Richard V. Gotti
Encyclopedia
Richard V. Gotti is a capo in the Gambino crime family
.
Richard was born in 1942 to John Gotti, Sr. and his wife Fannie. Richard's brothers included deceased Gambino boss John Gotti
, capo Gene Gotti
, current boss Peter
, and Vincent Gotti. Richard has a son, Richard G. Gotti
, who also belongs to the Gambino family. Richard had a strange fascination with grass and would later work as a groundskeeper at Yankee Stadium
. Richard became a Gambino associate in 1962 and was first arrested in 1969 for statutory rape
. Richard was given the job of general manager for the Our Friends Social Club, at his brother John's urging. Richard and an accomplice once tried to rob a high stakes poker game in a Manhattan hotel room. Brandishing sawed-off shotguns, they demanded the players turn over their money. Hardly bothering to look up from their cards, the players told them to go to hell. The players then began throwing poker chips at them and chased them off down the hallway.
By 1988, Richard had become a made man
and by 1999 a caporegime
.
On June 5, 2002, Richard was indicted on racketeering and extortion charges, mainly involving Gambino crimes at an International Longshoremen's Association
local and the attempted extortion of actor Steven Seagal
. On March 17, 2003, Richard was convicted of extortion and money laundering
. Richard was later sentenced to 16 years in federal prison. He was released from prison on August 12, 2005.
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...
.
Richard was born in 1942 to John Gotti, Sr. and his wife Fannie. Richard's brothers included deceased Gambino boss John 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...
, capo Gene Gotti
Gene Gotti
Eugene Gotti is a New York mobster with the Gambino crime family who was a major drug trafficker.-Background:Born to John and Fannie Gotti, Gene has four brothers: deceased Gambino boss John Gotti, Peter Gotti, capo Richard V. Gotti, and soldier Vincent Gotti...
, current boss Peter
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:...
, and Vincent Gotti. Richard has a son, Richard G. Gotti
Richard G. Gotti
Richard G. Gotti is a member of the Gambino crime family. His father is Gambino capo Richard V. Gotti and cousins are capo John A. "Junior" Gotti, former reality television star Victoria Gotti, and Peter Gotti, Jr...
, who also belongs to the Gambino family. Richard had a strange fascination with grass and would later work as a groundskeeper at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
. Richard became a Gambino associate in 1962 and was first arrested in 1969 for statutory rape
Statutory rape
The phrase statutory rape is a term used in some legal jurisdictions to describe sexual activities where one participant is below the age required to legally consent to the behavior...
. Richard was given the job of general manager for the Our Friends Social Club, at his brother John's urging. Richard and an accomplice once tried to rob a high stakes poker game in a Manhattan hotel room. Brandishing sawed-off shotguns, they demanded the players turn over their money. Hardly bothering to look up from their cards, the players told them to go to hell. The players then began throwing poker chips at them and chased them off down the hallway.
By 1988, Richard had become a made man
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...
and by 1999 a caporegime
Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
.
On June 5, 2002, Richard was indicted on racketeering and extortion charges, mainly involving Gambino crimes at an International Longshoremen's Association
International Longshoremen's Association
The International Longshoremen's Association is a labor union representing longshore workers along the East Coast of the United States and Canada, the Gulf Coast, the Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, and inland waterways...
local and the attempted extortion of actor Steven Seagal
Steven Seagal
Steven Frederic Seagal is an American action film star, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist and reserve deputy sheriff. A 7th-dan black belt in Aikido, Seagal began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan...
. On March 17, 2003, Richard was convicted of extortion and money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
. Richard was later sentenced to 16 years in federal prison. He was released from prison on August 12, 2005.
Further reading
- Mob Star: The Story of John Gotti by Gene Mustain and 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 2002, ISBN 0-02-864416-6. - Gotti: The Rise & Fall by Jerry Capeci in 1996, ISBN 0-451-40681-8.
- Mafia Dynasty: The Rise & Fall of the Gambino Crime Family by John H. Davis in 1994, ISBN 0-06-109184-7.
- Goombata: The Improbable Rise and Fall of John Gotti and His Gang by John Cummings and Ernest Volkman