Gene Gotti

American mobster

Gene Gotti

Gotti's August 23, 1983 FBI mugshot

Born|

Eugene Gotti

1946 (age 78–79)

New York City, New York, U.S.

Occupation| Mobster
Spouse| Rosalie Gotti
Children| 3
Relatives|

* John Gotti (brother)
* Richard V. Gotti (brother)
* Peter Gotti (brother)
* Vincent Gotti (brother)
* John A. Gotti (nephew)
* Richard G. Gotti (nephew)
* Victoria Gotti (niece)

Allegiance| Gambino crime family
Convictions| Racketeering and drug trafficking (1989)
Criminal penalty| 50 years' imprisonment and fined $75,000

Eugene Gotti (born 1946) is an American mobster and a former captain in the Gambino crime family of New York City. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison in 1989 for racketeering and drug trafficking charges; he was released in 2018.

## Early life

[edit]

Gotti was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1946. He was one of 13 children (two had died at birth) of John Joseph Gotti Sr. and Philomena "Fannie" DeCarlo. Gotti's brothers included John Gotti, Peter Gotti, Richard V. Gotti, and Vincent Gotti. All the brothers grew up in East New York, Brooklyn, and became involved with organized crime.[1] John Cummings and Ernest Volkman in Goombata wrote, "He was noted for his inability to comprehend even the simplest statement addressed to him, and people dealing with him learned to speak slowly and repeatedly." He attended Franklin K. Lane High School with the other Gotti brothers. Gotti and his wife Rosalie have three children and eight grandchildren; his family home is in Valley Stream, New York.[1]

Around 1966, Gotti became an associate with the Gambino family. In 1969, Gotti was convicted of theft from an interstate shipment and was sent to federal prison for three months. In 1973, Gotti was convicted in state court of illegal possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 18 months in state prison.[1]

Gene Gotti December 1973 mugshot

## Criminal life

[edit]

Gene became a made man in 1976, working with his brother, John, in his South Ozone Park crew.[2]

Gotti carried out truck hijackings at Idlewild Airport (subsequently renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport) together with his brother John and friend Angelo Ruggiero.[3] In August 1983, Ruggiero and Gotti were arrested for dealing heroin, based primarily on recordings from a bug in Ruggiero's house.[4][5] Boss Paul Castellano, who had banned made men from his family from dealing drugs under threat of death, demanded transcripts of the tapes,[4][6] and, when Ruggiero refused, threatened to demote his brother John.[7]

In late 1986 Gotti took over the crew, when Ruggiero was demoted.

On March 13, 1987, Gene Gotti, his brother John and others, were acquitted on federal charges of loansharking, illegal gambling, murder, and armed hijackings.[8]

## Prison and release

[edit]

Later in 1987, Gotti and John Carneglia went to trial on the 1983 federal charges of narcotics trafficking, obstruction of justice, racketeering, and operating a continuing criminal narcotics enterprise.[9] In January 1988, the judge declared a mistrial on this second case due to government charges of jury tampering. On July 27, 1988, in a retrial, the judge again declared a mistrial because jurors failed to reach a verdict.[10] On May 23, 1989, in his third trial on the 1983 charges, Gotti and Carneglia were convicted of running a heroin distribution ring. On July 7, 1989, Gotti was sentenced to 50 years in prison and fined $75,000, the same penalty given to Carneglia.[11][12] After his sentencing, the Gambino family demoted Gotti from capo to soldier because he was in prison. His elder brother Peter became new leader of the crew.[13][14]

Gotti was imprisoned at the Federal Correctional Institution, Pollock, in Pollock, Louisiana, from 1989 to 2018. He was released on September 14, 2018, when he was 71 years old, after serving 29 years of his sentence.[15]

## Further reading

[edit]

* Mob Star: The Story of John Gotti by Gene Mustain & Jerry Capeci 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

