“The Teflon Don”

 Born on October 27 th 1940  Raised in New York City  He was an Italian-American  The fifth of thirteen kids  Philomena was his mom  His dad John Joseph Gotti was a laborer and a gambler  He dropped out of High School when he was 16

 In school he was a bully and frequently didn’t show up  From the age of 12 he was involved in the New York Mafiosi  He tried to steal a cement mixer at the age of 14 but it crushed his feet leaving him with a limp

 He began a major life of crime when he joined the Gambino family  He was a hijacker who was arrested by the FBI for multiple hijackings and got 3 years  In 1974 he is part of the team that murders James McBratney  He goes to jail for 4 years  On December 16, 1985 at Sparks Steak House Gotti kills his boss, Castellano and becomes the head of the Gambino family

 He is well known for his style and money  Through the use of money and jury tampering he was able to get out of going to jail  His latest crime was murder, tax evasion (not paying taxes), conspiracy to murder (planning murder), loan sharking (making loans with high interest rates), obstruction of justice, (not cooperating with Police), bribery (using money to change people’s opinions), and illegal gambling (non-government approved gambling)

 The FBI bugged his house and collected evidence about the many crimes he committed. The tapes also turned his underboss, Gravano, who became a witness for the state. Also, an eyewitness at the steak house points out that Gotti was at the scene with his men.

 life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and a $250,000 fine  He died of throat cancer in United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners on June 10, 2002

 There are several movies about him. One of which will feature John Travolta  John Gotti Jr. (his son), "If you look on his death certificate he choked on his own vomit and blood. He paid for his sins".

 I believe the Anomie Theory (Innovation) can explain John Gotti’s behavior. He suffered when he was a little kid. His dad was a drunk and gambled away any money he had. His mom could not work because she had to care for all of his siblings. This made him want to better himself.  He worked hard from a young age but he soon turned to crime. He began to slowly rise through the ranks. Soon, he was in the position to take power. When he killed the boss of the Gambino family he finally had that power. He made millions of dollars a year and he spent it to protect himself and to become the well dressed “Dapper Don.” It is innovation because it is not a legal way to get rich but it worked. He also became a respected man for a while and was almost idolized by the media.

 I do not believe that rehabilitation would work for him. I believe that because he had been in and out of jail so much that it should have changed him. However, he remained a criminal and refused to conform to society. Instead he broke the law repeatedly and he only got worse over time. This continued criminal activity and disregard for the law has led me to believe he should stay in prison. He was a true danger to society.