Leadership of the Gambino crime family John A. Gotti

thomas cacciopoli (left), gotti (middle) , john cavallo in fbi surveillance photo.

according federal prosecutors, gotti inducted gambino crime family in 1988. named caporegime (captain) in 1990, , believed youngest capo in gambino family s history.

in april 1992, father, john j. gotti, received life sentence racketeering , related offenses. prosecutors made son head of family operations committee of captains assist him. family member, 1 of few people allowed visit father , gotti believed have relayed father s orders organization prison.

remembering how father had been brought down fbi bugs, gotti adopted more secretive way of doing business. discussed mob business through walk-talks, or conversations held while walking alongside trusted capos. tried pose legitimate businessman. however, several of button men didn t think of him, thinking incompetent. not negotiator father had been, , gambinos lost out on several disputes other families. genovese family unimpressed gotti refused deal him @ all.

in 1997 search of basement of property owned gotti, fbi found typed list of names of made members of organization, $348,700 in cash, list of guests attended wedding, along dollar amount of wedding gifts (totaling more $350,000), , 2 handguns. found list of several men inducted other families in 1991 , 1992; longstanding rule in new york mafia calls prospective wiseguys vetted other families before being inducted. however, these lists destroyed inductions take place. discovery enraged gotti s father other bosses, since put dozens of other mafiosi @ risk of government scrutiny. episode earned him nickname dumbfella in new york media.

in 1998, gotti slapped wide-ranging rico indictment charging not acting boss of gambino family, received millions of dollars numerous gambino rackets. many of charges related attempts extort money owners , employees of scores, upscale strip club in manhattan. according indictment, gambinos had forced scores owners pay $1 million on six-year period in order stay in business, gotti s share of loot totaling $100,000. in addition lists seized in 1997 raid, prosecutors obtained transcripts of prison conversations in received advice father on how run family. faced overwhelming evidence, gotti pleaded guilty reduced charges of loansharking, bookmaking, extortion, , gave testimonial information against other mobsters such john alite. sentenced in 1999, 77 months in prison , released in 2001, due other charges gotti found guilty , sent prison in 2002. federal prosecutors uncle, peter gotti, became head of gambino organization after nephew sent prison.