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Raab, Selwyn (February 16, 1988). "Gotti's Brother Called Rising Star in Gambino Mob". The New York Times. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
2. ^ Davis, p. 185
3. ^ Raab, p. 354
4. ^ a b Davis, p. 216
5. ^ Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 77
6. ^ Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 79–80
7. ^ Davis, p 238
8. ^ Buder, Leonard (March 14, 1987). "Gotti is Aquitted [sic] in Conspiracy Case Involving the Mob". The New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
9. ^ United States of America, Appellee, v. Angelo Ruggiero, Gene Gotti, John Carneglia, et al., Appellants, United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, April 26, 1988
10. ^ "2nd Mistrial Declared in Gotti Case After Jury Impasse", The New York Times, July 28, 1988
11. ^ Howe, Marvin, "Gotti's Brother Is Sentenced To 50 Years", The New York Times, July 8, 1989
12. ^ Gendar, Alison (October 15, 2009). "Intimidating Jurors Was the Gotti Way, Tapes Reveal in Junior Gotti Trial". New York Daily News. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
13. ^ Morgan, Thomas (May 24, 1989). "Gene Gotti Guilty in Heroin and Racketeering Case". The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
14. ^ Howe, Marvine (July 8, 1989). "Gotti's Brother Is Sentenced To 50 Years". The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
15. ^ "Inmate Locator: Gene Gotti". Federal Bureau of Prisons. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2010.

* v
* t
* e

Gambino crime family

Bosses|

* Salvatore D'Aquila
* Manfredi Mineo
* Francesco Scalice
* Vincenzo Mangano
* Albert Anastasia
* Carlo Gambino
* Paul Castellano
* John Gotti
* Peter Gotti
* Domenico Cefalù
* Frank Cali
* Lorenzo Mannino

Current members|

* Carmine Agnello
* Thomas Cacciopoli
* John Carneglia
* Charles Carneglia
* Nicholas Corozzo
* Leonard DiMaria
* Rosario Gambino
* Gene Gotti
* Richard G. Gotti
* Richard V. Gotti
* Joe Isgro
* Joseph Juliano
* Salvatore LoCascio
* Daniel Marino
* Richard Martino
* Dominick Pizzonia
* Carmine Sciandra
* Ronnie Trucchio
* Louis Vallario

Past members|

| Made men|

* Thomas Agro
* Anthony Anastasio
* Joseph Armone
* Stephen Armone
* William Bentvena
* Thomas Bilotti
* Joseph Biondo
* Bartholomew Boriello
* Pasquale Conte
* Joseph Corozzo
* Samuel Corsaro
* Jackie D'Amico
* Frank DeCicco
* George DeCicco
* Aniello Dellacroce
* Roy DeMeo
* Gregory DePalma
* Robert DiBernardo
* James Failla
* Carmine Fatico
* Anthony Gaggi
* Joseph N. Gallo
* John Gambino
* Thomas Gambino
* John A. Gotti
* Stephen Grammauta
* Frank LoCascio
* Carmine Lombardozzi
* Joseph LoPiccolo
* Philip Mangano
* Anthony Megale
* Joseph Paruta
* Frank Piccolo
* George Remini
* Louis Ricco
* Angelo Ruggiero
* Salvatore Scala
* Anthony Scotto
* James Squillante
* Arnold Squitieri
* Anthony Trentacosta

|

Associates|

* Frank Amato
* Richard Basciano
* James Coonan
* Michael DeBatt
* Louis Ferrante
* Eddie Garafola
* Richard Kuklinski
* Nicholas Mormando
* Boško Radonjić
* Tony Rampino
* Jon Roberts
* Salvatore Ruggiero
* Nicholas Scibetta
* Augustus Sclafani
* Reuben Sturman
* Michael Thevis
* Joe Watts

Informants|

* John Alite
* Primo Cassarino
* Michael DiLeonardo
* Salvatore Gravano
* Joseph Iannuzzi
* Wilfred Johnson
* Dominick LoFaro
* Dominick Montiglio
* Robert Mormando
* Salvatore Romano
* Joseph Vollaro

Factions and crews|

| Active|

* Ozone Park Boys

|

Defunct|

* DeMeo crew
* Baltimore Crew

Family events|

| FBI operations|

* Operation Jack Falcone (2002–2005)
* Operation Old Bridge (2008)

|

Hearings|

* Kefauver Committee (1950–1951)
* Valachi hearings (1963)

