic dance is regularly performed. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or bar style, but can also adopt a theatre or cabaret-style....
in Manhattan. He was sentenced to 77 months in prison and was released in 2005. Federal prosecutors say his uncle, Peter Gotti
Peter Gotti
Peter Gotti, also known as "One Eyed Pete", "Petey Boy", "One Eye" , is a New York mobster who is the former boss of the Gambino crime family and the older brother of deceased Gambino boss John Gotti.-Background:...
, became head of the Gambino organization after his nephew was sent to prison.
2004 racketeering and kidnapping charges
In 2004, months before he was released from prison, Gotti was charged in an 11-count racketeering indictment which included an alleged plot to kidnap Curtis SliwaCurtis Sliwa
Curtis Sliwa is an American anti-crime activist, founder and CEO of the Guardian Angels, and radio talk show host and media personality.-Guardian Angels:...
, founder of the Guardian Angels
Guardian Angels
The Guardian Angels is a non-profit international volunteer organization of unarmed citizen crime patrollers. The Guardian Angels organization was founded February 13, 1979 in New York City by Curtis Sliwa and has chapters in 15 countries and 144 cities around the world.Sliwa originally created the...
, as well as securities fraud, extortion and loansharking. A radio talk show host for WABC
WABC (AM)
WABC , known as "NewsTalkRadio 77 WABC" is a radio station in New York City. Owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of Cumulus Media Networks...
, Sliwa had allegedly angered the family by denouncing the elder Gotti as "Public Enemy #1" on his show. During the trial, two former associates, Michael DiLeonardo
Michael DiLeonardo
Michael "Mikey Scars" DiLeonardo is an Italian-American New York mobster who formerly belonged to the Gambino crime family and is now a government informant.-Background:...
and Joseph D'Angelo testified against Gotti. Through his attorney, Gotti admitted that he had been involved in the Gambino crime family in the 1990s, and had even been slated to lead the organization after his father was sent to jail in 1992, but claimed he had left criminal life behind after his conviction in 1999. Three juries eventually deadlocked on the charges, the last in 2006, and federal prosecutors decided not to pursue a fourth trial.
2008 racketeering charges
In August 2008, Gotti was arrested and indicted on racketeering and murder conspiracy charges brought in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The charges stemmed from an alleged drug trafficking ring Gotti operated along with former associate-turned informant John Alite
John alite
John Edward Alite a.k.a. "Johnny Alletto" is a New York City mobster. A former member of the Gambino crime family he was a friend and crew leader for John A. Gotti in the 1980s and 1990s...
and others, and with the murders of two men associated with the ring. Prosecutors charge that the ring distributed at least five kilograms of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Gotti's trial was later moved to New York, where he pleaded not guilty, and began in September 2009.
In January 2008, Alite pleaded guilty to two murders, four murder conspiracies, at least eight shootings, and two attempted shootings as well as armed home invasions and armed robberies in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida, stemming from his alleged involvement in a Gambino crew in Tampa, Florida. Alite agreed to testify in the trial of Gambino family enforcer Charles Carneglia, who was found guilty of four murders and is now serving a life sentence. He then served as a key prosecution witness against Gotti.
During the trial, Gotti allegedly threatened Alite by mouthing the words "I'll kill you", and engaged in a shouting match with his former associate. After the incident, Victoria Gotti
Victoria Gotti
Victoria Gotti is a writer, reality television participant and daughter of the Gambino crime family Mafia boss, John Gotti.-Early life:...
told The New York Daily News that Alite was "a pathological liar - a rat caught in a proverbial trap, caught in his own lies..." Alite testified that Gotti was responsible for at least eight murders, among other crimes.
On December 1, 2009, the 12 jurors announced that they had failed to reach a unanimous verdict on all the charges and the judge declared a mistrial. Federal prosecutors have indicated that they will not seek another trial against Gotti. After the trial, jurors said that they did not find witnesses, particularly Alite, to be credible. Gotti, Federal Bureau of Prisons
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons is a federal law enforcement agency subdivision of the United States Department of Justice and is responsible for the administration of the federal prison system. The system also handles prisoners who committed acts considered felonies under the District of Columbia's...
Register # 00632-748, was released on December 1, 2009.
Movie
In September 2010 Fiore Films announced that it had secured the rights from Gotti to produce a movie about his life, in particular his relationship with his father. According to Variety, several producers had expressed interest, but Gotti chose Fiore, a small, newly-created production company. The movie is tentatively titled Gotti: Three Generations. John TravoltaJohn Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
is expected to star as Gotti's father, and Travolta's wife, Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston is an American actress and former model.- Early years :Preston was born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center, and her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when Preston was three years old...
will play his on-screen wife, Victoria Gotti.
Further reading
- Mob Star: The Story of John Gotti by Gene Mustain & Jerry Capeci in 2002, ISBN 0-02-864416-6.
- Capeci, Jerry. The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia. Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002. ISBN 0-02-864225-2.
- Gotti: The Rise & Fall by Jerry CapeciJerry CapeciGerald "Jerry" Capeci is an American journalist and author who specializes in coverage of the Five Mafia crime families of New York City. Capeci has been described by news organizations, such as CNN and BBC, as an expert on the American Mafia.-Gang Land:Capeci writes a column called Gang Land...
in 1996, ISBN 0-451-40681-8.
External links
- John Gotti Jr from New York Daily News