Eugene Gotti (born 1946) is an American mobster and former captain of 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.
Gene Gotti | |
|---|---|
 Gotti's August 23, 1983 FBI mugshot | |
| Born | Eugene Gotti 1946 (age 77–78) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Mobster |
| Spouse | Rosalie Gotti |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives |
|
| Allegiance | Gambino crime family |
| Conviction(s) | Racketeering and drug trafficking (1989) |
| Criminal penalty | 50 years' imprisonment and fined $75,000 |
Early life
editGotti 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]
Criminal life
editGene 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
editLater 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- ^ 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.
- ^ Davis, p. 185
- ^ Raab, p. 354
- ^ a b Davis, p. 216
- ^ Capeci, Mustain (1996), p. 77
- ^ Capeci, Mustain (1996), pp. 79–80
- ^ Davis, p 238
- ^ Buder, Leonard (March 14, 1987). "Gotti is Aquitted [sic] in Conspiracy Case Involving the Mob". The New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
- ^ 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
- ^ "2nd Mistrial Declared in Gotti Case After Jury Impasse", The New York Times, July 28, 1988
- ^ Howe, Marvin, "Gotti's Brother Is Sentenced To 50 Years", The New York Times, July 8, 1989
- ^ 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.
- ^ Morgan, Thomas (May 24, 1989). "Gene Gotti Guilty in Heroin and Racketeering Case". The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
- ^ Howe, Marvine (July 8, 1989). "Gotti's Brother Is Sentenced To 50 Years". The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2010.
- ^ "Inmate Locator: Gene Gotti". Federal Bureau of Prisons. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved February 17, 2010.