Social clubs|

* Bergin Hunt and Fish Club
* Ravenite Social Club
* The Plaza Suite

Trials|

* Pizza Connection Trial (1985–1986)
* Mafia Commission Trial (1985–1986)
* Window Case (1991)

Wars|

* Castellammarese War (1929–1931)

Relation to other groups|

| Allies|

* Lucchese family
* Genovese family
* Bonanno family
* Colombo family
* DeCavalcante family
* Patriarca family
* Philadelphia family
* Westies
* Inzerillo clan

|

* v
* t
* e

Italian-American Mafia

* List of Mafia crime families
* Mafia bibliography

Families|

| Five Families of
New York City|

| Bonanno|

* Calabrian group
* Motion Lounge crew
* New Springville Boys
* Sicilian group

|

Colombo|

Colombo

Gambino|

* Baltimore Crew
* Ozone Park Boys

Genovese|

* 116th Street Crew
* Broadway Mob
* Greenwich Village Crew
* New Jersey faction
* Springfield faction

Lucchese|

* Brooklyn faction
* New Jersey faction
* Tanglewood Boys

East Coast|

* Buffalo
* DeCavalcante (Northern New Jersey)
* Patriarca (New England) (Angiulo's Boston crew)
* Philadelphia (10th & Oregon Crew)

Midwestern/Western|

* Chicago
* Detroit
* Kansas City
* Los Angeles

Mostly defunct|

* Bufalino (Northeastern Pennsylvania)
* Cleveland
* Colorado
* Dallas
* Genna (Chicago)
* Lanzetta (Philadelphia)
* Morello (Italian Harlem)
* D'Aquila (Little Italy, Manhattan)
* New Orleans
* Milwaukee
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* San Francisco
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* St. Louis
* Trafficante (Tampa)

Structure|

| Chain of command|

* The Commission
* Boss
* Underboss
* Consigliere
* Caporegime
* Soldato
* Associate

|

Members (made men)|

* List of Italian-American mobsters
* List of Italian-American mobsters by organization

Terms|

* Initiation ritual
* Made man
* Bagman
* Black Hand
* Black Hand in Chicago
* Vendetta
* Capo dei capi (boss of bosses)
* Mustache Pete
* Omertà
* One-way ride
* Sixth Family
* Zips

Events|

| Meetings|

* Atlantic City Conference (1929)
* Havana Conference (1946)
* Apalachin meeting (1957)
* Palermo Mafia summit (1957)

|

Hearings|

* Kefauver Committee (1950–1951)
* Valachi hearings (1963)

Wars|

* Mafia–Camorra War (1914–1917)
* Castellammarese War (1929–1931)

Trials|

* Pizza Connection Trial (1985–1987)
* Mafia Commission Trial (1985–1986)

Closely related
and affiliated
organizations|

| Active|

* Luppino crime family
* Musitano crime family
* Papalia crime family
* Jewish Mafia
* Philadelphia Greek Mob
* Rizzuto crime family
* Sicilian Mafia
* Inzerillo Mafia clan
* Stidda
* Velentzas Organization

|

Defunct|

* Broadway Mob
* Bugs and Meyer Mob
* Bumpy Johnson gang
* New York Camorra
* Colacurcio Organization
* The Corporation
* Cotroni crime family
* The Council
* Cuntrera-Caruana Mafia clan
* Dutch Schultz Mob
* East Harlem Purple Gang
* Five Points Gang
* Forty-Two Gang
* Italian-American National Union
* Maceo Organization
* Marat Balagula gang
* Murder, Inc.
* National Crime Syndicate
* New Springville Boys
* Rudaj Organization
* South Brooklyn Boys
* Tanglewood Boys
* Unione Corse
* Westies
* Winter Hill Gang

Other topics|

| Government
operations|

* Collaborations between the United States government and Italian Mafia
* Operation Family Secrets
* Operation Old Bridge
* Operation Solare
* Operation Underworld
* Operation Wasteland

|

Crimes|

* French Connection
* Hired Truck Program
* Lufthansa heist
* Saint Valentine's Day Massacre
* Rochester bombings

Related articles|

* Barrel murder
* Buster from Chicago
* Cement shoes
* Shotgun Man

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